Ukrainian · Simferopol, Ukraine · Born 17 January 1987Ukrainian professional boxer and undisputed heavyweight champion, former undisputed cruiserweight champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist
Oleksandr Oleksiyovych Usyk was born in Simferopol, Ukraine (then Soviet Union) in 1987 and became one of the finest technicians in boxing history — winning world titles at cruiserweight and heavyweight with a professional record of 22 wins (14 by knockout) and 0 losses. He won Olympic gold at the London Games in 2012 in the heavyweight division before turning professional in 2013. He won the WBO cruiserweight title in 2018 and unified all four cruiserweight belts in the same year — the first man to become undisputed cruiserweight champion since Evander Holyfield in 1988. He moved up to heavyweight and won the WBO, WBA and IBF titles from Anthony Joshua in 2021, defended them in the rematch in 2022, and unified all four heavyweight belts by defeating Tyson Fury in May 2024 — becoming undisputed heavyweight champion. His footwork, combination punching and evasiveness are considered the finest of any heavyweight champion since Muhammad Ali. He has spoken openly about his pride in his Ukrainian identity and continued fighting through Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with significant periods of military training. He was Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year in 2018. Usyk reclaimed the undisputed heavyweight championship with a second-round stoppage of Daniel Dubois in July 2025, then extended his perfect record to 25-0 (16 KOs) in May 2026 with an 11th-round stoppage of former kickboxing king Rico Verhoeven in front of the pyramids of Giza - a fight in which the Dutchman was level on all three scorecards after eight rounds before Usyk's late surge. In mid-2026 Usyk announced he was vacating his titles as he planned a final chapter to his career.
First boxer to hold undisputed titles in two weight classes
He is the first boxer in history to become undisputed champion in two weight classes in the four-belt era.
Did You Know?How They Played
Southpaw, technical boxer with exceptional footwork and ring IQ
Lasting Impact
Unified cruiserweight and heavyweight champion, Olympic gold medalist
Career Honours
- Undisputed Heavyweight Champion 2024
- WBO Cruiserweight Champion 2018
- Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion 2018
- Olympic Gold 2012 (London, Heavyweight)
- Ring Magazine Fighter of Year 2018
- WBSS Cruiserweight Tournament winner 2018
- Undisputed heavyweight champion (reclaimed 2025)
Ukrainian Athletes