Oleksandr Usyk, one of boxing's greatest champions, has fired back at Jake Paul's unusual challenge. The YouTuber-turned-boxer recently called out Usyk for a mixed martial arts fight, and Usyk's response shows he's more than ready for the challenge.
Usyk's boxing career speaks for itself. He won Olympic gold as an amateur, became the undisputed cruiserweight champion in 2018, and then moved up to heavyweight where he unified the division by beating Anthony Joshua. In May 2024, Usyk reached the pinnacle of his career when he defeated Tyson Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
But Usyk's not done yet. He's got a rematch coming up with Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in July. Usyk will try to win back the IBF belt he vacated before his second fight with Fury last December. Their first encounter ended with Usyk winning by knockout, though there was some controversy when Usyk went down from what was ruled a low blow.
When asked about Jake Paul's challenge during an interview on Game Time with Boomer Esiason, Usyk didn't hold back:
"Listen, my first sport is not boxing. It's wrestling. My father was a military guy. He teach me street fighting, work knife, shooting. I say hey papa, what we do? He say prepare, Prepare for what? Prepare for life. I use jiu-jitsu, karate, wrestling, kickboxing, street fight. [So Jake Paul] No problem. No Problem."
Usyk's confidence comes from a diverse background in combat sports. Wrestling was his first love, and his military father taught him a range of skills including street fighting, knife work, and shooting. Usyk's also trained in jiu-jitsu, karate, and kickboxing. All this experience has prepared him for more than just boxing - it's prepared him for life, as his father would say.
If Usyk beats Dubois in their upcoming fight, he'll have some interesting choices to make. He could take on mandatory challengers like Joseph Parker and Derek Chisora, or he might decide to pursue this intriguing matchup with Jake Paul.
Jake Paul has been vocal about wanting to fight Usyk in MMA, but Usyk's response suggests he's more than ready for whatever Paul might bring to the table. With Usyk's diverse combat sports background, this potential matchup just got a lot more interesting.
