highlight
- Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury last month and the two are set to rematch in December.
- He was expected to stay at heavyweight but said Tuesday he plans to switch weight classes.
- Usyk said he is considering a return to the 200-pound cruiserweight division.
Oleksandr Usyk is capable of producing surprising results at age 37. As the unified heavyweight boxing world champion, a former undefeated cruiserweight champion and a 2012 Olympic gold medallist, he boasts a wealth of experience and skill, so it was no surprise when he defeated Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last month.
Even more surprising is that after the rematch is contracted, scheduled for later this year, Usyk may drop down to 200 pounds rather than face other promising heavyweight prospects such as Joseph Parker, Jean Zierei, Daniel Dubois or Jared Anderson.
Six things to happen before Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2 was officially announced for December 21st, and GIVEMESPORT predicts what will happen until then.
Oleksandr Usyk won't rule out cruiserweight return
That would be a big decision for boxing.
Usyk said on the Three Knockdown Rules podcast on Wednesday that he is open to returning to the cruiserweight division once he fulfills his rematch obligation to face Fury for a second time on Dec. 21 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
“After the rematch, I might drop down to cruiserweight.”
Promoter Eguis Klimas added that they are already discussing it because it's a way for Usyk to further his accomplishments not just in the 200-pound division but in his career overall.
“I've talked about moving down to cruiserweight and getting my second unbeaten streak under my belt at cruiserweight,” Klimas said.
“That's my plan,” Usyk said in the end.
Prize money announced for Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2
The two are set to clash in a fascinating rematch later this year.
Some of Usyk's heavyweight bouts ruled out
It's unclear who Klimas and Ugas will target for the 200 pounds.
While his return to cruiserweight has made some heavyweight bouts impossible, there are few notable opponents left on that scale to beat the challengers ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the division in former bona fide world champions Fury and Anthony Joshua.
He has few options at cruiserweight, however, but if he has any hope of becoming an unbeaten champion again, he will have to beat the division's current champions, including WBA champion Gilbert Ramirez, WBC titleholder Norail Michaelyan and WBO champion Chris “Billam” Smith.
Usyk's best wins at cruiserweight include decision wins over Michael Hunter, Mairis Briedis and Murat Gassiev, as well as an earlier knockout win over Marco Huck.
The win over Fury may have taken a toll on Usyk, not just because of the shock of the fight or how tough the victory was, but because of the sacrifices he had to make in the run-up to the fight, as he prioritized the undisputed championship bout over time with his family.
“My camp started in September 2023,” he said at his post-fight press conference last month after handing Fury the first defeat of his career. “I've been training for nine months,” he said, referring to the postponed bout that was originally scheduled for February.
“I missed the New Year's celebrations,” he said. “I missed my son's birthday, I missed my other son's birthday, I missed my daughter's birthday and I missed her birth.”
“I missed the holidays with my family. I was just focused on this match, but now I'm happy and I want to go home.”
