Oleksandr Usyk, the heavyweight from Ukraine: A look back at the heavyweight's career

When it comes down to pure boxing skill and IQ, Oleksandr Usyk is regarded as one of the best in pound-for-pound boxing. The Ukrainian learned his trade in the amateur game, where he held an impressive career with many achievements and an emphatic record.

Oleksandr Usyk mostly competed as a heavyweight during his amateur career, where he performed against the likes of Joe Joyce and Artur Beterbiev in big competitions.

The skilled fighter racked up an amateur record of 335-15 and secured a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics. He also won a gold medal at the 2011 World Championships in Baku.

Oleksandr Usyk with an Olympic Gold Medal

Since becoming a professional fighter, Usyk started his career as a cruiserweight competitor and secured undisputed status after just 15 fights. As a cruiserweight, he has fought the likes of Michael Hunter, Murat Gassiev and Tony Bellew.

Oleksandr Usyk also won the Muhammed Ali World Boxing Super Series Cruiserweight trophy when he defeated the heavy-hitting Gassiev in the final. Before the matchup, the fight was regarded as an even contest due to the knockout power of the Russian, however, Usyk dominated with his skill.

Following the obliteration of the cruiserweight division, the Ukrainian stepped up to the heavyweight division in an aim to become a two-weight world champion.

Usyk became a Unified Heavyweight World Champion in his third heavyweight contest against Anthony Joshua, where he won the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO Titles. His previous heavyweight matchups were against Chazz Witherspoon and Derek Chisora.

Chisora was Usyk's second opponent as a heavyweight and gave the Ukrainian a tough time. The Brit is known for his brawling and relentless style, which was ultimately a huge learning experience for Usyk before entering the ring with Joshua.

The Ukrainian is set to face Joshua in their highly-anticipated rematch on August 20 and if Usyk can win, he can look at chasing down the undisputed fight.

Tyson Fury currently holds the WBC World Title and, if the pair were to meet inside the ring, the winner would become the ultimate king of the division.

Watch Oleksandr Usyk vs. Murat Gassiev here:

Oleksandr Usyk holds a professional record of 19-0 with 13 of which, coming by knockout. The southpaw holds a knockout rate of 68.42% with more than half of his knockouts coming in the second half of his fights.

The Ukrainian has proven to be very difficult to beat due to his unique fighting ability, as well as being a southpaw Usyk is hard to hit. The 35-year-old constantly moves back and forth, using his lead foot to slip his opponents' jab. The athlete's footwork is aided through training using the agility ladder.

Furthermore, the heavyweight has occasionally trained in the same camp as former three-weight world champion Vasyl Lomachenko. Lomachenko is known for his distinctive training methods, including psychological drills. This involves playing with puzzles, improving reactions, mathematical problem solving and much more.

This is a key factor as to why both Ukrainians have such a high IQ in the ring. In addition to this, Usyk is able to retain his tempo throughout the entire contest due to his amazing stamina and endurance. The champion does a lot of fitness training to aid him inside the squared circle, including hill sprints and swimming.

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Who else is there to target for Oleksandr Usyk?

Oleksandr Usyk has already faced some huge names in the sport during his career, but he's currently in a division that's stacked with talent.

A matchup against Tyson Fury would be huge for boxing, especially if the fight is for the undisputed mantle. Both men's styles would set up an epic showcase, considering the high level of boxing IQ and footwork from both athletes.

Fury is significantly taller than Usyk but the Ukrainian's ability to close the distance is second to none.

Tyson Fury (left) v Dillian Whyte (right) - Getty Images

Deontay Wilder is set to return to the sport after his defeat to Tyson Fury in their trilogy bout last year. The American is considered one of the hardest hitters in boxing history. Fury has previously counted Wilder as being the second-best heavyweight in the world behind himself.

Wilder has a 91.11% knockout rate, which is 41 knockouts out of his 42 victories as a professional. The 36-year-old has dropped all of his opponents, including Tyson Fury, in their first encounter. Out of three meetings against Fury, Deontay Wilder failed to achieve a victory, while suffering two defeats and a draw.

The American struggled to pin down the Brit and land significant shots in their second and third encounters. This would bode well for Usyk due to also holding good defensive and footwork skills. However, it only takes one shot for Wilder to end the fight.

A clash between the former world champion and Oleksandr Usyk would be a thrilling affair with a matchup between pure boxing finesse and extreme punching power.

Deontay Wilder v Luis Ortiz - Getty Images

Artur Beterbiev is another interesting name that Oleksandr Usyk may consider in the future, due to the Russian eyeing up the heavyweight division after taking over his current weight class. Three out of the four belts in the light-heavyweight division belong to Beterbiev and he is now looking to become the Undisputed Champion.

Usyk and Beterbiev have already shared the ring three times as amateurs but a competition as professionals would be highly intriguing. The Ukrainian got the better of Beterbiev in two of the encounters, while losing the first meeting. The Russian, however, dropped Usyk to his knees in the most recent contest but lost on points.

Beterbiev still has some challenges that he must face before looking to leave the light-heavyweight division. These include Dmitry Bivol, Anthony Yarde, Joshua Buatsi and possibly Canelo Alvarez.

If the heavy-handed 37-year-old can surpass his current hurdles, he will look to challenge himself even further in the heavyweight rankings.