Oleksandr Usyk says he wants to unify all four belts at heavyweight after his rematch with Anthony Joshua, which he wants to be held in Ukraine. 

Usyk has now won seven world title belts, each one of them taken from a defending champion boxing in their home country. But having never boxed in Ukraine as a world champion, he would like the contract return with Joshua to take place there, naming the Olimpiyskiy Stadium, the national football stadium in Kiev, as the place he would like it to happen. 

“As long as we have a rematch clause in our contract, then AJ is my next opponent,” Usyk said. 

“He is a true warrior and fighter and he will improve his skills. I can’t really for sure say if he will or won’t take the rematch, but I think he probably will. 

“I would love to have the rematch in the Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev.” 

Usyk won the WBA, WBO, IBO and IBF heavyweight titles in London, the same city where he claimed Olympic glory in 2012. Despite his big win, he still ranks the Olympic gold medal as the highest achievement of his career. 

“Yes, London is a really lucky city for me, but not one single victory as a professional can be above winning Olympic gold,” he said. 

"[The fight with Joshua] was my biggest win, but not the hardest."

While there will be no attempt to sidestep a Joshua rematch, the former undisputed world cruiserweight champion says it is his intention to become undisputed champion at heavyweight.

“I want to take all four belts, I want to take my kids to school, I want to plant more trees, I have spent three months away at training camp, I wish I could spend more time with my wife, I want to live,” he said. 

Ron Lewis is a senior writer for BoxingScene. He was Boxing Correspondent for The Times, where he worked from 2001-2019 - covering four Olympic Games and numerous world title fights across the globe. He has written about boxing for a wide variety of publications worldwide since the 1980s.