Lawrence Okolie is aiming to unify the cruiserweight division but is preparing to move up to heavyweight in due course.
Okolie is the WBO champion at 200lb and defends his belt this Sunday in London live on DAZN, against Polish fighter Michal Cieslak.
Lawrence Okolie has declared the countdown is on until he moves up to heavyweight, and claims he can go up and down the divisions if he wants to.
Mairis Briedis holds the IBF strap and Ilunga Makabu is the WBC belt holder, and Okolie wants them both.
Speaking to the Metro, he confirmed he wishes to move up to heavyweight, saying: “Of course it is. For money but also for prestige.
“It’s the signature division and everyone loves a world heavyweight champion, it sounds good.
“The timescale for me to move up is physical. When I can’t make the weight, I’ll be off. In this one, if the weight’s too hard, I’m off next fight. The one after that — gone.
“I might have a little dance at heavyweight, I don’t need to put on too much weight.
“I can test the water, put my belt on ice and try myself against these top-ten, top-15 heavyweights, see what they’re made of and what I’m made of and then come back down and defend the belt and unify.”
The 29-year-old Briton is not taking his eye off the task at hand.
“If you ask me now [about fighting Briedis or Makabu], I would say it’s impossible but we’re optimistic for the future,’ he explained. “I just have to keep my eyes on the ball. You’ve got a guy who has his whole country behind him in Cieslak — everybody. I have to be switched on, violent, explosive.
“I actually thought I was going to get the unification match but as soon as I wasn’t, I needed to get on. I was meant to box Cieslak before — he has the mindset of a warrior and probably watches me thinking he can win.
“I stick to what I can control and that’s winning. Sooner or later, these champions will fight me, or I will move on — whether that’s to heavyweight or not.”
Briedis has recently been chasing a bout with YouTuber Jake Paul which appears to have fallen on deaf ears. It's safe to say Okolie is unimpressed.
“It kind of feels like it’s discrediting boxing,” he said. “Most established boxers, as a world champion like he is, wouldn’t feel the need to call out Jake Paul. I choose not to give it too much energy.
“He hasn’t done anything to me personally but I know I’ve come up the right way,’ said Okolie, who has 17 wins from 17 professional outings, with 14 knockouts.
‘“I’ve been an Olympian. But he’s had to work hard in his way, to get 18million Instagram followers.”