Has Age Caught Up with Oleksandr Usyk?

Updated 12 July 2025, 09:30 BST

The calendar has one date circled for boxing fans across the UK and beyond. On 19 July, Oleksandr Usyk will step into the ring at Wembley Stadium to defend his heavyweight crown. The champion’s ring walk is locked for 9:50 pm BST. But this isn’t just another defense. Usyk will be 38 years old, and that raises a critical question. Has age finally caught up with the Ukrainian? Thats not what the bookies are saying, read more about the odds here.

Few athletes outrun time forever, and the heavyweight division has shown that once speed or stamina dips, even a brilliant mind can struggle to impose a gameplan.

Trainer and Opponent Observations

The team around Usyk has been consistent in downplaying any talk of age. Anatoly Lomachenko, his long-time mentor and strategist, remarked recently that Usyk is in better shape now than he was at cruiserweight. That’s a strong statement, considering how dominant Usyk was in unifying that division.

What’s more telling is that Dubois’ camp hasn’t leaned into the age narrative heavily. It’s often used as a psychological edge, but perhaps they’ve seen enough tape to recognize that Usyk isn’t fading the way most 38-year-old fighters do.

Still, fights aren’t won on data sheets or fitness trackers. They’re won when the body and mind align in high-stress moments. And age tends to reveal itself not in the first three rounds, but in the ninth and tenth, when fatigue sets in and decisions are made with tired eyes and trembling legs. But will Dubois make it to the championship rounds? When they first met Usyk made him take a knee in the 9th round, which he never got back up from sending him packing.

How other 38-Year-Old Heavyweights Have Fared

History is both a caution and a guide. Some legends have aged gracefully. Others have found the ring to be far less forgiving after crossing the age of 35.

Take Muhammad Ali. At 38, he fought Larry Holmes in a bout that became more symbolic than competitive. Ali’s reflexes were dulled. His endurance faded before the fifth round. He lost on attrition, unable to evade or counter Holmes’ measured assault.

Then there’s George Foreman. The rare case of age working in a fighter’s favor. At 45, he shocked the world by knocking out Michael Moorer and reclaiming the heavyweight title. But Foreman’s game was built on patience and thudding power, not lateral movement or constant activity.

Wladimir Klitschko offers a more modern example. At 41, he nearly upset a younger Anthony Joshua, even dropping the Brit in round six. But by the championship rounds, fatigue became visible. Joshua’s youth and persistence outlasted Klitschko’s calculated rhythm.

From these cases, one trend emerges clearly. Past a certain age, the body’s ability to recover between rounds, the legs’ capacity to keep moving, and the brain’s speed in reading danger all come under pressure. Champions have slipped not because their minds forgot how to fight, but because their bodies stopped obeying in time. This becomes all the more prominent with a younger fighter and with Dubois being 10 years his younger, Saturday night is a battle of the ages.

Usyk’s Physical Metrics and Recent Output

Despite turning 38, Oleksandr Usyk has shown few signs of slowing down. His physical data, often shared through his team and wearables like the Whoop strap, remains impressive.

His resting heart rate, recorded at 43 beats per minute, reflects an elite engine. That number mirrors top-tier endurance athletes. It speaks to the efficiency of Usyk’s cardiovascular system, which has been one of his hallmarks since moving up from cruiserweight.

In two fights against Tyson Fury, Usyk averaged 68 punches per round. That work rate doesn’t suggest decline. On the contrary, it places him above average for heavyweights, who typically throw fewer punches due to their size and energy costs.

Coach Sergey Lapin shared that Usyk continues to log up to ten kilometers of footwork drills per day. That level of activity, especially at this stage in his career, indicates not only discipline but that his legs are still holding up under stress.

When Tyson Fury was asked about Usyk’s conditioning after their bouts, his words were blunt. “He never stops moving. Age? Doesn’t look it.” And if anyone knows what it’s like to share 24 rounds with Usyk, it’s the Gypsy King.

What Age Could Mean on 19 July

So what does all this mean for fight night?

If Usyk’s legs begin to fade around round ten, Dubois’ best strategy – targeting the body – becomes more dangerous. A slowing champion, stuck in place, becomes a hittable champion. That’s how upsets happen.

However, there is little evidence to support that Usyk is in decline. His VO2 max, according to his coaching team, still exceeds most of the division. His punch output remains high. His footwork hasn’t lost its sharpness.

But time is a patient opponent. Even a one-percent drop in reflexes can change the outcome of a round. And when the margin between winning and losing is a single combination, that can make all the difference.

Conclusion: Time May Knock, But Usyk Hasn’t Answered Yet

So has age caught up with Oleksandr Usyk? Not yet. All signs suggest he remains one of the most conditioned and mentally agile fighters in the heavyweight division. We may yet see Uysk V Fury 3, which you can read about here. But with each passing round on July 19, the clock ticks louder.

Dubois may hope that Father Time joins his corner at Wembley. Usyk, as always, will try to outthink them both.