Oleksandr Usyk is not just the undisputed heavyweight champion in the boxing world for a second time but he is also branching out into the film world through The Smashing Machine and a fellow co-star has offered up some on-set insights with the Ukrainian pugilist. During an interview with MMA Canada, Caio Machado touched on multiple topics ahead of his UAE Warriors debut that saw him finish Kevin Oumar at UAE Warriors 61 on July 23rd.
Oleksandr Usyk portrays Igor Vovchanchyn in the film while Machado depicts Pete Williams in this cinematic project helmed by The Rock starring titular figure, 'The Smashing Machine' Mark Kerr. When the former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight fighter was asked if he had any interactions with Usyk while both were filming on-set for this looming effort from Seven Bucks Productions, Machado said,
"By proxy in a certain way. Myself, I didn't have any scene with him. Didn't get the chance to talk to him or even interact in any way. But my coach at the time, Chris Franco, he played Igor Vovchanchyn's coach in the movie. So he was side by side with Usyk all over the shooting. So he picked his brain, we worked a couple of combos off of his movement, also from a lighter southpaw heavyweight kind of fighter. So it was by proxy, I got able to absorb some things from him but myself, didn't get the chance."
Oleksandr Usyk's mandatory challenger and a prominent party lacking interest in that bout
Oleksandr Usyk is on the heels of an emphatic finish over Daniel Dubois in their rematch with Usyk becoming undisputed champ at heavyweight for a second time but he may end up having to possibly forfeit one of the belts considering the current landscape. Joseph Parker is currently the WBO mandatory with the WBO committee putting out a formal press release indicating their desire for negotiations to begin to lock in an Usyk vs. Parker bout.
Then curiously enough The Ring Magazine put it out there that Riyadh Season Sela has no interest in pursuing Parker versus Usyk next even though it has the most athletic meritocracy of any possible challenger out there right now. Ring Magazine is a media outlet that is now owned by Turki Alalshikh who is the financial driving force for these Riyadh Season fights. It will be interesting to see how things play out in the heavyweight title landscape going forward with all of the outlined machinations that are at play.
