Unified Heavyweight World Champion Oleksandr Usyk is preparing for his toughest test to date as he aims to become the first undisputed title-holder in the division since the dawn of the four-belt era.
As we’ve seen from the Ukrainian in the past, he has opted to use some unconventional training methods to ready himself for a showdown with Tyson Fury.
Usyk’s height and weight are a key factor for many as a reason to doubt whether he can defeat Fury, a man six inches taller than him, who weighed in over fifty pounds heavier than the Ukrainian in their respective last outings.
However, ‘The Cat’ is famed for his tremendous boxing IQ and masterful footwork, which aided him in victory over Anthony Joshua on two occasions.
Ahead of those clashes, Usyk used intriguing training techniques such as coin-catching, hammer throwing and juggling to improve his co-ordination and power and once again is taking a unique approach to training camp ahead of his battle with ‘The Gypsy King’.
On Instagram, the 36-year-old posted a video of himself throwing and catching kettlebells, once again indicating his talents in co-ordination, rhythm and strength – skills which he will attempt to showcase against his much larger opponent when they meet next month, captioning the clip with his own take on a famous Muhammad Ali catchphrase.
“Float like a butterfly, lift like a beast!”
The slick southpaw will face Fury on February 17 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in a historic contest, where the victor will truly cement their place amongst the greats in the history of the heavyweight division.
As the deadline approaches, further details are expected to be announced imminently with yet another blockbuster undercard hotly-anticipated.