Constantin Ursu was over the moon after his chat with former undisputed world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk
16:49, 31 Aug 2026Updated 16:51, 31 Aug 2026
Constantin Ursu celebrates with the title belts after victory over Ben Vaughan in their BBBofC British and Commonwealth Boxing Council Welterweight title fight on the Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic: Natural Born Thriller fight card at The O2 Arena on August 29, 2026 (Image: Getty Images)
Former undisputed world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk personally called Constantin Ursu to offer his praise after the British welterweight title defence on Saturday night, as plaudits continue to roll in for the Plymouth man’s performance.
Ursu’s trainer Marlee Dann said Usyk spent 30 minutes on the phone to the Moldovan Monster after welterweight challenger Ben Vaughan was comprehensively dispatched at the O2.
Ursu dominated the fight, it became a bloodbath by the seventh round as a cut had opened up over Vaughan’s right eye, albeit from a clash of heads.
Vaughan was twice checked out by the ringside doctor over the severity of his injury, and after the second check prior to round eight, the fight was halted on medical advice.
But the performance has earned praise from a number of high-profile figures, with Usyk even reaching out personally.
Oleksandr Usyk during a press conference at The Pelligon in Canary Wharf, London. Picture date: Tuesday April 14, 2026.
Dann revealed: “Constantin said he [Usyk] just wanted to speak to him about the fight, and there were a lot of laughs and jokes – it was nice.
“It was a friendly nice conversation between two people who know boxing, and Usyk said to Constantin that Vaughan was a dirty fighter and it wasn’t nice to watch.
“But he complimented Constantin incredibly well and Constantin was really happy with the words that he said; Usyk gave him a couple of pointers in terms of things he could have done, but these are small things.
“It’s very good for Constantin to have someone of Usyk’s standard, of that level, to ring him up and say to him ‘look mate, you’re very good, that was really impressive’.”
Dann added: “For Usyk to say that, it makes you realise that you’re on the right road, you are making progress, and that you are in the right realms of where you need to be.
“If Usyk didn’t believe it, he wouldn’t say it, and in fact he wouldn’t have made the phone call.”
Constantin Ursu (right) celebrates winning his welterweight bout against Ben Vaughan at The O2 Arena, London.(Image: Steven Paston/PA Wire. )
Dann said that well-known boxing coach Adam Booth – former trainer of champion fighter David Haye – also offered his praise, and has tipped Ursu as a future world champion.
He explained: “I went back to the locker room, and Adam Booth was the first person who text me when I got my phone out – I had a message from Adam to say ‘fantastic performance, future world champion, huge potential’. It was incredible.”
Together with praise from commentators including Prince Naseem Hamed, Dann said it showed they were doing the right things.
He said: “When you’ve got Adam Booth being the first person to message me, and Oleksandr Usyk the first person to call Constantin, and Prince Naseem saying those sort of things on the television, then you are clearly making the right people say ‘hang on a minute’ – you’re not impressing people who don’t know about boxing.
“These are the ones who really know the business, so it’s really good.”
Ursu suffered a minor cut above one eye because of a head clash, and Vaughan, while durable, did not earn many points for style.
There was a gulf in level of skill, and Dann said Ursu believed he could have stopped his opponent within the next couple of rounds.
He said: “If Constantin wanted to, he could have gone out there and jabbed the guy’s head off for 12 boring rounds and not got punched once.
“He had reach, he had speed, he had power, he has the distance, timing, and his defense was on point. He proved that in the first three rounds, he couldn’t miss the jab.
“Constantin was hitting him with so many good shots, Constantin was telling him to his face, ‘You are sh*t. You are slow.”
Constantin Ursu and Ben Vaughan(Image: Getty Images)
“And he was so confident that he was then playing with him. But then when you become confident, then you look a little bit arrogant, and then that’s what brings on attacks and shots land.
“If you don’t have respect for them, they’re going to land something. So that’s a lesson that he’s learned.
“But he’s 26, this was his 16th fight, 16th win, and he isn’t the world champion but he is in the process of being an incredible fighter.
“It’s these lessons that need to be learned which will shape him and only make him better.”
Dann added: “If we’re being honest there were glimpses in this fight which showed Constantin’s exciting nature.
“There were moments where he was kissing the glove, and punching him and he was talking so much to him.
“He hit him with a four-piece combination, then shouted to him, and then came back out and hit him again.
“Part of his character came out last night – he rose to the occasion, got an eighth-round stoppage against a man who has never lost apart from a split decision.
“I just think that Constantin, just needed to be a little bit more disciplined on the jab and a little bit better with his rear hand defence. Other than that, I think it was a flawless performance.”