Lawrence Okolie Willing to Face Oleksandr Usyk to Become ‘Three-Weight Champion’

Lawrence Okolie is aiming to become a three-weight world champion and would be open to a fight with undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk to achieve the feat.

Okolie faces Lucasz Rozanski on Friday for the WBC bridgerweight title that will make him a two-weight titlist, even if the bridgerweight class is barely accepted as a legitimate division. He previously held the WBO cruiserweight belt.

Okolie hasn’t fought since he lost that title to Chris Billam-Smith in May last year, and has now set himself a new goal. Okolie wants to not just win a belt in a second division on Friday but is also aiming to pick up a third at heavyweight. Usyk holds all four belts in the latter division after his win over Tyson Fury.

Okolie, though willing, remains realistic about such a scenario occurring.  

“If the opportunity came [against Usyk], absolutely. I just don’t think it will,” Okolie told Sky Sports. “I wouldn’t mind who it’s against [for a heavyweight title], just to know I’m a three-weight world champion, to know I did it. I could retire, look back, my titles would speak for themselves.”

Okolie also said that money is no longer his ambition in life, after he recently revealed he owns a seven-figure investment company. His current goal of becoming a three-weight world champion is more than the belts, it’s about teaching his young son the power of perseverance.

“My son seeing me win these belts is more important than money,” he said. “Money isn’t the motivator anymore. If my son ever searches up my name, it would be about teaching them life lessons, about being knocked down then coming back and winning a world title.”