BREAKING: Boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk forays into new sport after Tyson Fury fight falls through

Oleksandr Usyk is more than just a world-class boxer. Apart from his incredible skills in the squared ring, the Ukrainian is also a proficient soccer player and recently took his love for the sport to another level.

The unified WBA/WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight world champion shocked the combat sports community by signing a one-year professional contract with Ukrainian Premier League team FC Polissya. It is reported that his contract won't directly affect his boxing career, and he will be able to defend his titles while playing for his new club.

The 36-year-old will reportedly play as an attacking player and wear the club's No.17 on his back. Interestingly, Usyk has previously featured for the Ukrainian Second Division club.

In February 2022, he made his soccer debut with FC Polissya during the Ukrainian 2022 Winter Cup and was called on as a substitute for 15 minutes. Oleksandr Usyk played as a right-sided winger and displayed impressive decision-making skills with powerful sprinting.

On the boxing side of things, Usyk is set to defend his WBA, WBO, and IBF titles against WBA mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois on August 26 at the Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw, Poland. Oleksandr Usyk has a perfect record of 20-0, with 13 of those wins coming by knockout.

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Oleksandr Usyk claims Tyson Fury is "scared" to fight him

Oleksandr Usyk recently claimed that Tyson Fury is afraid of facing him in the boxing ring and is taking an easy money fight against Francis Ngannou instead.

Over the past year, 'The Gypsy King' and Usyk have gone back and forth relentlessly in hopes of making their blockbuster undisputed championship fight happen. The two men have long discussed a clash for the undisputed heavyweight world titles but it seems the purse split has always been the biggest hurdle in the way of that fight materializing.

While the Ukrainian is booked to defend his titles against Daniel Dubois in August, Fury has opted to face former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in October. The crossover fight has generated lots of hype despite Fury's WBC titles not being on the line.

In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Oleksandr Usyk shared his two cents on Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou matchup and claimed the Englishman is "scared" to fight him. He said:

"The guy is going to earn some decent money for Francis Ngannou, this is a great opportunity, but for Tyson Fury, it's definitely not... Doesn't it seem strange that instead of choosing a top-10 guy, he is choosing someone who has never boxed before? 'Greedy belly' is afraid of me."