Oleksandr Usyk is undoubtedly one of boxing’s greatest-ever fighters, having amassed a record of 22 fights unbeaten during his career – a figure that could yet grow.
The Ukrainian has enjoyed many historic nights in the ring that have helped shape his path to the peak of the heavyweight division. Ranking his best fights is a challenging task as he tends to deliver improved performances every time he enters the ring – his remaining fight of 2024 is already expected to earn a place amongst his best.
Success in Fury rematch would see the fight become one of Usyk’s best
Usyk’s upcoming rematch against Tyson Fury offers the potential to be one of the Ukrainian’s greatest fights if he can achieve success. In the boxing bets on the December meeting, he is a -188 favorite to win his second fight in a row against the Gypsy King in what could be one of the most legacy-defining fights of his illustrious career – a win would surely make the title of ‘the greatest heavyweight ever’ stick.
While Usyk’s past victories may soon be gazumped when it comes to the rankings for his best triumphs, there are still several notable fights that represented crucial turning points for the Ukrainian. Here, we will look at three exceptional nights of the past for Usyk ahead of his possible ultimate crowning moment of 2024.
Usyk’s first meeting with Anthony Joshua
Usyk first met Anthony Joshua in 2021 for the chance to claim the WBA (Super), IBF and WBO heavyweight titles. Ahead of the contest, Joshua’s raw power and height were predicted to be huge stumbling blocks for Usyk, but he controlled the fight from the off and won emphatically via a unanimous decision.
Usyk’s willingness to continually close the space prevented Joshua from ever getting into his rhythm and firing the powerful blows that he was renowned for. That night was ultimately the first time Usyk downed a genuinely elite boxing talent.
When Usyk knocked out Daniel Dubois
Usyk faced Daniel Dubois in 2023 while he was waiting for his proposed fight with Fury to be confirmed.
The English fighter headed into the meeting off a huge run of momentum, having won via knockout in 19 of his 20 previous career fights. However, Usyk impressively turned the tables to win via technical knockout against the up-and-coming heavyweight competitor in the ninth round – a win that was crucial as losing his belts would have cost Usyk his shot at fighting Fury.
Oleksandr Usyk def. Daniel Dubois by KO in round 9 of 12 to retain the WBA, IBF, WBO & Ring titles, improving to 21-0 with 14 KOs pic.twitter.com/x6Eh3JZ3Ti
— (@KOJournals) August 26, 2023
Dubois was like Joshua – a fighter known for his exceptional striking power and, again, Usyk had no issues in limiting his threat and dictating the fight so that he was never in any real danger.
The first Fury fight
Usyk’s rematch with Fury will be played out in front of the eyes of the world later this year as the Ukrainian will look to continue the dominance he showed in the first fight.
Usyk defeated the Manchester-born fighter by a split decision, although many argued that the result was a misrepresentation of a fight that was heavily dominated by The Cat. Fury was fortunate to see the entire fight through as Usyk’s constant pressure had him on the ropes and only saved by the referee’s insistence to avoid an early stoppage.
#BREAKING: Oleksandr Usyk Beats Tyson Fury via Split Decision#FuryUsyk pic.twitter.com/vHgSzizqWQ
— Censored Men (@CensoredMen) May 18, 2024
Usyk’s win against Fury was perhaps not the most dramatic, but it was certainly headline-provoking as he downed the man who, for a long time, was seen as the favorite for the ‘fight of the century’.
The Ukrainian’s best fights have offered it all in his career to date; he has consistently displayed dominance and, on occasion, knockout blows against some of the biggest names in the business. His upcoming return against Fury is sure to offer all of that once again.
