Oleksandr Usyk is preparing for the second defence of his unified heavyweight titles, the man in the other corner set to be Daniel Dubois.
Whilst the fight isn’t yet official, Usyk’s promotional team won the purse bid set by the WBA and announced intentions to stage it in Poland on August 26.
He’s certainly in training, as proven by a recent picture from the gym.
Oleksandr Usyk in the gym today… pic.twitter.com/bFd13mDG20
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) June 25, 2023
Usyk of course fought the first 16 fights of his professional career at the cruiserweight 200lbs limit, becoming undisputed before moving up to join the big men.
His heavyweight campaign is just four fights in, and his weight has remained relatively consistent. His debut in the division – a seventh round stoppage of Chazz Witherspoon – saw him tip the scales at 215lbs.
He was only a couple of pounds heavier for a unanimous decision win over Derek Chisora one year later, and weighed in at 221lbs for both fights against Anthony Joshua – 20 pounds lighter than the Brit.
The record suggests that he’ll come in around the same weight for the 240lbs Dubois should the fight be made official, relying once again on his elite movement in his attempts to retain the three belts and keep hope of an undisputed fight against Tyson Fury alive.
Fury is a different beast in terms of size. A self-proclaimed behemoth, he stands at a reported 6ft 9in and hovers around 270lbs in weight.
It’s something many fans and pundits believe will be the difference in the ring should the pair face off, and those views were reflected in the comments on social media about Usyk’s latest training snap.
Some said he was ‘too small’ for the modern-day heavyweight division, especially against Fury, and one used the term ‘middleweight’ that was coined by the Brit to criticise his fellow-champion. Others said he was looking slimmer and had ‘bulked down’ since his last training camp.
These views have done nothing to deter the Ukrainian so far, and ‘AJ’ certainly isn’t considered a small heavyweight. In fact, Usyk used everything he had to his advantage to manoeuvre and outfight the former champion.
Those backing him also are quick to point out he’s the same height and weight as the late, great Muhammad Ali, and taller than ‘The Baddest Man On The Planet’, Mike Tyson.
He’ll look to prove himself once more against Dubois, but with just eight weeks to go until the proposed date, fans would like confirmation it’s going ahead as planned soon.