Oleksandr Usyk: “Years of Work and a United Team Are the Keys to Success”

The undisputed Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk shared his thoughts on how he prepares for physically larger opponents and maintains focus through long training camps. In an interview, the Ukrainian explained why discipline matters more than motivation — and how years of teamwork form the foundation of his success.

– You come out to fight and your opponent (Daniel Dubois, for example) is taller, has longer arms, he’s younger. What helps you — your preparation or your will?

– Pure luck. Just luck — that’s it. “He’s just lucky all the time.”

– Then maybe next time I’ll step in? Maybe I’ll get lucky?

– Maybe. No, I’ll say it’s all the result of years of hard work. It’s about analyzing your opponent, selecting the right sparring partners — those who resemble him and can replicate what he does in the ring.

For instance, if he boxed three opponents and one of them was a southpaw, I don’t need to watch his fights against orthodox boxers. I study what he does specifically against southpaws. He does this, this, and this — consistently. Because in boxing there are only three types of punches: straight, hook, and uppercut. That’s it. And from those three, you can create any combination you want.

That’s why the team is crucial. I have an amazing team, and I’m grateful for them. They handle the sparring selection, opponent analysis, and of course, I give my full commitment — my regimen. When I wake up at 4:45 a.m., I don’t want to. But I tell myself: I do it because I have discipline. I don’t rely on… what’s it called when you’re hyped?

– Motivation.

– Right. A motivated person trains for a week, everything’s fine, but then on Wednesday the motivation fades. What happens next? They complain to the mirror that they’ve lost motivation. But why? That doesn’t work for me. I follow a regimen. I know I have to get up and work because my whole team gets up too. When camp starts, we all gather and say: “Alright, let’s go, guys.”

Of course, there are always issues — injuries, pulled muscles, sparring changes. There are behind-the-scenes moments people never see. But all that is part of the hard work. That’s the team, that’s me, that’s total dedication. When things get tough, I try not to show it, because my opponent might notice.

It’s all about preparation and strategy. If you don’t have a strategy, then be an improviser — but if you improvise, do it well enough to make it work. Years of work and a united team — that’s the key to success.

– So, motivation doesn’t work? You need willpower instead?

– No, motivation works — but only for a short while. You watch a great movie about someone who trains hard, builds a perfect body, wins a competition — and you think, “Yeah, I can do that too.” Then you return to reality: you must wake up every morning at 6 a.m. and run three kilometers, come home, take vitamins and supplements, eat, rest, sleep. At noon, you go train for two hours, then recovery, massage, food, sleep — and at 6 p.m., you train again. And you do this for three months straight. That’s how you get results. If I’m motivated on Tuesday but not on Wednesday — that’s a joke. It all depends on you.