Oleksandr Usyk insists his roadmap remains unchanged despite Tyson Fury’s return to the ring, even as the heavyweight landscape continues to shift around him.

Speaking exclusively to The Daily Mail ahead of his bout with Rico Verhoeven, the former undisputed champion offered a measured assessment of Fury’s victory over Makhmudov, revealing both concern and composure as he watched events unfold.

‘It’s good Tyson won. Congratulations to him,’ Oleksandr Usyk said ahead of his press conference on Tuesday. ‘I received a lot of messages saying, “Did you see? My friend is winning.” I said yes, it is great. 

‘It’s normal that people want to know what I thought. I watched the first six rounds but then I turned it off because after that I went to church to pray. But in rounds four and three, I was a little concerned. Boom – Makhmudov was landing and I was thinking, “Be careful. Hands up. Hands up.”‘

Despite those moments of vulnerability, Usyk made clear that Fury’s performance has not altered his long-term ambitions – even with ongoing uncertainty around a potential clash between Fury and Anthony Joshua.

‘No, my plan hasn’t changed. It’s not different after watching him,’ he said. ‘My plan is the same. I have three fights planned, I know what I want and if Fury can be part of that then OK, but things are slightly more complicated now.’

Oleksandr Usyk insists his roadmap remains unchanged despite Tyson Fury’s return to the ring, even as the heavyweight landscape continues to shift around him

Usyk (left) and Rico Verhoeven (right) face off during a press conference to announce their upcoming WBC World Heavyweight fight 

He went on to add: ‘I understand Tyson hasn’t signed with AJ yet, but if AJ and Fury sign the contract, I’ll step back and say, “OK, go ahead,” because I want AJ to beat Tyson.’ 

Fury’s post-fight theatrics, including calling out Joshua while he sat ringside, drew widespread attention. But Usyk believes Joshua handled the situation with the discipline required at elite level.

‘I don’t think AJ was nervous about it,’ he said. ‘I think now AJ has to prepare properly for a big fight, because after a clash like that, it’s normal for him to have a fight in between. 

‘Tyson has had a fight in between and it’s only fair Anthony has one. It’s normal for Tyson to act like this. But AJ has to stay focused and organised for the fight – the fight with Tyson Fury.’ 

Joshua returned to Spain to rejoin Usyk in training camp the day after Fury’s fight, with the Ukrainian revealing that their conversations focused on Fury’s performance rather than the surrounding drama. 

‘Oh, listen, we didn’t talk about that,’ Usyk explained. ‘We spoke about Tyson – how he won, what he did. What happened after the fight is just normal Tyson Fury, every time. A lot of talking: “Hey, you bodybuilder, you sausage,” blah, blah, blah… Yeah but had a joke about it all.’ 

Away from the spotlight, the pair’s growing camaraderie is perhaps best illustrated by Joshua’s interactions with Usyk’s family. The Ukrainian revealed a lighter side to their partnership, particularly when it comes to his children. 

‘The kids are always saying, “Is he my brother? Is he my brother?” Usyk said. ‘My kids ask about him and he asks about my kids. He always says, “How are Kirill and Mikhail? Are they playing basketball?” He takes an interest in what they are doing. 

Fury returned to the ring on Saturday to beat Russian heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov

Anthony Joshua has joined Usyk’s training camp as he prepares for his return to boxing

‘Oh my God, Katrina posted that video, and a lot of people were like, “Oh my God, AJ is playing basketball with Usyk’s child, it’s great.” Yeah, but I said to my son that you have to leave him alone sometimes! My son asked, “Hey, can I go play with AJ?” I said no, he must work. AJ said, “No problem,” like it’s normal. But I said, “No, you must read.” And yeah, he accepted it. It’s good.’ 

Inside camp Usyk’s preparation remains as meticulous as ever. He revealed that his training sessions in the build-up to the Veroheven fight are often accompanied by footage of both modern and past greats- part inspiration, part tactical study. 

‘Now I watch Rico Verhoeven’s fights, and sometimes Tyson Fury’s fights, Anthony’s fights,’ he said. ‘Sometimes old fights: Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Mexican fighters like Marco Antonio Barrera. 

‘I watch whatever interests me. I watch and then I try to apply it in my training. For example, when I’m on the bike, I’ll say, “OK, stay on the bike like this and watch a fight.” Like Miguel Cotto – I watch and ride the bike at the same time.’ 

That process, he explained, is split evenly between motivation and analysis.

’50/50,’ he said. ’50 percent is motivation, and 50 percent is studying – looking at what these guys do: their movement, punches, defence. You know, I listen to what the coach says like, “You must step back and punch,” or step forward. For me, it’s 50/50. Sometimes it’s like a teacher, and sometimes it’s motivation, because when you watch, you get energy and you push yourself to do more.’ 

AJ is hoping to learn from the man who beat him twice (pictured above fighting each other in 2022 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)

As his career enters its final chapters, Usyk also admitted he has already begun thinking about life after boxing – revealing that even his retirement announcement has been carefully planned. 

While he stopped short of sharing specifics, the mere acknowledgement underlines a fighter acutely aware of time, legacy and timing. 

For now though, his focus remains firmly on the present: the next fight, the next challenge, and a heavyweight division still revolving around unfinished business.