Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk said he does not plan to retire after his fight against Glory champion Rico Verhoeven. According to the Ukrainian, he still wants to have two or three more bouts.
In an interview with BBC Sport, Usyk said he is preparing to defend his WBC title against Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in a fight scheduled to take place near the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
“I will not retire after the fight with Rico — I still have two, maybe three fights left,” Usyk said.
The boxer also revealed that he has a “secret plan” and wants to create a major spectacle.
“I am building a plan for the future around this fight — I have a secret plan. I want to create a business. This is one of my final fights, but I am preparing a big show,” the athlete said.
Usyk stressed that he does not see the fight with Verhoeven as entertainment or an exhibition bout despite his opponent’s limited boxing experience.
“I train as if I’m fighting Tyson Fury or Daniel Dubois because for me this is a serious fight. This is not fake. For me this is not a show — it’s a fight,” Usyk said.
The 39-year-old Verhoeven has held the Glory heavyweight title for 11 years, although he has had only one professional boxing fight, back in 2014.
At the same time, Usyk remains undefeated in professional boxing, winning all 24 of his fights, including 15 by knockout.
The Ukrainian last lost a bout in 2009 at the AIBA World Championships against Russian boxer Yegor Mekhontsev.
Usyk said that defeat changed both his life and his approach to boxing.
“Making mistakes is not bad, but if you don’t change, then the mistake becomes bad,” he said.
He also admitted that the birth of his daughter Liza became a turning point in his life.
“I looked at this little person and thought: okay, I need to change my life, because now I’m not just an athlete and a boxer — now I’m a husband and a father,” Usyk said.
