"I almost died in childhood." Oleksandr Usyk on how he found God

WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk opened up about the life-changing moments that led him to deeply embrace faith in God.

Details: According to the Ukrainian boxer, he suffered from a severe illness during elementary school and even came close to death. This, he says, was the turning point when he turned to religion.

Quote: "When I was in second grade, I became very ill. I had severe pneumonia — it was terrible. The doctor even said I could have died. It had a profound impact on me. That’s when I turned to God.

A priest came to the hospital and advised me to pray. He told me that only God could decide if I would live or die. That’s why I’ve prayed my entire life and trained so hard. I’ll continue to do so as long as my heart beats because I’m grateful to God for being here," the Ukrainian champion told the Daily Mail.

Reminder: On December 21, a megafight will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBO titles. Usyk will face former WBC champion Tyson Fury in their highly anticipated rematch.

Earlier, the full undercard for the December 21 boxing event in Riyadh was revealed.

Recently, DAZN's YouTube channel released a short documentary offering a glimpse into the preparations of both Usyk and Fury for the upcoming showdown.