Oleksandr Usyk has hinted at a return to cruiserweight if he is unable to secure the Tyson Fury fight. The pair are currently in negotiations to stage the first undisputed heavyweight unification clash of the four-belt era in early 2023, but Usyk has multiple other options for future fights.
The former undisputed cruiserweight champion cleaned up at 200lb but is willing to go back and pick up ‘a few more world belts’ to give himself a break from eating the mountains of food required to maintain his heavyweight physique.
“I was thinking about returning to cruiserweight and getting a few more of the world belts,” Usyk told Parimatch. “You know, being a heavyweight means you have to be really heavy. You must eat a lot. It’s not hard to fight with these giants, but it’s really hard to eat all the time.
“And now I work much more than I did as a cruiserweight, particularly in the training camps. I had to swim ten kilometres and train hard. At this moment I just want to stop and take a rest.
“[I want to fight] with Fury, Canelo, and the farewell fight at Olympiyskyi [Stadium in Ukraine]. Yes, with Canelo. He wanted to fight with me. But it will be a ‘freak’ fight, just to earn money.”
Since Usyk’s move up to heavyweight in 2019, his four cruiserweight belts have been picked up by four different champions. The WBC strap is in the hands of South Africa’s Ilunga Makabu, France’s Arsen Goulamirian holds the WBA (super) title, Australia’s Jai Opetaia the IBF, and England’s Lawrence Okolie is the current WBO belt holder.
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