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‘We missed you’: Oleksandr Usyk pays tribute to his nation as the victorious unified heavyweight champion returns to war-torn Ukraine for the first time since leaving Kyiv’s territorial defence to train for Anthony Joshua rematch
- Oleksandr Usyk joined Ukraine’s territorial defence following Russia’s invasion
- He was given permission to leave the country to fight Anthony Joshua again
- Usyk spent several months away from Ukraine to prepare for his boxing return
- He beat Joshua earlier this month to retain his heavyweight world titles
- He has now returned to Ukraine, and has paid tribute to the war-torn nation
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Oleksandr Usyk has returned to his homeland of Ukraine for the first time since retaining his heavyweight titles against Anthony Joshua earlier this month.
Usyk faced Joshua in Saudi Arabia in a rematch of their fight last September, which he won via unanimous decision. This time around, Joshua put in a much-improved display, but Usyk was still able to emerge victorious after 12 rounds.
With Russia continuing their invasion of Ukraine, Usyk had been away from his country for a number of months to prepare for his return fight with Joshua. He has now touched down in Ukraine once more, and he paid tribute to his nation in a post on Instagram on Monday.
Oleksandr Usyk has returned to his homeland of Ukraine for the first time in months
‘We missed you,’ he wrote, alongside a picture of himself standing in front of a sign with the colours of the national flag and the word ‘Ukraine’ on it.
When Russia started their invasion back in February, Usyk quickly made himself available to serve his country, and he joined Ukraine’s territorial defence in the capital city of Kyiv.
It was initially unclear as to when he would be able to return to boxing, but he was given permission to leave Ukraine to take on Joshua before they finally settled their rivalry.
Usyk has made it clear that he is proud to represent Ukraine, especially during these difficult times for his nation. He dedicated his win against Joshua to his country when speaking after their rematch.
‘This fight was extremely important for my country, my team and for me. I boxed for the whole country and half of the world,’ he said.
Usyk got the better of Anthony Joshua in their heavyweight rematch earlier this month
Usyk is proud to represent Ukraine and draped himself in his nation’s flag after beating Joshua
‘I kept telling myself “you cannot stop, you cannot stop, you cannot stop”. Some big things were at stake. And thank God the belts are coming back to Ukraine, victory is for us and Ukraine won.
‘Now the whole world knows Ukraine is defending itself from the second biggest army in the world. And we stand strong and we give Russia a lot back.’
‘I want to say that some people in the world are underestimating what is going on in Ukraine – please open your eyes and see what is happening. Ukrainians never give up, we always go to the end. We always win in the end, we just need a little more time.
Usyk now has his sights set on a showdown with Tyson Fury, which would crown an undisputed champion in boxing’s blue-riband division.
A meeting between the pair is being eyed for February, suggesting that Usyk should now get the opportunity to spend time back in Ukraine before focusing on getting ready for his eagerly-anticipated clash with Fury.