Usyk Aims to Force Fury Fight With Dubois Defence
"People are tired of talks. We need to do instead of talk," declares a motivated Oleksandr Usyk ahead of his world heavyweight title defence against Daniel Dubois.
It’s Tyson Fury, holder of the other significant belt in the division, who the undefeated champion speaks of when it comes to desiring more action and less talking.
"The only thing I can say is there's too many words instead of actions. The whole world wants to see the fight between Usyk and Fury and we have to make it."
Less talking and more action is a statement that Usyk has so far lived by throughout his already illustrious career to date.
From a 2012 Olympic Gold medal in London to becoming undisputed at cruiserweight then world heavyweight champion, he has cemented his name in boxing history.
But it’s never enough for a fighter as relentlessly driven as Usyk, who wants to earn the distinction of being undisputed ruler again at heavyweight.
Road Warrior Usyk Targets Fury
In order to achieve that goal of becoming undisputed champion (again), Usyk needs to overcome long-standing rival Fury.
But it’s a much-anticipated showdown that has so far failed to come to fruition despite boxing’s other divisions currently thriving with the best match-ups throughout 2023.
Dubois will be aiming to derail any remaining hopes of that fight, though, when he climbs into the ring against Usyk this weekend in Poland.
While Usyk has been one of the sport’s most willing road warriors over the years, he now finds himself defending his heavyweight crown a lot closer to home.
The unified heavyweight ruler has not fought in his native Ukraine since 2015, one year before he first became a world champion.
He overcame Krzysztof Glowacki in Poland to win his maiden cruiserweight world title before a string of title defences on away territory against fighters in their own home nations.
This included beating Marco Huck in Germany, Mairis Briedis in Latvia and Murat Gassiev in Russia to become undisputed with World Boxing Super Series success.
Usyk has since got the better of British foes Tony Bellew, Derek Chisora and Anthony Joshua in the UK as well.
Now, he prepares to defend his crowns closer to home, where he will have a huge following and rapturous support. Another factor Dubois must deal with to pull off a monumental upset on his travels.
A Fight Beyond Just Boxing
While Usyk has a fight in the ring in Poland this weekend, he and his fellow Ukrainians have had to endure a greater battle outside of it.
"Through binoculars from 900 metres, I saw my enemies running, exploding tanks and broken houses. I saw people with no legs and arms," Usyk explained in tragic detail on the bleak situation his fellow countrymen are currently facing on home soil.
"I saw people walking but looking like they were dead. When I was going in the car around the city, I realised it was a dead city.
"I saw children’s toys and playgrounds but everything looked dead, there was no energy in the city.
"I realised that one day that place, on that ground, kids were playing. But now it is dead."
It’s not the first time that Usyk has had to deal with the ongoing issues while still competing at the pinnacle of his sport, having dedicated his previous heavyweight victories over Joshua to his homeland while draped in proud Ukrainian colours.
Fuelled even more by his country’s suffering and the family he has been forced to leave behind to prepare, Usyk looks to defend his heavyweight throne over Dubois and make a global statement on the big stage once again.