Inside Oleksandr Usyk’s coaching camp: Heavyweight champion reveals unconventional plan to beat Tyson Fury once more in Saudi Arabia showdown

What do you give the man who’s conquered it all? For Oleksandr Usyk, the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era, Christmas is about cherishing life’s simplest joys.

With his highly anticipated rematch against Tyson Fury looming on December 21 in Saudi Arabia, Mail Sport returned to Usyk’s training camp in Spain. The gym, now adorned with a bold ‘Undisputed’ banner on the back wall and action shots of Usyk peppering Fury with jabs next to the ring, felt as welcoming as ever.

After an intense training session that ended with a burst of cardio and a competitive game of tennis on the indoor court, we joined Usyk at the corner of the ring to talk life, boxing, and, surprisingly, Christmas.

Between stories of his mischievous youth, his thoughts on social media trolls, and why he doesn’t believe in chasing knockouts, Usyk swapped gifts with Mail Sport and even belted out a few Christmas carols – Santa hat firmly in place.

True to form, the Ukrainian has shown nothing but respect in the lead-up to his rematch with Fury. But there was a time when the heavyweight champion may have found himself on the naughty list – having confessed to swiping apples from a neighbouring farm as a boy. 

‘I would steal a lot when I was younger. It was because I grew up in the streets. We would steal apples, we would steal chocolate, we would steal cake. Now, I understand it’s bad to steal but back then, wow, yeah I would steal everything. 

‘Now my son Kyryl will talk to me and be like “Hey Papa, I think I want to steal something. I want to steal those chocolates.” I tell him no, you have money to pay for them. I will give you the money to pay for them. I don’t want you to steal. But, he still says he wants to steal them.

‘I have to keep telling him it’s bad and that he’s not allowed. But that is little boys for you. We have 10 rules that we must live by and one of them is do not steal. The others are not kill, respect your god, respect your parents, don’t cheat and so on.’ 

Usyk – who was born in Ukraine’s Crimea region in the city of Simferopol in 1987 before moving to his mother’s farm in the village of Rybotyn, Korop Raion – insists the early days of his life instilled a strong work ethic in him. 

‘On the farm, I did whatever I could – selling ice cream, apricots, peaches, and looking after the cattle. I have no shame in that. It helped make me who I am, and I did it to ensure my family could survive. That was everything to me.’ 

However, that didn’t mean it was easy. ‘I remember being out in the fields as a child. I’d often cry. But it wasn’t because I was defeated; those tears were from my will to escape that life and build something better’.

He hasn’t just escaped that world, he has written his name into boxing folklore. He became the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era in May, stripping Fury of his WBC title to etch his name into the history books as one of boxing’s all-time greats.

He will be looking to further cement his place among the boxing royalty by beating Fury for a second time when they meet against in Saudi Arabia next weekend. But, after a thrilling first encounter, Usyk is expecting an even tougher test this time. 

‘It certainly won’t be easier. I think it will be even more difficult. I always set myself up for a hard fight. I get pumped for such things. I don’t need it to be easier. Diamonds cannot be found in the ease because they are not there. You cannot succeed without hard work. Everything that is given easily does not grow well.’

Though very reluctant to give away too many camp secrets – for obvious reasons – Usyk, who looked much fuller and bigger in size compared to the first fight, did shed a little light on his training ahead of the rematch.

Given Fury is expected to weigh-in heavier than last time and use his Kronk style to lean on Usyk, the Ukrainian has been implementing elements of wrestling into his training regime to fend the Gypsy King off.  

‘We have implemented a lot of new things this camp. This is done by Jakub Chycki. We walk on our hands for 15 minutes to build strength. We run, we swim. And we sit under water. We have reached the level where we can sit under water for 10 minutes which really helps with my fitness, stamina and breathing during a fight.’

For most boxers, cardiovascular training is the dreaded part of camp, but for Usyk, it’s a blessing – a powerful reminder of how different life could have been. At just 10 years old, he battled severe bilateral pneumonia after a bad cold.

Doctors gave his family little hope, warning them there was a high chance he wouldn’t survive. Now, every grueling cardio session serves as a testament to his resilience and the preciousness of life. 

‘When I was in year two at school, I got really ill. I had serious pneumonia, it was very bad. The doctor even said that I could have died. This had a very strong impact on me. That is when I turned to God.

‘The priest came to the hospital and suggested that I pray. He said only God could decide whether I would live or die. That’s why I pray all my life and train so hard. I’ll do it for as long as my heart beats because I am grateful to be here.’

Usyk’s near-death experience has given him a profound perspective on life. In a previous interview with Mail Sport, he opened up about the emotional toll boxing has taken on his mother. Having nearly lost him as a child, she now watches with constant fear as he risks his life in the ring. 

Unlike like many bloodthirsty fans, Usyk is not motivated my knockouts. Alex Krassyuk previously explained: ‘When he comes to the ring, it’s Oleksandr’s profession, so he has to fight and he has to win – but he doesn’t have to hate his opponent. He loves his opponent. He respects him.

‘With a full heart of love, he hits him according to the rules, but he doesn’t feel this anger. He doesn’t feel like he’s doing damage. His objective is to win, and the less damage he does to his opponent the better. This is his philosophy.

‘That’s why he did not knock out Anthony Joshua in the twelfth round. He said I’m winning on points. Why should his kids watch his father falling on the ring, when enough is done to get the victory? That’s his mindset.’

Despite some believing Usyk held back from knocking Fury out in their first fight due to the above, Usyk confirmed to Mail Sport he will any opportunity to end the rematch early if it presents itself. 

‘Against Fury, it wasn’t me who decided this – it was the heavenly virtues who decided this was the way I would win [decision not KO]. But, if I have an opportunity to knock out Tyson Fury in the rematch, I will take it.’

Despite being a devoted family man, a tireless fundraiser for his war-torn homeland -having purchased over 50 ambulances to save Ukrainian lives – and the reigning undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, Usyk still faces a relentless barrage of online trolls every day. 

‘I love the fans. I love people in general – even those people who say nasty things about me. I try to love them more. I pray to God every day to teach me to see only the good in people, even in bad people.

‘That being said, it is very difficult to love those people who do nasty things to you or say nasty things about you. But this is the beauty of salvation: God gives us the opportunity to be saved only when we love even those who hate us.

‘I’m not saying that I’m very good at it, but I’m better at it than I was, say, three years ago. I no longer judge them, but rather try to understand why they do this. Or I just pray for them and that’s it.’

When asked whether the negative comments have reduced since becoming undisputed, he said: ‘No, there hasn’t been fewer of them. Instead there has probably been more. I don’t usually read the comments. It’s just that sometimes when I have nothing to do in my free time I think: ‘Well, let me read’. 

‘Here’s the thing: out of 10 comments, eight can be good and two bad. And you don’t notice the eight, but think: ‘What’s the point of writing a bad comment to someone?’. But, that’s the beauty of it, that these two need to be loved, because those eight love you, but these two need to be loved. And it’s not they who should love me, but I them.’

We concluded our fourth exclusive interview with Usyk in six months by presenting him with one final Christmas gift – a handwritten letter from a Ukrainian soldier fighting on the front lines.

As Usyk carefully unfolded the letter, he took a deep breath before reading it aloud. The atmosphere in the gym shifted instantly. Moments earlier, it was alive with the sounds of games, casual conversations, and the rhythmic clatter of training in the background. But as Usyk began to read, the noise faded. Slowly, people gathered around, drawn in by the gravity of the moment.

The soldier’s words were raw and heartfelt, a deeply personal message of gratitude to Usyk for being a beacon of hope in unimaginable times. He described how, in the midst of war, they would huddle together on the front lines to watch Usyk’s fights. In those moments, the chaos around them paused, and Usyk’s triumphs became their light in the darkness.

When Usyk finished reading, he paused, visibly moved. He closed the letter, then opened it again, re-reading the words as if to absorb every line more deeply. His eyes welled, and a lump formed in his throat. Finally, he turned to me, his voice heavy with emotion, and said, ‘thank you, this means so much.’

‘This gives me extra motivation. This is a real man, a real soldier that is supporting my country, that is helping me and the people of Ukraine. I’m very thankful to Oleksandr and our Ukrainian soldiers who are supporting my country and fighting to protect it. I do this for them.’ 

As the interview wrapped up, Usyk gently placed his Christmas hat on the corner of the ring, clutching the letter tightly in his hand. As he left for his villa, he remarked that he would treasure Oleksandr’s note forever. 

It was a rare moment of vulnerability from a man who has become a symbol of resilience and strength – not just for himself, but for an entire nation.