We all know how Oleksandr Usyk claimed a hard-fought victory over Tyson Fury last year in December. The undefeated heavyweight champ has already proven himself against some of the toughest opponents in boxing. As he continues to dominate, fans are eagerly waiting for his next move. And let’s not forget that Oleksandr Usyk could be facing Daniel Dubois in an upcoming fight. They last fought in August 2023 where the 27-year-old faced a humiliating knockout defeat. And now with revenge in mind, the Dynamite is seeking to square off against the undefeated prospect. What’s more interesting is that Usyk has already sought permission from the Saudi Arabian adviser, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh to fight the Dynamite under the Riyadh card. With such high stakes, it looks like we’re in for a major event. Is it not?

Moving forward, Joe Rogan, famous for his no-holds-barred opinions on his podcast, recently shared his thoughts on the IBO, WBC, and WBO World Heavyweight Champion. During a discussion alongside comedian Bryan Callen, Rogan didn’t hold back in praising the 38-year-old’s greatness. What did Joe Rogan say about the Ukrainian boxing sensation? Let’s dive in.

Joe Rogan’s thoughts on Oleksandr Usyk’s greatness

During the podcast of Joe Rogan’s YouTube channel PowerfulJRE, Bryan Callen couldn’t help but place Oleksandr Usyk among the top fighters of all time. He said, “I think the best fighter, I think you can make an argument for certainly top three fighters of all time is Usyk.”

Joe Rogan, agreeing wholeheartedly, responded, “Yes, I think he’s incredible.” The two went on to discuss Ukrainian Southpaw’s exceptional skill set, with Callen emphasizing how Oleksandr Usyk fights “giants” despite being smaller in size. Callen pointed out, “He’s fighting a guy who’s 60 pounds heavier with 10-ounce, 20-ounce gloves, it makes such a world of difference.”

On top of it, Joe Rogan couldn’t help but highlight the tough battles Usyk has faced, saying, “Especially when the guy is Anthony f—ing Joshua.” For those who don’t remember, Oleksandr Usyk fought Anthony Joshua for the first time in September 2021 for the IBF, IBO, and WBO World Heavyweight titles. The Watford native weighed 240 lbs when the Ukrainian champion, reportedly 221¼ lbs defeated him in a unanimous decision. What followed after is even more interesting. The next year in August, when Oleksandr Usyk had to defend his title against the former heavyweight champion, he secured yet another victory at the Jeddah Superdome in Jeddah. Impressive! Is it not?

However, it’s clear that Joe Rogan and Bryan Callen both admire Usyk’s remarkable achievements, especially considering his size. Joe Rogan added, “No, he’s like 225-230, not big.” Despite this, Usyk has been able to hold his ground against the world’s biggest fighters.

While Rogan and Callen praise Usyk’s rise to the top, there’s a slight discrepancy in the rankings that cannot go unnoticed. Despite being hailed by many as one of the greatest, Usyk’s position in the current pound-for-pound rankings tells a different story.

The confusion over Oleksandr Usyk’s ranking

Hey, let’s all agree on the fact that boxing’s pound-for-pound rankings have always been a source of debate. One such example is Oleksandr Usyk’s double victory over Tyson Fury, which took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After defeating Fury, Usyk’s name skyrocketed. However, BoxRec’s ranking system seemed to have missed the memo. Their updated list, which includes names like Terence Crawford, Naoya Inoue, and Dmitry Bivol, does not feature Oleksandr Usyk among the top 10, a mistake that has drawn widespread criticism from boxing fans.

The glaring absence of Oleksandr Usyk from BoxRec’s rankings is puzzling, especially considering how highly he’s regarded in other major rankings. To make matters worse, the Simferopol native also doesn’t appear in the WBC’s list of top heavyweights, although other sanctioning bodies have placed him at the very top.

In contrast, Ring Magazine’s rankings have placed Oleksandr Usyk at the pinnacle of the pound-for-pound list. The discrepancy between BoxRec’s ranking and the general consensus is hard to ignore. Fans have been vocal on social media, expressing their disbelief at how a fighter of Usyk’s caliber could be excluded from a major list.

However, as his career continues to unfold, we can certainly expect some more jaw-dropping victories. So tell us, do you also agree with Joe Rogan’s assessment of Usyk? And how do you feel about the BoxRec rankings excluding Usyk?