Focus's "Ukrainian of the Year" ranking features Alexander Usyk, the heavyweight boxing champion and world titleholder.

His career progressed rapidly. At the World Championship in Baku in 2011 and at the Olympic Games in London in 2012, he won gold. Following his Olympic victory, Usyk showcased his artistic side by dancing the hopak in the ring, which made him a favorite among Ukrainian fans. In 2013, he transitioned to professional boxing.

In 2018, Usyk unified all major titles in the cruiserweight division, becoming the world champion. His first significant challenge in the heavyweight division came against Anthony Joshua, the British champion holding the WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO titles. In September 2021, Usyk faced Joshua in London and won by unanimous decision, taking his titles. A rematch between Usyk and Joshua took place in 2022, where Usyk once again emerged victorious.

The year 2024 is pivotal for Usyk: Alexander became the second Ukrainian boxer after Vladimir Klitschko to capture heavyweight championship titles.

Alexander Usyk's bout with British fighter Tyson Fury in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, on May 18, 2024, became a historic event. Usyk, showcasing his technique and great physical conditioning combined with a powerful punch, proved to be a worthy opponent for Fury, who is known for his size and endurance. In the ninth round, the Ukrainian sent his opponent to the canvas, but Fury continued the fight, which lasted all 12 rounds. Usyk claimed victory by split decision.

When it was announced that Usyk had won, he exclaimed: "Father, can you hear me? We did it." Usyk was addressing his late father, who had always been a significant authority in his life. The boxer mentioned that he had dreamed of this moment since 2008. He expressed gratitude to God, his family, Ukraine, and the soldiers defending it at the front: "It's a wonderful day! Thank you, Tyson, without you, this wouldn't have happened. I dream of going home, resting, kissing my wife, and getting some sleep," Usyk stated.

Now, the Ukrainian holds titles from all four of the most prestigious organizations — WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF. Usyk's purse for the first fight amounted to $45 million (the total prize pool was $100 million).

In June 2024, in an interview with 3 Knockdown Rule, our champion stated: "What will happen in the rematch? I'm not thinking about boxing at all right now. I'm relaxing. I trained for 8 months for this fight! I missed my children's birthdays, the birth of my daughter, and New Year celebrations. The training camp lasted 8 months. I had completely lost track of what day or week it was. I woke up, looked at the clock, and saw it was 5 AM. What am I doing here? I prayed to God. I didn't ask Him for victory; I asked for strength to last until the end. I trained at 5 AM, at noon, and at 6 PM."

On September 11 of this year, he informed Fury in his blog about the start of preparations for their fight: "See you soon, Tyson Fury. My camp has begun."

Alexander is known for his patriotic statements. On September 12, Usyk remarked in an interview with Polish journalist Mateusz Borko: "I believe that it doesn't matter how much money you have or how strong you are. If evil and war are happening in your country, you must defend your country from the enemy. If your country needs your help, you should help your country. If your country requires significant assistance, you should stand firm and do it, rather than flee. If everyone runs away, Putin will simply take our country and then come here (to Poland) as well. No, we must defend our home, however we can."

Previously, Alexander had often mentioned that he wanted to pause his boxing career to defend Ukraine, but the soldiers he spoke with convinced him to work for the good of his homeland in the ring.

An interesting lyrical detail. For years, Usyk has entered the ring to the patriotic song "Brattya" by Vasyl Zhadan, but specifically for the new fight with Fury, the rock band Drevo (led by Maksym Derevianchuk) recorded a song based on Usyk's lyrics titled "Terpi, Kozak," with lines in the chorus saying: "Preserve your soul for God, dedicate your loyalty and honor to the state, give your family all the light that the Lord grants you in life." Drevo has a much "heavier" sound compared to the work of the gypsy performer Vasyl Zhadan.

In November of this year, Usyk reminded his opponent of himself with a humorous message to Fury on Instagram. In a video, the world champion stands in front of a transparent film wearing a T-shirt with Tyson's head printed at stomach level. Usyk smiles, tears the film, and says to the camera: "Hey, my greedy belly, don't be afraid. I won't leave you alone, never!" Thus, he implies Fury will be "fed" to him. The episode concludes with an air kiss.

As of now, Alexander Usyk boasts 21 victories out of 21 fights in the professional ring, with 14 of those wins by knockout.

The match with Fury is set to take place on December 21 in the capital of Saudi Arabia — Riyadh. The total prize pool for the bout has been increased to a record $190 million, with this amount now distributed in a 60% to 40% ratio in favor of Usyk. Consequently, Usyk's earnings will amount to $114 million, while Fury will receive $76 million.

Usyk is married to Yekaterina Usyk (née Khmelevska). The couple has four children: Elizabeth (born in 2010), Kirill (born in 2013), Mikhail (born in 2015), and their daughter Maria, who was born in January 2024. "I advocate for every family to have at least 3-4 children. To ensure demographic growth in the country. So that there are more little Ukrainians. That's very good," Usyk stated.

In 2022, the boxer's home in Vorzel was visited by Russian occupiers, who set up military equipment in the yard, damaged trees, and left the letters V and Z on the fence. The house and yard have since been restored. Currently, the renowned boxer lives there with his family.