Beterbiev wants to fight Usyk

Artur Beterbiev
Artur Beterbiev

WBC and IBF light-heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev said he wouldn't mind moving up to the heavyweight division to fight Oleksandr Usyk, but doubts the Ukrainian will take the fight.

"If one could fight him now... When I became world bantamweight champion and he became bantamweight champion, I said to Eddie Hearn: 'If you guarantee me a fight with Usyk, I'll accept right away'. They took a week or two pause and didn't respond. It's not beneficial for Usyk, of course. He'd better fight on the heavyweight team, where there is more money and less risk. But I wanted this fight to happen. Would I go up to him in the heavyweight division? Even if I would get up, he wouldn't box with me. I think so," Beterbiev said.

On the night of September 25 at Tottenham Hotspur Arena in London, Usyk defeated Anthony Joshua by unanimous decision of the judges and won the IBF, WBO, WBA heavyweight titles.