He may be the undisputed heavyweight king, but Oleksandr Usyk doesn’t see himself as the sport’s best.
The 38-year-old has secured his legacy in the sport by becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion against Tyson Fury.
His career has seen him reach the peak in the biggest weight divisions in the sport, with his cruiserweight run one for the history books.
Oleksandr Usyk now prepares to take on Daniel Dubois in a rematch in Wembley Stadium on July 19th, aiming to secure his pound-for-pound crown.
But in his opinion, there is already a fighter who he believes outranks him as the best in the world.
Oleksandr Usyk says Terence Crawford ranks above him
Usyk states that the only boxer he ranks way above himself and as the number one boxer in the world is none other than Terence Crawford.
Speaking to DAZN in December 2024, he said: “For me, pound-for-pound No.1 is Terence Crawford. I like this man, he’s a great fighter. For me, maybe I’m No. 17.”
The Ring Magazine’s number one has previously shared mutual respect with Usyk – the pair have even played a game of chess together.
Before Usyk’s win over Tyson Fury, the Omaha fighter was widely considered the man to beat in world boxing, following his dominant performance against Errol Spence Jr to become the undisputed welterweight champion.
He even admitted in an interview that Usyk’s win over Fury was “pound for pound” in his eyes.
Battle for world number one status
Interestingly, the battle for the top spot has heated up this year with Usyk, Crawford, and Naoya Inoue vying for the position.
Out of the three top stars, Inoue has been the most active with two fights and two knockouts in 2025. And he isn’t stopping there, with a fight against Murodjon Akhmadaliev scheduled for September.
| Pound for Pound Rankings List |
| #1 Oleksandr Usyk |
| #2 Naoya Inoue |
| #3 Terence Crawford |
He has even hoped to be out for a fourth time in December if successful for a potential featherweight debut.
But while his impressive activity sees him secure the top three in the world, ‘Bud’ could beat either man to the punch.
The 37-year-old is scheduled to face undisputed super middleweight king Canelo Alvarez in a September super fight.
A victory here would be legacy-defining, especially with the huge two-weight division jump.
While the Ukrainian would remain number one with a Dubois win, the American could surpass it instantly in Las Vegas.