Oleksandr Usyk Doubts He’ll Be Able to Defend His Title in Ukraine

Unified heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs), who holds the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBO titles, has expressed doubt that he’ll ever get the chance to defend his belts on home soil due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Fighting in front of his own people has long been a dream for the Ukrainian champion—but the brutal reality of Russia’s invasion has cast a shadow over that hope.

"Right now, I think it’s impossible. Russia is at war with Ukraine, there are many rockets. I talk to my 14-year-old daughter: 'Hi, how are you?' She says, 'Oh, Dad, it was terrible last night.'

My family can live in a bomb shelter—we have one. She says, 'Hi, Dad, today I’m going to the bomb shelter. Oh God, I’m scared.' I said, 'Hey, listen, don’t worry, please. I’ll come home tomorrow.' Look, I think it’s a big problem, a very big one," Usyk said.

Earlier, Usyk showed his support for Ukraine’s energy workers by holding a training session at a destroyed thermal power plant.

Russia’s hybrid war against Ukraine began in 2014 with the illegal annexation of Crimea. On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion, attacking Ukraine from multiple directions, including from Belarus.

Since then, daily drone and missile strikes have devastated Ukrainian cities, and tens of thousands of civilians have become victims of the unprovoked aggression.