Exclusive: ‘We need to do instead of talk’ – Oleksandr Usyk calls on Tyson Fury to make title fight happen

Oleksandr Usyk has called on Tyson Fury to make their undisputed heavyweight title fight happen, one he believes “the whole world” wants to see.

Contract negotiations have stalled on several occasions despite the Ukrainian at one point accepting a 70/30 purse split in favour of Fury.

In an exclusive interview with TNT Sports, Usyk was asked if he feels that he is going up against the wrong British boxer.

“It might be, but this is the way. This is part of the way and if I have this Englishman in my way now then I have to face him,” he said.

Asked what he thinks of Fury, Usyk said: “As a human being, I think he is a great person. I think he’s a great man, a great father, a great family man and as an athlete he’s brilliant as well.

“The only thing I can say is that there’s too much words, instead of actions. The whole world wants to see the fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury and we have to make it. People are tired of talks. We need to do instead of talk,” he said.

Despite longing for a showdown with Fury, Usyk knows he will need to be at his best against Dubois, who has suffered just one professional loss – against Joe Joyce in 2020.

“I treat him with respect,” Usyk said. “I don’t underestimate him. I treat him like I used to treat all of my opponents in the past. When I get myself prepared for Anthony Joshua or for anyone else, I do some volume of work in my training and with Daniel Dubois there is no exception. I do exactly the same work. I train as hard as I can, as it’s possible, to achieve my goal in the ring.”

Usyk’s preparations for Joshua went exactly to plan, defeating the Brit on two occasions.

Speaking of the similarities between Joshua and Dubois, Usyk said: “You cannot compare those two guys. These are completely different levels of athletes. The only thing that is in common is that they both are boxers.”

Whereas Dubois has overawed the majority of his opponents in the opening rounds of his fights, Usyk has not won by way of knockout since sending Tony Bellew sprawling across the canvas at Manchester Arena in 2018.

Asked about his ability to finish off fights, Usyk said: “I’m never focused on a KO, only to box, but if it comes then I have an impression and it’s based on my experience.

“When a fighter is loaded for the punch, or a heavy punch to knock out his opponent, he is losing some of the advantages – very important ones. The ones he’s losing are the ones that are bringing the victory at the end.”

Having been undisputed at cruiserweight, Usyk knows if he retains his titles against Dubois, he needs to snatch Tyson Fury’s WBC belt to be a two-weight undisputed champion.

Speaking about whether that will impact his legacy, Usyk said: “This is my way. I have to finish my way and this is a part of my way. When I complete it, I don’t know what’s going to happen.

“I’ll probably have another way to go, one more. Maybe I will become the main coach of the national team and will be preparing Ukrainian boxers for the Olympic Games or maybe I will nominate myself for the presidency.”

Usyk’s home country of Ukraine saw the Russian invasion begin in February 2022 and the boxer has been a figure of defiance throughout.

Just after the conflict began, Usyk joined the territorial defence of Kyiv.

Many fleeing Ukrainians have been taken in by the people of Poland, which is why Usyk will have the majority of support in the 24,000 capacity Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw when he goes up against Dubois.

Asked if he thinks he is inspiring to people from his homeland, Usyk said: “I can’t really say on behalf of every Ukrainian but according to my conversations with the guys I used to have every day, sometimes once per week, the guys that are fighting on the front line, the guys who are supporting me, they keep telling me that my actions inspire them.

“It will be unfair if I say that I am the inspiration for Ukraine.

“I’m probably more the inspiration for my kids, for my sons, for my family, for my close ones,” he said.

Speaking about how he feels when he returns to Ukraine, Usyk said: “I’m not scared. I’m not afraid. This is my home. Every day, during the day, in the morning, in the evening and during the day I pray. I am asking Lord for this all to get stopped.

“I’m more than one month in the training camp but I can describe you when I was in Ukraine. Every night I woke up because we were hearing either the alarms or the explosions of drones coming or the missiles. I saw it with my own eyes when the drones were exploding in the sky and they were destroyed by the anti-rocket systems.”

“In the morning, when you wake up, and you’re taking your kid to school and you see people around and you see that they did not sleep well either but all of them have smile on their face. If you ask them the question ‘How are you?’, you know for sure that every night some hit took place, the explosions, you had some injured people, some people dead and most Ukrainians have the same answer,” Usyk said.

“We are fighting for our freedom. We will be fighting for our independence no matter what. We are not afraid to die. We want to be free.”

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