'Sporting interest!' - Oleksandr Usyk offers fascinating logic behind Deontay Wilder pursuit

Oleksandr Usyk has opened up on his desire to face Deontay Wilder, revealing that "sporting interest" drives his pursuit.

The Ukrainian vacated his WBO title late last year to avoid a mandatory battle with new interim champion Fabio Wardley.

Since then, the two-time undisputed heavyweight champion has been linked to a bout with the veteran American instead.

Usyk's pursuit of Wilder, a former WBC champion whose stock has fallen in recent years, has raised several eyebrows.

'The Bronze Bomber' was considered one of the greatest of his generation, alongside Usyk, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

Now, the unified champion has expanded upon the matchup, revealing that he wishes to face who he sees as his final great rival.

"This is about sporting interest," he told Ready to Fight on the potential bout. "In the big three, there was Joshua, Fury and Wilder.

"I beat Joshua twice, I beat Fury twice. One is unbeaten, [and] one remains. Wilder has been at the top for the last ten years."

Usyk pursuit shows desire to complete set

DAZN News correspondent Andrew Steel

Boxing will always have varied opinions, and there's plenty out there who feel Oleksandr Usyk isn't necessarily best-in-show.

But on a raw statistical level, there's little question about his credentials, with his four wins over Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

Throw in two other wins against Daniel Dubois, and there's few heavyweight title holders in the last decade he hasn't beaten.

Had Joseph Parker kept his interim crown against Fabio Wardley, the New Zealander would have been a target for the Ukrainian.

Instead, it is Deontay Wilder now in his sights, for a bout that Usyk believes can help him complete a clean sweep of superstars.

The last few years have been hard on the American, with heavy losses to Parker and Zhilei Zhang dinting his once-fine lustre.

But he will surely jump at what could be his last chance against a superstar too, setting up an intriguing encounter for the pair.

Sign up to DAZN Ultimate Tier to get PPV's included in your subscription 

Subscribe to DAZN's new Ultimate Tier to get a minimum of 12 PPV events included per year, including The Ring V and Lopez vs. Stevenson, on top of another 185 fight nights. Plus Serie A football, watch on multiple devices, and many more extra benefits.

Sign up for £22.99 in the UK / $44.99 in the U.S. More details here.