Tony Bellew, who fought Oleksandr Usyk in 2018, recently shared his thoughts on the Ukrainian boxer's skills and potential legacy in the sport.
Bellew faced Usyk for all four major cruiserweight titles in 2018. Despite making a good start, Bellew tired as the fight went on and was stopped in the eighth round.
Since then, Usyk has moved up to heavyweight and picked up notable wins against Anthony Joshua (twice), Daniel Dubois, and Tyson Fury. These victories made him the second man to be undisputed champion at both cruiserweight and heavyweight, joining Evander Holyfield in this rare achievement.
In a recent interview with iFL TV, Bellew praised Usyk's accomplishments:
"Oleksandr Usyk. What a guy, what a man. The greatest cruiserweight, and let me tell you he'll go down as one of the greatest heavyweights as well."
When asked about a hypothetical matchup between Usyk and a prime Mike Tyson, Bellew favored the American. He told Instant Casino that Tyson would come out on top, despite entering the ring as the smaller man. Tyson, the youngest ever heavyweight champion, was known for his fearless style and impressive 79% stoppage-to-win ratio.
Regarding the upcoming Usyk-Fury rematch scheduled for December 21 in Saudi Arabia, Bellew believes Usyk will win again. However, he doesn't rule out Fury getting revenge. In a YouTube video, Bellew shared his thoughts:
"I do still believe that [Usyk will win] but it doesn't mean [Fury] can't."
Bellew noted that in their first fight, Usyk was hurt for the first time in his career but showed resilience by coming back strong. He also observed that Fury, despite being a big, heavy, elite-level fighter, struggled with Usyk's style. Bellew suggested that Usyk might change his approach in the rematch, potentially fighting on the back foot instead of walking forward as he did in their first encounter.
The Usyk-Fury rematch will take place just over a month after Mike Tyson's controversial return to the ring against Jake Paul, adding another layer of interest to the heavyweight boxing scene.
