Oleksandr Usyk has one task in his hands. To successfully fend off Tyson Fury‘s onslaught and revengeful tendencies. The result? The Ukrainian boxer will not only defend his unified champion status, but he will also get a hero’s welcome in his homeland. Well, he has already earned superstar status in Ukraine, and the same was reflected when President Zelenskyy sat down with him on a video call. But things took an interesting turn when the heavyweight champion received an unexpected request from him.

Usyk, 37, will face off against Fury, 36, once again this coming Saturday, December 21, when they fight for the unified titles. The rematch has traction, and the fans’ interest has spiked a bit more since ‘The Gypsy King’ debuted a new avatar—a 280-pound heavy, serious, and focused Fury. That’s not only it. He has only one thing on his mind—to exact revenge and do some damage. The same was reflected when he declared in a press conference, “I’m gonna dish out a whole lot of pain. I’m gonna put this f–ker in the hurt locker for sure… I’m serious. I’m bringing the hurt.”

So, you can understand the soaring tensions between the camps, but President Zelenskyy wants his nation’s prized possession to take the fight differently. The two connected over a video call ahead of the anticipated rematch and talked about the unified champion’s preparations.

The conversation soon found its way to X. Boxing fans could see how the 47-year-old president also pointed out the relations Ukraine and Britain have fostered in recent years. That’s the reason why he asked Usyk, at 22-0, not to hurt Fury, too bad.

President Zelenskyy told him, “So, when you are beating Fury, just don’t go too hard on him, okay?” This request puzzled the champion, but he was composed in his response. He said, “No, I’ll say, ‘It’s all just sport, guys.’ With great respect: just sport, only respect.”

Interestingly, this conversation stands in total contrast with the latest press conference, where Fury and Usyk had an intense stare-down.

Tyson Fury brings heat ahead of Oleksandr Usyk fight

The Manchester native reiterated his approach for the fight, where he stressed how he was done talking and only wanted to engage in a war. He declared, “The talking has been done. The first fight, I talked and I joked, all my career. This time, I’m serious. I’m going to do some damage.”

Many had reasoned about Fury’s not-so-serious approach in their first fight against him. The former WBC champion was playing around inside the ring during the fight, and it soon caught up to him when he got found out. Some fans, even President Zelenskyy, are hoping for a similar repeat.

The latter continued, “I wish you a strong fight, success, and victory. What else I can wish you? Everything else… You’re the kind of person who knows exactly what to do. You’ve got enough experience without our advice on what to do in the ring.” But it remains to be seen how the fight plays out.

What do you make of this exchange between Oleksandr Usyk and Volodymyr Zelensky? Who do you think will win the coming fight? Let us know in the comments below.