Usyk Prepared 22 Years for Fight for the Absolute Championship

WBA, WBO, IBO, and IBF heavyweight champion and co-founder of Ready To Fight, Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs), discussed how long he prepared for the fight for the absolute championship in the heavyweight division and what he thinks about his opponent, WBC champion Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs).

- Do you believe in destiny?

- No. I believe in God.

- Did you always feel that you would fight Fury?

- Perhaps. Maybe I didn’t think it would be specifically with Tyson, but I thought about the belts, about the heavyweight division. It was my dream, which I thought about before sleeping. I imagined the first round, the second, the third, the fourth... I thought: "I will be there."

- Is your preparation for this fight different from others?

- Perhaps, a little. It's a different guy. He's tall. It's about anthropometry. I needed bigger sparring partners. A little taller, but it’s not a huge difference.

- How important is this fight for the Ukrainian people?

- It’s very important first and foremost for me, but it is also very important for my country. I have been preparing for this fight for 22 years.

It’s a major event for Ukraine.

- If you win, will you stay in Ukrainian history like Andriy Shevchenko, Serhiy Rebrov? If you win, will you become one of the greatest Ukrainian athletes?

- I don’t think about that. I don’t know why.

After the victory, I will thank God, my fans. I will go back home because my people need support.

- You are learning English, you have a teacher. Is it because you want to understand Fury better?

- I understand what people say. Not everything, but I understand. It’s not that important.

I understand Fury. I understand what he says. It's a bit difficult because of his British accent. But if I say something in my language, Tyson doesn’t understand it," said Usyk.

Usyk and Fury will meet on May 18th in Saudi Arabia.