Oleksandr Usyk has posted his first video message to his fans since beating Tyson Fury on Saturday night in Saudi Arabia.
Usyk entered the fight as the underdog, but battled through a difficult start to score a knockdown in the ninth round before being awarded the victory via split decision.
The win saw Usyk crowned the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and it has been a whirlwind 48 hours since, but the Ukrainian has now made time to express his appreciation to his loyal supporters.
‘Hi everybody, I want to say thank you so much to all who support me, who support my country,’ Usyk said in a video posted on Instagram, still sporting the bruises around his eyes from Saturday’s fight.
‘For me, it’s really important, I really appreciate this. Slava Ukraini (glory to Ukraine)!’
Oleksandr Usyk has sent a first video message to his fans since beating Tyson Fury on Saturday
Usyk became the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world following his stunning win
He rocked Fury badly in the ninth round and scored a knockdown, which proved decisive as he went on to win via split decision
‼️ Oleksandr Usyk with a video message on Instagram today after beating Tyson Fury…
[🎥 @Usykaa] pic.twitter.com/mRD0ciHrOE
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) May 20, 2024
Usyk has made no secret of the fact that he is proud to represent his war-torn country following Russia’s invasion in 2022.
Fury sensationally claimed in the aftermath of his loss that Usyk had only been given the verdict by the judges ‘because his country is at war’, as he insisted he should have won the fight.
But Usyk did not appear bothered by Fury’s complaints, and has been enjoying his status as the best heavyweight on the planet over the last two days.
The 37-year-old posed for photos with his team in his dressing room after the fight and then stayed up into the early hours of the morning to watch his former amateur team-mate Denys Berinchyk win a world title against Emmanuel Navarrete over in the US.
Usyk danced and cheered in his hotel room as Berinchyk’s victory was confirmed, and he has received more good news since.
There were fears in the aftermath of Saturday’s bout that Usyk had suffered a broken jaw, but his promoter Alex Krassyuk has revealed this was not the case and expects his fighter to make a speedy recovery.
This means Usyk is likely to be ready to return to the ring later this year, potentially in a rematch against Fury after Saturday’s thrilling clash.
A rematch was included in the contract for the first fight, with October touted as a potential date for it, although Fury is yet to confirm whether he will activate the clause to face Usyk once more.
