Oleksandr Usyk calls for Alex Pereira to be his retirement fight: “Why not?”

Oleksandr Usyk says he has two fights left in his career, and he wants his retirement bout to be against UFC champion Alex Pereira.

Usyk is the former undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight champion and is the third male boxer to become a two-weight undisputed champion in the “four-belt era. However, at age 38, his career is winding down and Usyk says he has two fights left, and wants his final fight to be against Pereira.

https://twitter.com/boxingontnt/status/1890025211573256269

“First, is who wins the next fight (Daniel Dubois vs. Joseph Parker) on February 22. But, next? Maybe a show fight with Alex Pereira. Maybe, why not? Alex wants to,” Usyk said to TNT Sports.

If Usyk does fight the winner of Dubois-Parker next and beats them, he is hopeful that his retirement fight can be a show bout against Pereira, similar to what Floyd Mayweather did against Conor McGregor.

However, before any of that can happen, Oleksandr Usyk needs to win his next fight, while Alex Pereira will likely still need to be the champion to add some hype behind the bout. But, it does seem unlikely that UFC CEO Dana White would allow Pereira to go into boxing to face Usyk.

Alex Pereira previously called out Oleksandr Usyk

The talk of Alex Pereira vs Oleksandr Usyk first gained steam after the UFC light heavyweight champion called out the boxer.

Pereira mentioned he would like to box Usyk in the past, and now Usyk also seems interested in the megafight.

“I don’t know, I think anything is possible. It’s something I can’t plan, but it is something I would really like to do,” Pereira recently told the Jaxxon Podcast. That’s something that I really want. I’m under contract with the UFC. We know [Conor] McGregor did it. I don’t know how I would, but someday I would really like to do it… I’m the champ. I would like to fight the champ. So Oleksandr Usyk …

“I think it’s a very good fight, I love boxing. I see some people talking, ‘Oh, if it were pure boxing he would be lost.’ Man, when you talk pure boxing, I feel great, I think I could fight these guys out there. I’ve already done some sparring with experienced guys, Plinio [Cruz, his coach] knows it, and they’re winning everything there,” Pereira continued.

Alex Pereira is set to return to the Octagon in the main event of UFC 313 as he looks to defend his light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev.

Oleksandr Usyk, meanwhile, is 23-0 and coming off back-to-back decision wins over Tyson Fury.