Oleksandr Usyk says he will begin preparing for rematch with Anthony Joshua amid war in Ukraine

As war continues in his home country of Ukraine, unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk says he has decided to start preparing for his rematch with Anthony Joshua. Usyk’s previous decision to take up arms in the face of Russian aggression had previously put the rematch in jeopardy.

Usyk, who won the IBF, WBO and WBA titles in a dominant decision win over Joshua this past September, had joined a territorial defense battalion in Kiev in February. He’d returned to the country from the United Kingdom, joining fellow boxing star Vasiliy Lomachenko and former heavyweight champions Vitaly and Wladimir Klitschko as familiar faces to join the country’s defense.

On Friday, Usyk posted a message on Instagram reading, “I decided to start preparing for a rematch with Anthony Joshua, a large number of my friends support me, all the rest of the good and peace, Thank God for everything.”

Reports had emerged earlier in the week that the former undisputed cruiserweight champion was seeking a special exception to leave the country after martial law was instituted and Ukraine banned but fit to serve from leaving the country. Usyk’s manager, Egis Klimas, quickly set the record straight, writing on Twitter“Usyk do not need special permission to leave country as he is father of three children. It’s Ukrainian law.”

The rematch with Joshua is expected to take place over the summer, though a specific date or location has not yet been confirmed.