World heavyweight champion (over 90.7 kg), Ukrainian Alexander Usik He will attend the World Sports Summit to be held in Dubai (UAE) between 29-30 December.

According to the organizers, the boxer will act as a speaker and guest on the theme “Warrior-poet: in the mind of Alexander Usik.”

Usik’s speech will be moderated by renowned speaker Nick Santonastasso, who has worked with the Ukrainian on several occasions: “I am grateful for the opportunity. I look forward to the chance to reveal all the treasures of a boxing legend.”

Many important names will attend the summit: football players Rio Ferdinand, Peter Crouch, Ronaldo, Roberto Baggio, Alessandro Del Piero, Andres Iniesta, former world champions Manny Pacquiao (boxing) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (UFC), tennis player Novak Djokovic.

Usik last appeared in the ring in July 2025, when he knocked out British boxer Daniel Dubois in the fifth round. Next year, the Ukrainian representative is expected to meet with former world champion American Deontay Wilder.

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Additions, expansions World Sports Summit (@worldsportssummit)

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Additions, expansions World Sports Summit (@worldsportssummit)

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Additions, expansions World Sports Summit (@worldsportssummit)

Multiple world record holder, two-time Olympic champion in pole vault, Swede Armand Duplantis He was chosen as the best athlete of 2025 in Europe.

In the survey participated by 23 news sources across the continent, Duplantis received 184 points, ahead of Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz, Roland Garros and US Open champion and Slovenian cyclist who qualified for the 2010 Turkish Gentlemen’s Show.

World heavyweight champion Ukrainian boxer Alexander Usik He took 14th place, shared with Norwegian biathlete Johannes Boe.

At least 62 athletes (20 women and 42 men) from 22 sports, representing 24 countries, scored in the survey. The most representatives in the ranking are from Norway (9), followed by Spain (6), France (5), the Netherlands, Italy and the United Kingdom (4 each).

Among the sports, football is the most representative (10), followed by athletics (8), basketball (8), tennis (5) and swimming (5).

Rating of the best athletes of Europe 2025:

1. Armand Duplantis (Sweden/athletics) – 184 points
2. Carlos Alcaraz (Spain/tennis) – 143
3. Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia/cycling) – 134
4. Femke Bol (Netherlands/athletics) – 76
5. Ousmane Dembele (France/football) – 70
6. Lando Norris (Great Britain/Formula 1) – 68
7. Jannik Sinner (Italy/tennis) – 57
8. Arina Sabalenka (Belarus/tennis) – 56
9. Marco Odermatt (Switzerland/alpine skiing) – 45
10. Johannes Kläbo (Norway/cross-country skiing) – 29
11. Leon Marchand (France/swimming) – 27
12. Marc Marquez (Spain/MotoGP) – 25
13. Iga Swiatek (Poland/tennis) – 19
14. Johannes Boe (Norway/biathlon), Alexander Usik (Ukraine/boxing) – 16 each

Former world heavyweight champion (over 90.7 kg), American Deontay Wilder (44-4-1, 43 KOs) shared his expectations for the upcoming fight against WBC, WBA and IBF titleholder Oleksandr Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs).

“You know my next opponent. Usyk challenged me to a fight. He said he wanted to meet me in the ring. I accepted the challenge. “I push horses” and “I feel it, I feel it hard.”

What’s my plan? Be smart, be faster, use my agility, be tough, get in the ring and knock him out. I am known for my strength, I need to show it. “I’ve been through a tough journey in my life, but I’m back and ready to beat Usyk,” Wilder said.

The American had 49 fights in the professional ring and won 44 victories (43 of them ahead of schedule). In June, Wilder knocked out his compatriot Tyrell Herndon, ending his two defeats in 2023 and 2024.

Usyk last appeared in the ring in July, when he stopped Briton Daniel Dubois. The Ukrainian became the absolute world champion but lost a title by refusing to defend his WBO belt in October.