A Closer Look At Oleksandr Usyk’s Ambition to Become Ukrainian President

In a remarkable announcement two weeks ago, it was revealed by Oleksandr Usyk that he intends to run for the Ukrainian presidency once he retires from boxing.

The current IBF, WBA and WBC heavyweight world champion rolled out a three-fight retirement plan that starts with a crossover clash with former Glory kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza on May 23.

Prior to the announcement that he intends to hang up his gloves in the not-too-distant future, Usyk opened up on the subject of leading Ukraine in an interview on Andrii Biedniakov’s YouTube channel: “I plan to box for a few more years, and then I have plans to work for the state.”

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Usyk will not be the first Ukrainian heavyweight world champion to divert his career toward public service. Vitali Klitschko rose to become the Mayor of Kyiv in 2014, having previously worked as an advisor to former president Viktor Yushchenko and also held the position as the Head of the Kyiv City State Administration.

However, Klitschko’s compatriot has his eyes set on the top job. “I’m not going to settle for anything less than president,” Usyk added.

Usyk’s recent comments come after an intriguing recent history in Ukrainian politics. Former actor and comedian Volodymyr Zelenskyy took the seat of president in 2019 following the hit TV series Servant of the People, in which he played a fictional schoolteacher who would rise to lead his country as president. Zelenskyy and Usyk have had very different careers ahead of any political work, but both are traditionally political outsiders.

Boxing Social spoke to prominent Ukrainian sports journalist Oleksandr Chepilko to get a closer perspective on Usyk’s political plans.

“In my opinion, Usyk is the type of man who has been interested in working for the government and other public activities for many years,” Chepilko explained. “He has never been only a boxer. He has always had a lot of influence in Ukraine from a cultural point of view. I think the Ukrainian people are just tired of traditional politicians, because Ukraine has sadly had many years of bad history with traditional politicians. Ukraine has lost faith in the type of politicians they have been accustomed to and have instead reverted to supporting famous Ukrainians who never had any political experience.”

Zelenskyy and Ukraine have experienced a traumatic few years, with neighboring Russia invading thier country to start a full-blown war in 2022, which still rages at the time of writing. Russia had previously annexed the Ukrainian region of Crimea in 2014 shortly after the Revolution of Dignity, which saw the reigning president turn away from closer ties with Europe and reportedly move closer to Russia. Usyk was in fact born and raised on the Crimean Peninsula.

“The war in 2014 started after President Viktor Yanukovych ran away because of his crimes against the people,” Chepilko said, explaining the protest that saw 123 people killed. Chepilko was a resident in Kyiv at the time. “And we have many other examples, maybe not as extreme as Yanukovych, but there are countless examples involving corruption and other issues.

“I don’t think Usyk’s decision to enter politics is solely due to the ongoing war. As I said earlier, he has always been thinking about this type of career after boxing. We won’t know if Usyk can be a successful politician until after a couple of years of leadership. He has made all the right statements, but being a president is extremely hard work and you can’t do it alone. He’ll need a highly experienced team. So we’ll see how he manages it. But Usyk is a very smart man who can make decisions independently.”

Oleksandr Usyk makes dramatic U-turn as he names final three fight opponents before retirement

Oleksandr Usyk now wants to face Fabio Wardley if he beats Daniel Dubois as part of his final three fights.

Heavyweight great Usyk is now at the back end of his stellar career at the age of 39.

But his next fight has caused quite the stir, announcing he will avoid interest from the traditional ranks to face kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven.

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Usyk will face him in Egypt in May, after originally snubbing a showdown with Wardley and vacating the title.

The Ipswich native will now face Daniel Dubois in the same month, and the Ukrainian is keen to face the winner as part of his three-fight farewell tour.

He told The Ring: ” “Rico is first, second is whoever wins between Wardley and Dubois and the third fight is my friend ‘Greedy Belly’, Tyson Fury.”

Usyk had previously suggested he is not open to facing Wardley as he believed the bout wouldn’t present a big enough commercial opportunity.

But he has now changed his mind and is clearly open to facing the champion.

Although he could be banking on a third showdown with Dubois, whom he comprehensively beat last July.

As talkSPORT.com revealed, Dubois’ camp are open to the trilogy and believe he still can become the first fighter to beat ‘The Cat’.

A trilogy with Fury almost seems certain in the future, given the ‘Gypsy King’ has decided to return after losing twice to Usyk.

The pair have made regular public exchanges over a third clash, but will hope more belts can be on the line first.

Is Usyk’s fight plan actually going to happen?

Fury is also looking to force his way into a title shot, and Wardley has already agreed a clash if he beats Arslanbek Makhmudov.

This could present an untimely obstacle.

In truth it may also be a challenge for Usyk to enforce the clashes unless he sacrifices his title belts along the way.

And for Usyk to face Wardley or Dubois next, he may be forced to vacate his WBC or WBA belt with pressure from title holders Murat Gassiev and Agit Kabayel.

Gassiev’s camp are already putting pressure on Usyk to be stripped of the title.

And Kabayel has demanded after a long wait that he is next in line as soon as Usyk defends his title.

Promoter Kalle Sauerland has also put pressure on the third belt, the IBF, demanding it is on the line when Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder face off on April 4.

Oleksandr Usyk names the heavyweight fight he wants after Rico Verhoeven

Oleksandr Usyk is taking Rico Verhoeven seriously, perhaps because he is looking ahead to a bigger challenge afterwards.

The elite southpaw faces kickboxing icon Verhoeven in Egypt on May 23 in a fight that focuses on spectacle after years of hard-fought wins on the road. Despite straying away from his usual matchmaking, Usyk has now assured fans that they can expect a return to top level championship boxing thereafter.

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Speaking on DAZN’s Inside the Ring show, Usyk revealed that he will target becoming undisputed champion in the heavyweight division for a third time after the fight, his sights set firmly on either Daniel Dubois or Fabio Wardley.

“For me, it’s a real fight. Yes, Rico is not a good boxer, okay fun fight, no problem, but I want my next fight [against the] winner of Daniel Dubois and Wardley.”

Wardley was promoted from interim to full WBO champion when the Ukrainian vacated the belt rather than face him as mandatory challenger. His first defence against Dubois, set for May 9 in Manchester, is a dangerous one.

It is a legacy-driven strategy Usyk has employed in the past, dropping the IBF belt to allow Dubois to be elevated, defend against Anthony Joshua, and then face him to regain the strap. Should ‘DDD’ beat Wardley, he could be looking at a trilogy, but fan interest may dwindle given how the first two fights played out.

All of this depends on Usyk keeping hold of his three titles. Though the WBC belt is, highly controversially, on the line against Verhoeven, the IBF and WBA have not yet been mentioned. Those sanctioning bodies may well decide to declare their belts vacant.

WBC complete U-turn on Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven crossover fight

After careful consideration, the WBC has decided to sanction the heavyweight crossover fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven.

Oleksandr Usyk hasn’t competed inside the boxing ring since last July when he knocked out Daniel Dubois in their undisputed heavyweight title rematch.

After having achieved everything there is to achieve in the sport, the Ukrainian appeared to be teetering towards retirement, before targeting a fight against Deontay Wilder.

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Despite that, the 39-year-old was approached with a mega crossover fight by Turki Alalshikh, and it was announced a few days ago that he will take on legendary kickboxer, Rico Verhoeven in a huge crossover.

WBC release statement on Usyk vs Verhoeven

The super fight is scheduled to take place in front of the Pyramids of Giza on May 23, in what is set to be one of the biggest fights of the year.

Initially, WBC president, Mauricio Sulaiman, stated that the WBC fully supports the clash, but claimed that it wouldn’t be for the WBC world title.

“We will create an unbelievable belt featuring the elements of Pyramids of Egypt,” he told Sports Illustrated.

“At this moment there has not been discussion of a request to be a title defense and just a special event involving the WBC heavyweight champion.”

Despite that, in a statement released this Sunday afternoon, the WBC have completed a U-turn regarding their stance on the fight, revealing that the WBC world heavyweight title will now be on the line.

“After careful consideration, the WBC Board of Governors has ruled in favor of sanctioning WBC World Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk’s voluntary title defense against legendary kickboxing champion, Rico Verhoeven.

“At its 63rd Annual Convention in Bangkok, Thailand, the WBC granted Champion Usyk a voluntary defense. Subsequently, the WBC received the petition to sanction Usyk vs Verhoeven fight as a voluntary defense.”

The WBC didn’t sanction Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou

The WBC’s decision to in fact sanction this mega crossover fight as a title fight potentially comes after a competitive clash between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou in 2023.

In his statement to Sports Illustrated, Sulaiman touched on the fact that the WBC supported Fury vs Ngannou, which turned out to be ‘very competitive’.

Despite that, when those two heavyweights clashed, Fury’s WBC title was not on the line.

Oleksandr Usyk’s Next Move Feels Like the Beginning of the End

Usyk will defend his WBC heavyweight title against longtime GLORY kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven on May 23 in Giza, Egypt, in an event titled “Glory in Giza.”

The bout was announced by Turki Alalshikh and Ring Magazine as an undisputed-versus-undisputed crossover, with Verhoeven stepping back into professional boxing for the first time since 2014.

Alalshikh stated, “It is not fun, it is a dangerous fight,” in defense of matching the heavyweight champion against a 1-0 kickboxer for a WBC title defense.

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Voluntary Window
Usyk holds three versions of the heavyweight championship and is currently in a voluntary defense period. That window had been expected to produce a fight with Deontay Wilder.

Wilder’s decision to move forward with his previously planned bout against Derek Chisora effectively closed that route, unless Usyk chooses to vacate belts to avoid upcoming mandatory obligations.

As outlined by WBN, Agit Kabayel stands next in line. Murat Gassiev or Moses Itauma could follow after another voluntary allowance before IBF and WBO mandatories return to the forefront.

Kabayel now faces the real possibility of being left behind, much like Joseph Parker once waited at the top of the WBO rankings only to see his opportunity evaporate.

The structure of the division remains intact, and the contender line is active, but Usyk has chosen to step outside it.

Control Over Titles
Holding three belts provides leverage that few heavyweights in history have possessed simultaneously.

The Verhoeven selection shows Usyk is prioritizing control over obligation. The urgency to satisfy the queue appears secondary to controlling his own timetable.

This is not a criticism. At 39, with wins over Mairis Briedis, Gassiev, Anthony Joshua twice, Tyson Fury twice, and Daniel Dubois twice, Usyk has already completed the historical checklist at cruiserweight and heavyweight.

At this stage, the focus is no longer proving anything — it is managing time and chasing specific historical targets.

The Endgame Is Visible
One plausible route sees Usyk defeat Verhoeven and then target the winner of Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois, a bout that would likely receive sanctioning approval given the undisputed implications.

Victory there would position Usyk as a three-time undisputed champion, joining Terence Crawford in rare territory. That scenario would allow him to leave the division on his terms before the full mandatory cycle closes around him.

The Verhoeven decision makes the direction clear.

With three titles secured and contenders waiting, the move points toward career control over belt consolidation.

If this sequence plays out, the Giza event will not be remembered as a spectacle — it will be remembered as the moment Usyk chose his exit strategy over clearing the division for a third time.

Oleksandr Usyk confirms shocking fight at pyramids as he faces kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven

Oleksandr Usyk’s next fight has been confirmed, with the heavyweight boxing champion defending one of his world titles at the pyramids of Giza, in a stunning development.

Usyk had teased major news throughout the week, which had already been littered with several shocking boxing stories, and Friday brought confirmation of his next outing.

Remarkably, it will take place at the pyramids of Giza in Egypt, as he defends the WBC title against kickboxing great Rico Verhoeven on 23 May.

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Usyk, 39, had been linked to the Dutchman, 36, in recent weeks, but the location of the fight comes as a major surprise.

Usyk was recently granted a voluntary title defence for his next bout and was previously linked to Deontay Wilder, but the American was later paired with Derek Chisora. Instead, it will be Verhoeven who vies for Usyk’s WBC belt, while aiming to hand the Ukrainian his first professional loss.

Verhoeven’s kickboxing record stands at 66-10 (21 knockouts), and he is a former long-reigning heavyweight champion, widely regarded as an all-time great in his sport. However, this upcoming fight is just his second in pro boxing, and it comes 12 years after he won his first.

Meanwhile, Usyk is 24-0 (15 KOs) in boxing, a former undisputed cruiserweight champion and a two-time undisputed heavyweight king. He currently holds the WBC, WBA and IBF belts in the latter division.

“I truly respect people who reach the very top in their sport,” Usyk said on Friday. “Rico is one of them. I respect his journey – he’s truly the king of kickboxing. But this is boxing, a different game with its own rules and kings.”

Verhoeven said: “I spent 12 years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion. I wasn’t looking for comfort, so I started looking for the highest challenge available in another world. Usyk is undisputed in boxing, that’s the kind of challenge that motivates me – undisputed versus undisputed.”

Verhoeven was linked to Anthony Joshua in December, around the time of the Briton’s fight with Jake Paul, but “AJ” was involved in a car crash 10 days after stopping the influencer. Two of Joshua’s teammates were killed in the crash in Nigeria, in which Joshua was a passenger. The former two-time heavyweight champion’s boxing future seemed unclear, but his promoter Eddie Hearn has already hinted at a summer comeback.

Usyk, who outpointed Joshua in 2021 and 2022, last fought in July, when he stopped Daniel Dubois at London’s Wembley Stadium. The result came two years after Usyk first TKOed the Briton, and it crowned him a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion.

However, Usyk vacated the WBO title in November, one month after Fabio Wardley stopped Joseph Parker to claim the interim version of that belt. Wardley was therefore elevated, and he will defend the official title against Dubois in Manchester on 9 May.

Elsewhere in the division, Tyson Fury will emerge from his fifth retirement when he boxes Arslanbek Makhmudov on 11 April. Following that fight at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in the English capital, Fury could pursue a trilogy bout with Usyk.

The Ukrainian outpointed Fury twice in 2024, handing the “Gypsy King” his only losses as a pro, and the first of those results marked Usyk’s first undisputed heavyweight triumph.

Usyk vs Verhoeven will stream live on DAZN and will be organised by The Ring magazine and Sela, a Saudi events company. The Ring is owned by Saudi government official Turki Alalshikh.

This week, The Telegraph reported that British promoter Frank Warren is claiming $1bn in lost income from Sela and combat-sports brand TKO, who co-own the new promotion Zuffa Boxing. Warren told the BBC: “It’s just a difference of opinion over the contracts that we signed, so that will just take its course. I can’t make any comment on it. It is what it is.” A representative of Sela told The Independent: “We are disappointed by the unfounded claims brought by Queensberry and Frank Warren. We reject them in their entirety and are confident that the facts will fully vindicate our position.”