Oleksandr Usyk targets celebratory Kyiv homecoming before retirement

Oleksandr Usyk admits he doesn't know how much longer he will continue to fight for, but has vowed to do all he can to stage what would be a colossal celebratory Ukrainian homecoming prior to stepping away from the sport.

The 38-year-old - regarded by many as the pound-for-pound number one - is a two-weight undisputed champion having fully unified titles at both cruiserweight and heavyweight.

He's now gearing up for a summer showdown with British IBF title-holder Daniel Dubois, where victory would further cement his name into the boxing history books by becoming a three-time undisputed ruler.

Usyk is in possession of the WBA, WBC, WBO and Ring Magazine titles and will add the IBF belt to his armoury if he is able to back-up his 2023 success over Dubois with another victory at London's Wembley Stadium.

Whilst the Ukrainian says his focus is wholeheartedly on extending his winning record on July 19, he also admits to occasionally casting his mind to the future - citing a Kyiv stadium fight as one of his final boxing ambitions.

"I don’t think about retirement much but I do think about it sometimes," he told The Ring Magazine.

I still want to fight at the Olympic stadium in Kyiv - I have wanted that for a long time even though I have no idea who that would be against.

- Oleksandr Usyk (The Ring Magazine)

"I cannot say now how many fights I’ve got left, but right now my dream continues - I’m very grateful for my family and my team who are with me."

Usyk has previously hinted at boxing retirement in 2026 and has even reportedly floated the idea of crossing over into MMA for a high-profile showdown with social media superstar cum professional boxer Jake Paul.

However, at least for now, it appears as though the Olympic gold medalist still harbours ambitions of competing within the sweet science.

"There are many options, but right now, I have a huge fight in boxing to prepare for," he said from his training camp in Spain.

"Who knows what will happen in six months or a year's time, now, my focus is on beating Daniel Dubois for a second time and reclaiming the IBF title."

His victory over Dubois 18 months ago was steeped in controversy, with the referee adjudging a heavy body shot from the Briton, which dropped Usyk to his knees, a low-blow.

Frank Warren has continuously maintained his belief that the punch was a legitimate whilst Dubois' trainer Don Charles even branded the Ukrainian a cheat at a fiery first official pre-fight press conference earlier this year.

"It doesn’t frustrate me because I think it’s rubbish," he answered when asked if those comments upset him. "It’s trash talk, it’s rubbish!

"For me it doesn’t matter because I know it was a dirty punch - now for me it’s in the past. I live today in the present and I purely focus on beating him once again next month."

Mark Mothershaw

• Oleksandr Usyk
• Oleksandr Usyk v Daniel Dubois 2
• Riyadh Season
• • 
  •