Beterbiev: “There will be no fight with Usyk, he is too strong for me!”

Artur Beterbiev, the reigning champion with a staggering 21-0 record and 20 knockouts to his name, admits he will have no contact with undefeated heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk. In a January 13 interview with Fight Hub, Beterbiev said, “There will be no fight with Usyk. He is too strong for me. ” At least he’s honest, eh?

In an interview with Fight Hub TV, Beterbiev made it clear that moving up to heavyweight to fight Usik is not on his to-do list. “If he goes back to my room, I will fight him. But not in heavy weight. Cruiser weight? No. Very strong, very good. Well, that’s one way to avoid beatings.

The pair have clashed three times in the amateur ranks. Usyk went up twice, and those memories are still fresh for Beterbiev. I can’t blame Tyson Fury for not wanting the class of someone who just learned.

Speaking of Fury, Beterbiev had some thoughts on that. “Anger is well fought. I’m a little disappointed that there aren’t any big names in the heavyweight division right now. I mean real legends like Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson. Right now, Usyk and Fury are the best in this weight class. Translation: Outside of Usyk and Fury, the heavyweight division is a bit of a snooze fest these days.

Frankly, Beterbiev’s integrity is a rare thing in boxing. Most fighters would give some canned line about “considering all options” or “testing themselves against the best.” Instead, Beterbiev basically said, “Nah, buddy. I will stick to my own line.”