Oleksandr Usyk names only fighter he dislikes ahead of Daniel Dubois rematch
Oleksandr Usyk has revealed former world champion Marco Huck is the only one of his former opponents he does not like.
The Ukrainian heavyweight is gearing up for a rematch with Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night, aiming to repeat to score a second win over the Brit - after knocking out 'Triple D' in the ninth round in 2023 - and put an end to their rivalry.
Despite nearing the end of his boxing career and contemplating retirement after two more fights, Usyk's passion for the sport remains the same. Known for his sportsmanship, Usyk typically avoids trash talk and demonstrates respect for his opponents, often seen shaking hands and showing his class both in and outside the ring.
However, there is one individual who completely rubbed him the wrong way. Speaking to DAZN, Usyk expressed his dislike for Huck, stating: "My weakness? I love people. I love my opponents. Only one of my opponents I do not love It's Marco Huck. He is a bad guy because this man said bad words about my mother. Listen, it is bad, but all my British rivals, they are great people."
The pair fought back in 2017 in the quarter-finals of the World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight tournament. At the time, Usyk was the WBO champion at 200lbs. Ahead of their blockbuster showdown at the Max-Schmelling-Halle in Berlin, Germany, the Ukrainian came across as rattled on several occasions, reports All Out Fighting.
During their final face-off, Huck pushed Usyk, who later shouted: "I will bury him on Saturday," as he was ushered out of the venue. This came after Huck had launched a series of personal attacks, including shocking remarks about Usyk's mother. On the night of the fight, Huck started aggressively but was ultimately stopped in the 10th round. Usyk went on to win the tournament by beating Murat Gassiev in the final.
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Fast forward eight years, and Usyk is still dominating the boxing scene. He's gearing up for a fight against Dubois, with the chance to become a three-time undisputed champion. Despite their competitive edge, Usyk has expressed respect for Dubois, saying: "Daniel is a good athlete and a boxer. He has good skills Daniel... last three fights, he had great wins in Filip Hrgovic, Jarrell Miller and Anthony Joshua. I think he is a great fighter."
With just a few days to go until fight night, the pair are in the final stages of preparations for the clash. Usyk will be desperate once again to put to bed any doubt and truly settle the rivalry once and for all. When asked for his official prediction, the Ukrainian replied: "I win... wonderful."
When is Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois?
The second bout between Usyk and Dubois is scheduled for Saturday, 19 July, at Wembley Stadium. The fight will be exclusively broadcast live on DAZN PPV. The entire fight card for the night can be accessed live on DAZN PPV, priced at £24.99 in the UK; $59.99 in the US; and $19.99/equivalent in ROW.
The DAZN coverage is set to kick off around 5:30pm BST (12.30pm ET / 9.30am PT), with the first undercard fight expected to start at approximately 5.40pm BST (12.40pm ET / 9.40am PT). Usyk and Dubois are anticipated to make their ringwalks at 9:45pm BST (4:45pm ET / 1:45pm PT).
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