Oleksandr Usyk, the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion, stirred trouble after a video surfaced on X showing him dancing at a concert in Ukraine with Nadia Dorofeeva. The clip raised doubts about his reported back injury, which had stalled his WBO-mandated title defense against Joseph Parker. The WBO, questioning the injury’s severity, ordered Usyk to submit a detailed medical report by September 10, 2025, covering his condition, prognosis, and recovery timeline.
Usyk’s team claimed a back injury needing one month of rest and another of therapy, requesting a 90-day extension for the Parker fight, which the WBO initially considered. The video of Usyk moving freely prompted Parker’s manager, David Higgins, to challenge the injury’s legitimacy on X. The WBO later granted the 90-day extension, allowing Parker a voluntary interim title fight.
🚨🇺🇦 WBO will investigate Oleksandr Usyk after a video surfaced showing him dancing on a concert in Ukraine.
Usyk hasn’t fought since knocking out Daniel Dubois in July to become a two-time undisputed champ. Ordered to start Parker negotiations on July 24, his team submitted… pic.twitter.com/Ty8glSRslg
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) September 6, 2025
Usyk’s boxing legacy
Usyk, 38, stands 6’3” with a 78-inch reach and holds a 24-0 record with 15 knockouts. He claimed the undisputed heavyweight title on May 18, 2024, beating Tyson Fury by split decision for the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF belts. He defended them against Fury on December 21, 2024, via unanimous decision and knocked out Daniel Dubois on July 19, 2025, before 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.
His 2023 Dubois fight caused a stir when a fifth-round body shot, ruled a low blow, gave Usyk recovery time before a ninth-round knockout. In 2018, he won undisputed cruiserweight titles against Murat Gassiev, joining rare company with titles in two divisions.
The WBO probe echoes boxing controversies like Deontay Wilder’s 2020 injury claims after losing to Fury, which drew skepticism but no penalties.
