Although a highly anticipated match against Tyson Fury at Wembley is no longer possible, Oleksandr Usyk may still find himself in the spotlight as he transitions from boxing to football.
The heavyweight champion has signed a contract with Ukrainian club Polissya, trading his boxing gloves for football boots. Usyk, who initially trained as a footballer with Tavriya Simferopol in his teenage years before pursuing boxing, has agreed to a one-year “football cooperation” deal with the club and will wear the number 17 jersey.
Last year, Oleksandr Usyk made a cameo appearance for Polissya in a friendly game. Polissya, who finished first in the Ukrainian First League last season, will compete in the Ukrainian Premier League in the 2023-24 season after earning promotion.
“I respect and am proud of this man. His attitude to training is a great example for the Polissia team,” Polissya president Gennadiy Butkevych said in a statement on Thursday.
Usyk is set to defend his heavyweight titles against Daniel Dubois in Poland on August 26th. The match will take place at the Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw.
Usyk has an unbeaten record of 20 fights with 13 knockouts, while Dubois has won 19 out of his 20 matches, with one loss.
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