Usyk is one week away from his undisputed heavyweight world title fight with Fury, but he has been omitted from the WBC’s latest top 15 rankings.
Oleksandr Usyk was removed from the WBC heavyweight world rankings days before his undisputed fight with Tyson Fury.
The Ukrainian fighter is putting the finishing touches on his training camp before stepping into the ring to face fellow heavyweight champion Fury. Usyk has held the WBO, WBA and IBF belts since first defeating Anthony Joshua three years ago, while Fury has reigned as WBC champion for more than four years.
Usyk’s name is not on the latest Top 15 WBC rankings as his nemesis ‘AJ’ sits in the number one spot. Frank Sanchez and Agit Kabayel, who will fight on the Fury vs. Usyk undercard, are second and third, with Efe Ajagba fourth. Deontay Wilder, Daniel Duobis and Filip Hrgovic are also in the top 10.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to clash in a big showdown on May 18th, with each fighter looking to make their mark in boxing history as the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999. The stakes couldn’t be higher as the two will face off for the prestigious WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF titles.
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Usyk flew to Saudi Arabia with his team for the game on Friday. The bout was scheduled for February, but was postponed after Fury was cut during the final sparring session. Saudi royal adviser Turki Alarusik has promised a £10 million fine if either heavyweight champion misses a fight scheduled for next Saturday.
Fury has been roughing up Usyk throughout the fight and now admits he’s going to have a tough night in the office. Usyk put in a more convincing performance against Daniel Dubois in his last fight than Fury did against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou, but the British fighter was on the verge of a controversial points run. It has fallen off.
“Olexandr Usyk is a really bad guy and to underestimate Usyk is terrible,” Fury told Queensberry Promotions. “I train hard and do the best I can for him. I respect Usyk as a person. Olympic champion, undisputed cruiserweight champion, unified heavyweight champion. I also respect his career. I have to respect that.”
“I’m not fighting a guy who has 14 wins and 11 wins. I’m fighting the real thing – as real as Holyfield. I’m looking forward to the challenge. He’s a southpaw; People say this because he has good footwork. He has good boxing ability and is technically sound. He has beaten Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, so he mixes it up with the big guys. I’m proving that I can do it.”