Usyk's got a lot of fighters eyeing him up. He's undefeated as a pro and has achieved a lot. In 2018, he became the undisputed cruiserweight world champion. Now, he's the heavyweight champ, holding three of the four major belts. He beat Anthony Joshua twice, defended his titles against Daniel Dubois, and won a split decision against Tyson Fury.
Beterbiev and Usyk have met before. Back in 2007, they fought as amateurs. Beterbiev won on points. They've both come a long way since then.
In an interview with Second Out, Beterbiev shared his thoughts on a potential rematch:
"If he wants it, and if he comes down to the weight. I think these are fantasy fights, I don't think he'll watch, and I probably won't move up there, I don't know. Very interesting, from a sporting perspective."
Beterbiev made it clear that his interest isn't about the money:
"It would be interesting to try as professionals, not for money, although money would be nice, but my interest in this fight would be purely sporting, much more than monetary. Much more."
If the fight happens, it'll likely be at cruiserweight. That's a compromise between Usyk's heavyweight and Beterbiev's light-heavyweight.
Right now, both fighters have other plans. Usyk's got a rematch with Tyson Fury on December 21. Beterbiev just beat Dmitry Bivol in October and they're set for another fight in February 2025.
Their amateur bout in 2007 was part of their Olympic and World Championship journeys. Beterbiev remembers it well:
"I repeat, from a pure sporting perspective I would be interested in this fight, of course, because we boxed in the Olympics and the World Championships as amateurs."
For now, a Beterbiev-Usyk rematch remains a dream match-up. But in boxing, you never know what might happen.