Oleksandr Usyk will take on Anthony Joshua with a shaved head in north London this weekend – which is a long way from the standout styles he has opted for in the past.
The undefeated Ukrainian is looking to claim heavyweight glory in only his third fight in the division by beating his British foe, and goes into the bout full of confidence.
The 34-year-old has 18 victories to his name from 18 professional bouts, and has regularly got the better of his opponents with unpredictable antics before the fight has even begun.
As part of his character and culture, Usyk has had a mix of unusual hairstyles in the past, and Central Recorder Sport has taken a look at three of the most memorable before he steps into the ring vs Joshua.
(Image: Getty Images)
Top knot
(Image: Instagram @usykaa)
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One of his most unusual offerings has been the Ukrainian top knot style he had back in 2013.
With his hairline shaved to the back of the skull, a long piece of hair is kept which can be tied into a topknot, as was seen in many of his cruiserweight bouts.
The traditional style is part of Ukrainian culture, and was worn by Usyk during his fight against Joy Joyce in the World Series of Boxing back in 2013 – which he won by unanimous decision.
Mohican
(Image: Instagram @usykaa)
Another memorable offering from Usyk has been the long pointy mohican he has had on several occasions down the years, sometimes adding gel to keep it in place.
In recent years Usyk has gone for easier to manage styles, recently shaving his head due to a bet over rock, paper, scissors.
Back in 2020, Usyk actually grew out his hair in protest while waiting for his next fight, but did have a shorter style by the time he beat Derek Chisora on points in October.
Shaved
(Image: Getty Images)
As is the case before the Joshua bout, Usyk has shaved his head all over.
The former undisputed cruiserweight champion was in fine form at the press conference on Friday, wearing a suit that matched the style of Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker from the 2019 film.
He said at the event: “I can do a lot more. I feel fine and I look forward to this. I want to thank the team and Eddie Hearn and I’m grateful this is happening on Saturday.
“Every fight makes history and I think me and Anthony will make another step in history, something that people will be talking about, remember and will be watching on television.”