Oleksandr Usyk Ready for Potential UFC Showdown, Challenges Conor McGregor

Kishore R | 27/07/2024
Oleksandr Usyk Ready for Potential UFC Showdown, Challenges Conor McGregor

Boxing’s undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk might be aiming at a massive crossover that fans have not seen coming. The Ukrainian recently named UFC’s biggest superstar, Conor McGregor and practically challenged him to a fight!

During an exclusive to Boxing King Media, Usyk was asked what he’d want to do should he beat his rival Tyson Fury in their upcoming grudge match in December.

The undisputed heavyweight champion expressed his readiness to do anything even if that means getting into the UFC octagon to take on the Irishman.

“Why not? [Conor] McGregor, come on…I’m ready to fight.”

 

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Now that is interesting. Even though, the Ukrainian outweighs the Irishman by 40 or 50 pounds, an Ukrainian southpaw against a wide-stanced Conor McGregor is a dream match if the fighters can find common ground on the weight class.
Mind you, while Usyk is now the heavyweight champion, he is a much smaller man what most fans assume him to be and is a natural cruiserweight i.e., 175-200 lbs, while McGregor was walking around at at least 190 lbs this time last year.
Moreover, the bout would strategically be a chess match as both fighters are known for their counter-punching skills and long-range attacks.
As for McGregor, the Irishman would fight a lion if the price is right.
And now with the two division boxing champion expressing his thoughts, Usyk vs Conor has the potential to become the next biggest crossover since Conor vs Mayweather.
However amidst all this, Usyk also has to convince his mother who already wants to wrap up his fighting career.

Usyk advised to retire by his mother

Usyk rocked the fighting world earlier this year when he defied the odds and defeated ‘The Gypsy King’ to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in boxing since ‘The Lion’ Lennox Lewis.

Now after reaching the epitome of greatness, unifying the belts, Usyk’s mother had one wish that her son couldn’t fulfill.

In the same interview on the YouTube channel, Usyk revealed that his mother wanted him to retire straight away after the Fury win, because of course, he has won everything in the sport there is to be won.

Unfortunately for the old lady, Usyk ain’t hanging up his gloves anytime soon. Well, firstly, there’s the rematch clause with Fury. So he will be preparing for the 21st of December to defend his title. If he wins the rematch, he will have to think what he wants to do next.

He was actually asked if he would consider discovering and experimenting with other combat sports like bare knuckle boxing, to which Usyk said, “Why not?” This is not the answer of a man who is done fighting!

Post Edited By: Adarsh Ojha
Conor McGregor Oleksandr Usyk Tyson Fury

About the author

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Kishore R

Kishore is a MMA journalist at The SportsRush with over two years of experience and more than 2000 articles to his name. While he is a qualified engineer, he truly enjoys his time crafting stories from the world of mixed martial arts. Old testament in his MMA education, Kishore picked up the sport watching the highlights of 1989’s Fight of the Year bout between Roberto Duran and Iran Barkley and has since been hooked to the controlled violence this sport is capable of. Following MMA for almost a decade and a half, Kishore has an advanced understanding of its tactical nature and uses his love for storytelling to express it with great effect. But most of all, he just wants to see Tony Ferguson bounce back and showcase his old swagger - “IT’S TONY TIME!”

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