Usyk, the 38-year-old Ukrainian boxing star, had a big win in December. He beat Tyson Fury for the second time in Riyadh, cementing his place as the top heavyweight of his generation. This victory added to his impressive list of wins, which includes Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois, and Derek Chisora.
After his success at heavyweight, there was talk about Usyk possibly retiring. But he put those rumors to rest and even hinted at moving back down to cruiserweight. In an earlier interview, Usyk said, "I try cruiserweight again. I try [to be undisputed cruiserweight again]."
This idea got people excited, especially IBF and Ring magazine cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia. Opetaia told reporters:
"I'm always open for it, I would never knock down a fight like that. That's a fight I would take with both hands, 100%."
Eddie Hearn, Opetaia's promoter, also liked the idea. He thought Opetaia could give Usyk a real challenge in the next year or so.
At first, Usyk seemed open to the idea. When asked about fighting Opetaia, he said:
"I don't know, maybe. He's [Opetaia] a great fighter."
But now, Usyk has changed his tune. In a recent chat with Sky Sports Boxing, he explained why he's staying at heavyweight:
"Now I think it's not possible because six years I work to grow my weight, and I work, work, work and eating, it's really hard."
Usyk moved up to heavyweight in 2020 after being the undisputed cruiserweight champion. Since then, he's won all his fights in the bigger weight class.
So, what's next for Usyk? He'll fight the winner of the IBF heavyweight title bout between Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker. This fight will give Usyk a chance to add another belt to his collection and further solidify his place at the top of the heavyweight division.