Vitali Klitschko, former boxing champion and mayor of Kyiv, to receive Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the ESPYS

The mayor of Ukraine's capital since 2014, the former heavyweight champion is a longtime outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin dating back to the conflict with Russia in 2013.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, Vitali, along with his younger brother and fellow Hall of Famer, Wladimir, has served as one of the faces of the resistance. The Klitschkos took up arms in a territorial defense battalion in Kyiv; star boxers Vasiliy Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk followed suit in other parts of Ukraine.

«It is a great honor for me to receive this award,» said Klitschko, 50. «I am convinced that this is a recognition of the courage and inviolability of the Ukrainian people, who have been bravely resisting the Russian aggressor for more than 3 months. This is an award for everyone who defends the independence and freedom of Ukraine.»

The Klitschkos, sons of a Soviet major general, developed their boxing skills in the Soviet amateur system. Both are considered all-time great heavyweights. Vitali, known for his granite chin and unwavering toughness, enjoyed two heavyweight title reigns.

But Vitali Klitschko is best-known for a fight he lost, an epic 2003 clash with Lennox Lewis for the heavyweight crown. Klitschko, an underdog and late replacement, was ahead on all three scorecards when the fight was stopped due to a gruesome cut over his left eye that required 60 stitches.

Negotiations for a rematch with Lewis stalled when the champion chose retirement. Klitschko won the title Lewis relinquished two fights later, in 2004, with an eight-round TKO of Corrie Sanders.

He first ran for mayor in 2006 after announcing his retirement from boxing one year earlier while still heavyweight champion. After 46 months away from the ring,