Oleksandr Usyk has beaten five British boxers in the last six years, most notably Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. The Ukrainian fighter has now shared his thoughts on the punching power of these two heavyweight ...
Usyk's journey to the top of the heavyweight division started after he knocked out Tony Bellew in his last cruiserweight fight. He then moved up to become undisputed in a second weight class, picking up wins over Derek Chisora, Anthony Joshua (twice), Daniel Dubois, and Tyson Fury along the way.
When talking about his fights with Joshua, Usyk recalled some powerful moments. He said:
"There were quite tangible blows. You can see it on my face too. There was a cut when we hit our heads. Then a light blow from his jab broke an eyebrow, which was flooding my right eye with blood."
Usyk mentioned that Joshua landed some sensitive blows to his chin and stomach. At one point, these shots sent him to 'Elon Musk' temporarily, but he quickly regained his focus. The Ukrainian champ explained that during a fight, adrenaline and emotions are so strong that you only feel the pain and dizziness after the battle is over.
As for his fight with Fury, Usyk remembered one punch in particular - an uppercut. He described the experience on the 3 Knockdown Rule podcast:
"I got uppercut you know, it's like very pain. Hard pain. I feel maybe 10 seconds I say 'hey, God, thank you, help me.' I say to myself 'hey Alex, move, move. If you stop, he'll kill you.'"
Usyk's manager added that the pain was so intense, it felt like Usyk's tooth had come out. They later clarified that an old dental implant was impacted, not a broken jaw as Fury had claimed.
When comparing the power of Joshua and Fury, Usyk recognized Joshua as the bigger puncher. However, he held Fury's power in high regard, particularly his uppercut. Interestingly, Usyk still maintains that Derek Chisora hit him the hardest out of all his opponents.
Usyk's achievements in boxing are impressive. He's won unified heavyweight titles and became the undisputed heavyweight champion. His recent fights include unanimous and split decision wins over Anthony Joshua, a stoppage win against Daniel Dubois, and a split decision victory over Tyson Fury in their undisputed clash.
Looking ahead, Usyk is set for a rematch with Tyson Fury on December 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This fight will give both boxers another chance to test their skills and power against each other, and fans can't wait to see how it unfolds.