Oleksandr Usyk is one of the most-feared boxers in the world.
Usyk has dominated at cruiserweight and heavyweight, becoming the first undisputed champion of the latter division since Lennox Lewis in 1999 after beating Tyson Fury back in May.
The Ukrainian is out to defend his WBC, WBO, WBA and IBO titles against the ‘Gypsy King’ in Riyadh and then turn his attention to a potential undisputed bout against Daniel Dubois.
As he arrived at the Kingdom Arena for the big night the 37-year-old was spotted carrying a stuffed toy and it’s one that has plenty of stories behind it.
Why Oleksandr Usyk carries stuffed toy to fights ahead of Tyson Fury rematch
It’s become a pre-fight tradition to see Oleksandr Usyk carrying a Disney toy from Winnie the Pooh.
The undefeated heavyweight has done this ever since 2022, when he brought the stuffed animal to the rematch bout against Anthony Joshua.
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Speaking to The Sun back then, Usyk revealed that his daughter had given him the toy after he and his family were forced to flee their homeland of Ukraine after the Russian invasion.
“It’s my daughter’s,” he said.
“She gave it to me to be my talisman.
“We bought it when we were all together in Disneyland, Paris. When we left Ukraine together, our roads separated in Europe.
“My daughter gave this toy to me and said ‘this needs to be right next to you’. It sleeps with me, is always close to me.”
He confirmed that the toy remains in his dressing room too during fights, adding: “I am not sure about it being in my corner, she [the toy] is a lady so she might get scared, but she will definitely be in my dressing room.”
Why Usyk vs Fury 2 isn’t for undisputed heavyweight title
The first blockbuster fight between Usyk and Fury saw the pair battle it out to become the undisputed heavyweight champion however, this time, that won’t be the case.
Shortly after his win against the ‘Gypsy King’, Usyk was forced to vacate his IBF belt after turning down a mandatory fight against Dubois.
As a result, Dubois was promoted to full champion and defended the belt with his win against Anthony Joshua and could earn himself an undisputed fight if Usyk is successful once again.
The 37-year-old has also admitted he would be open to a rematch against Joshua in the future while Turki Alalshikh wants a trilogy fight between Usyk and Fury.