Oleksandr Usyk will return to cruiserweight next year, ending Tyson Fury's hopes of a trilogy fight. Usyk gave up his heavyweight world titles last year but was still expected to campaign in the division. He had set his sights on a final bout with Deontay Wilder next year, but talks fell through.
Usyk's Cruiserweight Comeback Plan
The Ukrainian also expressed a desire to face Fury for a third time despite beating the Brit twice in 2024. Fury has always insisted he should have won those fights and has demanded the chance to set the record straight.
While Fury faces Anthony Joshua in Cardiff in December, Usyk has decided to return to cruiserweight and target a second reign as the undisputed champion. "Oleksandr aims to return to cruiserweight in 2027 and become undisputed again," Usyk team director Sergey Lapin told Casinostugan. "First, we are looking at a fight for a vacant world title. Then, the goal is to face David Benavidez to unify all the belts and become undisputed cruiserweight champion."
Final Chapter for Usyk
Lapin added: "We see 2027 as the final chapter of his career. He wants to finish as undisputed champion in the division where he first won all the belts. If we're going to do this, we need to take a comprehensive approach. The first fight for a world title, the second for the undisputed championship."
"Usyk has never been a natural heavyweight. Cruiserweight is his home. He loves a challenge, so he moved up, cleaned out the heavyweight division, and now he is coming home to restore order."
Fury's Response and Next Fight
Fury most recently called out Usyk while claiming Joshua would not go through with their £150million mega-fight. He said: "You got the decisions last time; fair play to you. Good luck to you; let's do it again. Let's run it back in November. The ball is now in your court... do you want to fight me this year, 2026, or are you calling it quits? Let me know because I am now looking for a new opponent."
Usyk was last in action in May when he scraped past kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven. Having struggled against the Dutchman, the fight was stopped in the 11th round to ensure Usyk remained unbeaten.
