Oleksandr Usyk has named Derek Chisora and Tyson Fury as his toughest heavyweight opponents. The undisputed heavyweight champion shared his thoughts in a recent interview with talkSPORT, reflecting on his career after reaching the pinnacle of the sport.
"I think it was Derek, and the first fight with Tyson Fury."
The Ukrainian's journey to heavyweight supremacy has been impressive. He started as an Olympic gold medalist, then became the undisputed cruiserweight champion before moving up to heavyweight. In the bigger division, he's maintained an undefeated professional record and quickly rose to the top.
Usyk's first major heavyweight test came against Derek Chisora, whom he beat on points over 12 rounds. He followed that with another points win over Chazz Witherspoon. But it was his victories over Anthony Joshua that really put him on the map. In 2021, he outpointed Joshua to become the unified heavyweight champion, then repeated the feat in 2022 to defend his titles.
The crowning achievement came in 2024 when Usyk faced Tyson Fury twice. He won both fights on points, with the second victory in December making him the undisputed heavyweight champion.
It's worth noting that Usyk didn't mention Daniel Dubois as one of his toughest opponents, despite Dubois being the only man to knock him down in their August 2023 fight. That knockdown came from a body shot that was judged to be low, causing some controversy.
Now, Usyk is gearing up for a rematch with Dubois on July 19 at Wembley Stadium. This fight gives Usyk a chance to become the first two-time undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era. It's also an opportunity for him to beat Dubois without any controversy this time around.
Dubois currently holds the IBF title, adding extra stakes to their upcoming clash. With his impressive track record and recent domination of the heavyweight division, Usyk will be looking to cement his legacy even further with a decisive win over Dubois.
