The boxing icon has fought many iconic names since moving up to heavyweight back in 2019 – but there’s one more who stands out more than most in the power department
Oleksandr Usyk has faced several world-class hard-hitters in his career, but the Ukrainian believes no one has hit harder than Derek Chisora.
The Ukrainian began his career as a cruiserweight, quickly climbing the ranks and winning several titles on the way. But perhaps his greatest achievement came in 2018 when he defeated Murat Gassiev on points to win the undisputed cruiserweight title. A destructive knockout of Tony Bellew followed.
Following the win over the Brit, Usyk had a change of heart and was eager to conquer yet another division. Since the move up to heavyweight, the 39-year-old has beaten the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois. The three aforementioned names are known for their knockout power, but when asked about who hits the hardest, Usyk did not stutter when offering his response.
“Toughest fight – yes it was [Fury]. Biggest punch – no. Because Derek Chisora, very tough guy,” said Usyk when speaking on the 3 Knockdown Rule Podcast .”[One punch landed] on the gloves and I said, ‘Oh my God.’ Like a baseball bat.”
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Usyk’s clash with Chisora was the Ukrainian’s second fight since moving up to heavyweight. The 39-year-old was eager to throw himself straight into the deep, taking on one of the biggest names in the division. And after 12 gruelling rounds, it was Usyk who came away with his hand raised, but was made to work for it.
Back-to-back wins over two-time world champion Joshua followed for the 39-year-old. In 2023, he retained his WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO heavyweight titles with a knockout win over Dubois. In the Ukrainian’s next fight, he was presented with an opportunity to make history. Usyk clashed with Fury for undisputed supremacy, and it was the former who became the first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis after he outpointed the ‘Gypsy King.’
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The boxing legend would go on to beat Fury again just months on from their initial encounter to settle their rivalry once and for all. Usyk’s last appearance in the ring came back in July – when he knocked out Dubois for a second time in front of over 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.
On that night in north London, the 39-year-old made history after becoming a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion. After nearly a year away from the ring, he is set to return to action this weekend when he takes on kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven in Egypt.
Speaking ahead of his fight with Verhoeven, the Ukrainian insists he plans to fight at least two more times before calling it a day. “I will not stop my career after I fight Rico – I have two, maybe three, fights more,” he told the BBC. “I build a plan in future for this fight – I have a secret plan. I want to build a business – this is one of my last fights, but I build [a] big show.”
