Oleksandr Usyk (Image Source: Getty)
Oleksandr Usyk has reportedly taken extreme steps ahead of his heavyweight title defence against Rico Verhoeven in Egypt this weekend. The Ukrainian champion has removed all distractions from his training camp as he prepares for the fight on Saturday.
According to members of his camp, Usyk has avoided using his phone and has not allowed family members to stay with him during preparation.The WBC heavyweight champion is treating the bout with complete seriousness despite Verhoeven having only one professional boxing fight. Many fans see the Dutch kickboxing star as Usyk’s easiest opponent on paper. However, the unbeaten boxer is not taking any risks. Usyk has been training with giant Serbian sparring partner Sanel Hasanovic, who has worked with him for several major fights in recent years.
Oleksandr Usyk’s camp says champion looks more focused than ever
Sanel Hasanovic explained to The Sun that this training camp feels very different compared to previous ones. According to him, Oleksandr Usyk has stayed isolated with only his team around him. The boxer has avoided social activities and spends all his energy preparing for the fight. Hasanovic also revealed that he had hardly seen Usyk touch his phone during training camp and described the champion as extremely disciplined and mentally locked in.
“He’s just moving his power and punch power forward and forward and every camp Usyk is pushing the limits. And it seems like he’s stronger every camp. Our first two or three weeks were technical sparring and later it goes up and up”, Hasanovic said. Usyk’s close associate Sergey Lapin supported those comments. He said the Ukrainian always approaches every opponent seriously because losing focus in boxing can be dangerous.
Lapin added that the entire camp has been built around preparation, with no outside distractions allowed.Even though Verhoeven lacks boxing experience, he has spent many years around elite fighters. The Dutch star has trained under Peter Fury and was previously a sparring partner for Tyson Fury, whom Usyk defeated twice in 2024.Hasanovic also revealed that Usyk’s power has improved during every camp. He said their sparring sessions became tougher as training progressed and described the final rounds as brutal. According to Hasanovic, the champion now looks physically stronger than ever before.The Serbian fighter even predicted an early finish in Egypt. He believes Verhoeven may struggle badly once the pressure increases and suggested the fight could end within the opening three rounds.