‘Like a Baseball Bat’ Oleksandr Usyk Names Hardest Hitter He’s Battled

The heavyweight boxing king Oleksandr Usyk is now on top of the world after defeating Tyson Fury in May to add the WBC belt to his esteemed collection.

The fight with Fury was a brutal war. Things went back and forth, and both men suffered each other’s wrath. Things looked pretty close heading into the ninth round, where Usyk landed a knockdown on Fury that would later prove highly pivotal on the judges’ scorecards.

After the battle, Usyk held the WBC, IBF, WBA, and WBO belts and was truly on top of the heavyweight boxing world. Unfortunately, Oleksandr Usyk has since had to relinquish his IBF title, which Daniel Dubois now holds.

Dubois is also a former victim of the Ukrainian heavyweight phenom. The two fought back in 2023, and Usyk scored a beautiful knockout over his opponent.

Oleksandr Usyk opens up about which of his opponents hit the hardest

While speaking with the Three Knockdown Rule podcast, Usyk spoke on his many trials as a boxer. He told the hosts how the Tyson Fury fight was definitely his toughest so far, but did mention that Fury wasn’t the hardest hitter that he has ever faced. In fact, Derek Chisora holds that honor.

“Toughest fight?” Usyk said (H/T Seconds Out). “Yes, it was [Fury]. Biggest punch – no. Because Derek Chisora, very tough guy. [A punch landed] on the gloves, and I said: ‘Oh my God.’ Like a baseball bat.”

Oleksandr Usyk fought Chisora in 2020. It was just his second fight in the banner division after deciding to move up from cruiserweight. Usyk ultimately won via points, but he can probably still close his eyes and imagine Chisora’s fearsome power.

Were you surprised by Usyk’s answer, and do you think it would change if he fought somebody like a Deontay Wilder or Francis Ngannou?