Oleksandr Usyk and WePlay Esports Create a New Fighting Games League

The founders of the WePlay Esports media holding Oleg Krot and Yura Lazebnikov, together with the undisputed world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, form a new company. Its goal is to organize the new fighting games league — WePlay Ultimate Fighting League. We approached its creation in our favorite style! Attention to the screen!

The video shooting process was hectic: this happens when all parties are involved in everything that happens on stage. It all turned out to be very dynamic: preparation, photo session, augmented reality segments, and the filming itself. We’re preparing the same mix for the WUFL: drama, dynamics, and emotion!

The video was filmed in between the game days of WePlay Dragon Temple: three hours for the whole process, including the photo session. Fortunately, the main character of the video is not talented only in boxing — Oleksandr is excellent at improvisation and is very good on camera. The photo report is attached.

And that’s not all! After filming, we managed to record an interview with Oleksandr, during which we talked about the partnership with WUFL, learned about the world champion’s favorite video games, and heard about his plans for the future. Ready? Gong!

Tell us, how did you make the decision to partner with the WePlay Ultimate Fighting League?

I spoke with the WePlay Esports media holding team, founded by Oleg Krot and Yura Lazebnikov, and they told me which opportunities and perspectives the esports industry holds in the entertainment field. The conversation about the possible partnership came as a natural result, and I’m very pleased with how everything turned out. I am confident that, together, we will turn WUFL into a successful project.

I do not think about the monetary gains when I start doing something. If we do the job well, others can benefit from it, many will learn about the project, and it will pay itself off in the end. If you start the project thinking about making money, it is unlikely that something valuable will come out of it.

Do you play any games yourself?

As a child, I played Counter-Strike, Quake, Mortal Kombat, and Worms. Now, thanks to WePlay Esports, I play again — the holding presented my team with several gaming computers.

Do you have a favorite Mortal Kombat character?

I sympathize with Sub-Zero — I like the way the character controls the ice.

Have you watched any esports tournaments before?

Sometimes. I did watch, like everyone, when I learned about the prize pools of tournaments. When you hear about millions of dollars that can be earned by a team in one separate competition, it is hard not to think about turning on the broadcast.

You unwittingly put yourself in the shoes of the players and their parents. To earn such money at such a young age is a huge achievement. Imagine you are raising a son or a daughter and they become a millionaire at 21 and buy you a car or an apartment. This has to feel very good.

Many superstars from show business and traditional sports have come to esports. Have you thought about it before?

My interest towards esports began to grow when I met Yura Lazebnikov and the whole WePlay Esports team. Before that, I knew about esports and saw the potential in it. This is a breath of fresh air, a huge amount of people follow it, and many can earn money there.

What do esports and traditional sports have in common?

Both in traditional sports and in esports, you have to sacrifice a lot in order to be the best. You give up many things.

At the same time, esports and traditional sports differ. For example, when your virtual avatar gets killed, you suffer psychologically, you lose your morale. But in boxing, you feel the pain directly; people beat you physically. However, in order to be the best, you must prepare in whatever you do. Sloppiness won’t do.

I want to tell all the youngsters both in traditional sports and esports that you have to work to make yourself better and drive away thoughts like, “I may not make it, maybe I’m not cut out for it, maybe I should do something else.” You can’t hesitate because nothing will come of it if you do. That’s the path I took. I didn’t know if the trophies, belts, and fame were waiting for me. I worked every single day and believed I would make it. Very often, we don’t see the end of our path, we simply go forward and work, but in the end, we all reach the place we belong.

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