According to ESPN, Oleksandr Usyk received permission from the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine to leave the country under Russian occupation in order to begin preparations for revenge against Anthony Joshua. A rematch between Usyk and Joshua, which could have the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles at stake, was tentatively scheduled for the summer. Whether the Ukrainian will agree to use this permission is still unknown.
At the same time, Usyk's previously close friend Vasily Lomachenko turned down a similar opportunity to meet on June 5 in Melbourne, Australia, with George Kambosos Jr. for four titles in lightweight, and in the face of a large-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, he decided to stay in his native country.