It was recently announced that Oleksandr Usyk will rematch Daniel Dubois in a fight that will put to bed any low-blow controversy, and a fight that may be one of the last in the Ukrainian’s dazzling career.
Oleksandr Usyk‘s record remains a perfect one after his enthralling heavyweight campaign against Britain’s best boxers.
Usyk dethroned Anthony Joshua, stopped Daniel Dubois, and did the double on Tyson Fury. Seven of his last eight fights have come against British opposition, and he hopes to cement himself as a true elite with a second win over Dubois this summer.
Usyk’s heavyweight reign came after a clean sweep of the cruiserweight division, in which he defeated one man who holds a win over one of the most feared men in boxing’s glamour division.
Oleksandr Usyk proved too much for Michael Hunter years before his win over Martin Bakole
In 2017, with a record of 11-0, the Ukrainian Usyk faced 12-0 American, Michael Hunter in Maryland, USA.
Usyk proved to be far too much for Hunter, comprehensively outboxing him and even dropping him in the final round to cruise to a decisive points win in defense of his WBO cruiserweight title.
Usyk would have four more fights as a cruiserweight before beginning his heavyweight run, which included fights and wins over Mairis Breidis, who called out Jake Paul with a tattoo and diss track, Marco Huck, and Tony Bellew, who Usyk KO’d.
Hunter, meanwhile, decided this was his final fight as a cruiserweight, and moved up to the heavyweight division, where he faced Martin Bakole in 2018.
Hunter overwhelmed Bakole in the UK’s iconic York Hall venue in London, stopping him in the tenth and final round.
Bakole has since made a name for himself as a feared contender in the heavyweight division, even despite his loss to Joseph Parker last time out.
Hunter’s career, though has faded into some obscurity, with his last win coming against a 10-10-1 opponent.
Martin Bakole returns to the ring this weekend on Canelo undercard
This Saturday Bakole will return to the ring against 20-1 Efe Ajagba. The Congolese boxer was on track for big things after Bakole’s brutal KO of Jared Anderson, but has since tasted defeat for the second time as he fought Parker on less than 24 hours’ notice, perhaps an ill-advised decision.
Bakole’s next opponent has only lost to Frank Sanchez on points, and will face the heavyweight boogeyman in the co-main event for Canelo vs William Scull. Ajagba vs Bakole was meant to be a title eliminator, but was stripped of that status after Bakole opted to face Parker.
Ajagba won his last fight against Guido Vianello, who stopped Arslanbek Makhmudov.