MMA star Olena Kolesnyk cried after compatriot Oleksandr Usyk’s heroic victory over Tyson Fury.
Kolesnyk watched the boxing title fight in Las Vegas, where he has lived since March 2022, amid the war between Ukraine and Russia.
two
Usyk, 37, came from behind to defeat Fury, 35, on points in Saudi Arabia and become undisputed heavyweight champion.
And more than just a victory in the ring, Kolesnyk said it was a victory for all Ukrainian soldiers who fought in the heinous war against Russia.
She told SunSport: “I personally cried with happiness. I rooted for him with all my heart.
“It was a tough fight, Tyson Fury is one of the greatest boxers in history and Usyk is not as tall, he doesn’t have as much reach as Tyson.
“But he did what inspired all Ukrainians, he did something unbelievable.”
Kolesnyk was personally affected by the war.
In April 2023, his hometown of Odessa was targeted by drone attacks just days before one of his fights.
More than 30 innocent lives were taken and Kolesnyk fears the territory could eventually be handed over to Russia.
Kolesnyk also spoke about the harsh realities of serving on the front lines in Ukraine.
She said: “I know many athletes from my country who died trying to protect our land.
“The craziest part now is that so many Ukrainian soldiers have died, well-qualified soldiers, that now they force local men to fight. From 18 to 60, they take you to war.
“And most guys have never fired a gun and don’t know what to do. It’s horrible.
“The more men die, the less our generation remains Ukrainian.
“One of my friends, his name is Sergey, he just won a combat jiu-jitsu world championship, it was in Italy.
“Then he returned as a soldier to war. He had a week of rest and then came back to protect our country.”
Kolesnyk, 33, must leave the suffering of war in her country behind to focus on her Bellator fight against Sara Collins on Saturday.
But she will travel to Dublin with familiar faces waiting to cheer her on.
Kolesnyk said: “I’m honored to fight in Bellator now.
“Let’s not forget that they are more local in Europe, where I can invite more people from the Ukrainians who escaped the war to Europe to watch my fight.
“Even in Ireland, in Dublin, a lot of girls from my hometown are there and will come and support me.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
