"McGregor, come on" - Oleksandr Usyk keeps door open to fighting in the UFC
As the first undisputed heavyweight champion in boxing since Lennox Lewis, Oleksandr Usyk has never had more options in his career. 'The Cat' is currently scheduled to rematch Tyson Fury on Dec. 21 but is open to looking around for his next lucrative opportunity.
Usyk was asked by Boxing King Media what he wanted to do should he beat Fury for a second time and nonchalantly said he would be open to anything. Usyk told the reporter he would be open to considering a move to bare-knuckle boxing or MMA while jokingly calling out Conor McGregor.
When asked if he would think about fighting in the UFC, Usyk said:
"Why not? [Conor] McGregor, come on...I'm ready to fight."
The Ukrainian improved to 22-0 with his recent win over Fury on May 18 in one of the biggest boxing events of the 21st century. In the interview, the boxer also noted that he would be open to potentially moving back down to cruiserweight, the division that he once reigned over as undisputed champion.
As a heavyweight who last weighed in at 223 pounds, Usyk would out-weigh McGregor by roughly 50 pounds in a hypothetical fantasy matchup. Usyk has not mentioned any interest in MMA previously and does not appear to have any formal wrestling or grappling experience.
Does Oleksandr Usyk have MMA experience?
Despite expressing slight interest in the UFC, Oleksandr Usyk does not have any formal cage-fighting experience. The fighter has not shown a history of training in any martial art besides the sweet science.
Even without MMA experience, Usyk is already one of the greatest boxers of all time as a two-division undisputed champion. Usyk notably won the undisputed heavyweight title over Tyson Fury in May but has since relinquished the IBF belt.
In the five-belt era of boxing, Usyk is the first heavyweight to hold the WBC, WBO, IBF, IBO and The Ring heavyweight titles. Lennox Lewis, the last undisputed divisional champion, did not have the WBO belt to obtain.