Oleksandr Usyk Playing Professional Soccer?

With his Unified Heavyweight title rematch apparently set into motion for later this Spring, Champ Oleksandr Usyk decided to do something interesting with another professional sport.

That’s when the Ukrainian icon actually got out on the soccer (football) pitch Thursday evening and played with a second division professional team in his home country. See for yourself as Usyk took entered as a reserve for FC Polissya,

For once Uysk's footwork lets him down.. ⚽️

Oleksandr Usyk came on as a substitute for Ukrainian second division side, FC Polissya, in a friendly game.

He missed a sitter straightaway..

📹 Football UA TV 1/2/3 / Перша Ліга pic.twitter.com/CbKEDJtwKC

— Boxing on BT Sport 🥊 (@BTSportBoxing) February 4, 2022

The 35 year old Ukrainian did play for a few minutes in the second half of the match fulfilling a desire of his to play in an actual game. And, as the video shows, he almost immediately got a chance at shooting on goal just after entering the game before the pass to him went by and through him for a missed opportunity.

As for Usyk in the ring, he most recently scored the biggest win of his professional boxing career with a 12-round impressive decision victory over former IBF/WBA/WBO World Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua last September. That improved his record to 19-0 with 13 KOs.

And, Joshua has invoked a rematch clause which will be even more lucrative for the Ukrainian star as the champion. However, there was some debate last week, as to whether the Brit was going to take the “step aside” offer of a whopping $15 million pounds ($20.3 million U.S. dollars) to let Usyk battle WBC champ, Tyson Fury, in an undisputed title bout.

But, as we wrote, Fury’s co-promoter Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions relayed earlier this week that the step aside offer ceased, when Joshua wanted another $5 million British pounds added. So, instead of “step asides,” Fury will now fight his WBC mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte and we’re back to Joshua and Usyk.

Usyk is the former Undisputed Cruiserweight World champion and Olympic Gold Medalist and an immensely popular sports figure in his native land. And, you can add “part time soccer player” to his resume’, now as well.