Boxing

Usyk vs. Fury 2: What makes Oleksandr Usyk great? Hearn, Lee, Bellow, Mora have their say

Gareth Jones

DAZN

Usyk vs Fury 2 live Saturday on DAZN PPV - BUY NOW

Oleksandr Usyk has seemingly done it all. A two-weight undisputed world champion; the first undisputed world heavyweight champion in the four-belt era; a pro footballer, and movie star.

The Ukrainian is an enigma. A serious, but fun character; a hard, but soft profile; a stand-off, but warm personality.

One moment he is calling upon his spiritual medieval war God, the next turning up as Agent 47 from the Hitman game series at a press conference.

One minute Usyk is giving two-word answers to press questions, the next he is asking Tyson Fury to sign a photo of him punching him in the face.

His out of the ring behaviour and personality added to his brilliance in the ring just adds to the aura, myth and greatness of the three-belt heavyweight world champion.

In the build up to his rematch with Fury on Saturday, live on DAZN PPV, DAZN News has compiled the views of some of the biggest names and best pundits in the boxing game, to break down what makes Usyk great.

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Sergio Mora - Former WBC light middleweight world champion

He is one of these enigmas because he is kind of silly. But once he gets in the ring it is all business.

Oleksandr Usyk is a great champion because of footwork. Footwork and great fight IQ. How we dissect opponents from that southpaw point of view.

Tony Bellow - ex cruiserweight world champion and opponent of Usyk

East European guys they are just different. The way they are set out is different. The banter is different, the laughs, they have are different, the way they dance is different.

It is just a bit nuts, but it works for him and makes him who he is.

Akin 'AK' Reyes - DAZN commentator

He is one of the best in the business on being able to adjust inside the ring, within a fight.

It is very difficult to do once in the heat of the action. No one else does it as well as him

Eddie Hearn - Matchroom promoter

He is always moving, pivoting and using his feet and his angles.

So, he actually prefers to face an aggressive fighter.

Barak Bess - DAZN commentator

Oleksandr Usyk has courage beyond courage. He has no fear fighting these behemoths - you just see no fear there.

Oleksandr Usyk Ian Walton Matchroom Boxing

Oleksandr Usyk - WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight world champion

Responding to the question, how do you describe your fighting style: "White rabbit (he says with a smirk), or maybe second a kind cat."

That last quote from the man himself sums it up perfectly. What makes Usyk great is that unpredictability.

No one knows what he is going to do, and how he is going to do it. But when he does it, it will be to the best of his abilities, with full commitment and will leave a lasting impact.

Watch Usyk vs. Fury 2 on DAZN PPV

Watch the Oleksandr Usyk/Tyson Fury rematch and full undercard on DAZN Pay-Per-View (PPV) worldwide. It costs £24.99 in the UK / $39.95 in the US. For prices in your region click here.

A PPV event is a single one-off payment, with no subscription requirement or extra costs. Buying the Usyk vs. Fury 2 PPV on DAZN brings great benefits.

This includes a range of options to watch the fight, from the traditional commentary to watchalongs with True Geordie or ShowBizz; the best broadcast team including Kate Scott, Ade Oladipo, Andy Lee, Darren Barker and Eddie Hearn; and commentary in multiple languages.

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