World heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has announced he will relinquish his WBC, WBA, and IBF title belts. The unbeaten 39-year-old Ukrainian insists he is not retiring but says the “well-considered” decision will “open new opportunities”.
Usyk’s announcement
Usyk said in a video posted on X: “It’s a good day to say that I want to vacate all the belts I currently hold. I want to make them available so the guys who are next in line can fight for them. Friends, I am leaving the belts but I’m not leaving the sport because I still have my last dance.”
He captioned the video with the message, “This is a well-considered decision that I am confident will open new opportunities for me. This is not the end of the story. The continuation lies ahead.”
Last fight and next opponent
Usyk last fought in May, when he stopped Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in the 11th round, although not all of his heavyweight titles were on the line. His likely next opponent appeared to have been confirmed after his controversial win over Verhoeven.
Agit Kabayel got into the ring after Usyk’s contentious win in Egypt, stating his case for a world title showdown to be held in his native Germany later this year. Kabayel, a former two-time European champion who is unbeaten at 27-0 (19 KOs), has been the WBC’s interim champion and mandatory heavyweight challenger since knocking out Zhilei Zhang in Riyadh in February 2025, retaining that status with a third-round stoppage of Damian Knyba on home soil back in January.
Kabayel’s response
“First of all, congratulations to Oleksandr,” said Kabayel, who wore a Germany football shirt. “I have waited so long for this fight. I am ready and I think Germany is ready for the fight. Let's do it in a German stadium. I think all the fans want it. Let's do it.”
