Usyk reveals what drives him to keep fighting and chase his next bout

Usyk on love for boxing and family

Oleksandr Usyk said support from his wife and mother remains a crucial source of strength. He stressed that, for him, boxing is more than a job — it is something he genuinely loves.

"My wife is my motivator, my protector, my strength, my everything. My mom, too. But I say: 'Mom, I love you, but this is my job'," Usyk said.

"Not just a job — a job I love, because I will feel it when I tell myself: 'Alex, enough.' I will feel it. They say, 'Hey Alex, you won all the belts.' OK, for what?" he added.

The boxer noted that his schedule allows him to balance training with family time.

"I want to work because I love it. This is not just a job. At 8:00 a.m., you wake up, go to work, work 5, 6, 7, 8 hours, come home exhausted — no strength, no energy, nothing," he said.

"When you come home and, for example, your son says: 'Hey Dad, maybe we can go ride bikes?' And you say: 'Oh no, no son, I'm tired. I want to eat and sleep because tomorrow I have to go to work'," the champion added.

"For me, it's different: I work 3 months, 6 months, a year and a half, but I sometimes have breaks. That's family rest time. Every time. Now my travel is not only vacation — it's work and vacation, more work," Usyk said.

Usyk's next opponent: Deontay Wilder

After his rematch against Daniel Dubois — in which Usyk won by knockout and became undisputed world champion for a second time — the Ukrainian fighter named his next opponent.

'Next year I want to fight Deontay Wilder. He is a strong and well-known champion, one of the great heavyweights of the last ten years,' Usyk said.

He also confirmed he is not considering a fight with Fabio Wardley, the new WBO titleholder, since Usyk voluntarily vacated the belt and no longer holds undisputed status.