Oleksandr Usyk expects 2 more fights, then retirement

Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has revealed he expects to fight no more than twice before retiring from boxing.

In an interview, the Ukrainian boxer said he feels great but does not see himself fighting beyond the next two bouts.

When asked who would make the final decision on his retirement, Usyk stated, “I feel great myself, my family feels great, but I have no more than two fights left.”

Usyk also ruled out a return to cruiserweight, citing the six years of work it took to build up his weight for the heavyweight division.

“It would be too difficult to cut back down,” he explained, adding that his conditioning team advised against it. “I'm 38, still young, but my team says it’s a bad idea.”

When asked about the upcoming fight between Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker, Usyk shared that his team predicts a close contest, giving Dubois a slight edge with a 52% chance of winning.

However, he made it clear that he is willing to fight either opponent. “Whoever wins, I’ll fight them. No problem,” he said.

Usyk also commented on Dubois' improvement since their last bout, stating that the British fighter’s win over Anthony Joshua was a fact but suggested that Joshua may not have been fully prepared.

“Maybe Joshua had problems in his preparation, I don’t know. But Daniel won, and now he is a world champion.”