As talks continue over a potential clash between Oleksandr Usyk and Deontay Wilder, the last man to defeat the Ukrainian has offered clear advice on how the American could spring a major upset. Egor Mekhontsev, the Olympic gold medallist who beat Usyk in the amateurs, believes there is a specific weakness Wilder must exploit if the fight goes ahead.
The unified heavyweight champion, Usyk, has already beaten the leading heavyweights of his era, with victories over Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois and Tyson Fury, whom he defeated twice. His résumé has established him as the defining heavyweight of the modern generation, combining elite footwork, stamina and ring intelligence. Wilder, by contrast, enters the discussion at a difficult point in his career following back-to-back losses to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang.
Mekhontsev knows Usyk better than anyone when it comes to facing him across the ring. The two met at the 2009 Amateur World Championships in Milan, where Mekhontsev defeated Usyk on points en route to winning gold. Speaking to Wilder in footage filmed by ES News, Mekhontsev stressed that speed and body punching are key, saying Usyk *“doesn’t like body shots” *and pointing specifically to liver punches as an area of vulnerability.
Targeting Usyk’s body has been discussed before, most notably during Daniel Dubois’ world title challenge in August 2023. In that fight, Dubois believed he had dropped Usyk with a fifth-round body shot, though referee Luis Pabon ruled the punch low and allowed Usyk time to recover. Usyk went on to stop Dubois in the ninth round.
The Ukrainian later reaffirmed his dominance by stopping Dubois again in their rematch, becoming a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion with a fifth-round knockout. As Wilder weighs up a possible challenge, Mekhontsev’s advice offers a rare inside perspective, but whether it’s enough to solve Usyk remains the unanswered question facing the heavyweight division.
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