Ukrainian boxing champion Usyk visits White House, meets with Trump
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Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Ukrainian heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on June 12, according to a post shared by presidential communications adviser Margo Martin on X.
Martin published a photo of the meeting, though no further details about the discussion were immediately disclosed.
The meeting came after Usyk recently successfully defended his heavyweight world title, earning a hard-fought victory over Dutch boxer Rico Verhoeven.
Usyk, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of his generation, remains undefeated in his professional career and continues to hold multiple heavyweight championship belts.
The 38-year-old Ukrainian has frequently used his international platform to advocate for Ukraine and raise awareness about Russia’s ongoing war against the country. Following his most recent victory, Usyk publicly dedicated his win "to Ukrainian people and to Ukrainian soldiers."
The U.S. president has also publicly acknowledged his enthusiasm for combat sports.
The South Lawn of the White House is set to be the venue for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on June 14, and prior to his election into office, Trump also made cameo appearances for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) programming.
Before turning professional in 2013, Usyk won Olympic gold in men’s heavyweight boxing while representing Ukraine at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
