Oleksandr Usyk to vacate trio of heavyweight titles as he units sights for retirement bout

Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk introduced Friday that he’s vacating his trio of world titles forward of what is anticipated to be his retirement bout.

Usyk (25-0, 16 KOs), the 39-year-old former undisputed cruiserweight champion and two-time undisputed heavyweight king, posted a video to social media explaining his choice only one month after his come-from-behind TKO in Spherical 11 of former kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven throughout a combat wherein the defending champion confirmed his age and struggled to keep away from an enormous upset. 

“It is a good day to say that I need to vacate all of the belts I presently maintain,” Usyk stated. “I need to make them out there so the fellows who’re subsequent in line can combat for them. Buddies, I am leaving the belts however I am not leaving the game as a result of I nonetheless have my final dance. 

“I need to thank everybody. I’ve nice respect for all the [sanctioning] organizations. I need to thank everybody and say that there’s extra to come back.”

Usyk formally vacated his WBC, WBA and IBF titles, leaving solely WBO champion Daniel Dubois because the final present heavyweight titleholder. The native of Ukraine, who moved as much as heavyweight in 2019, knocked out Dubois in 2023 and of their 2025 rematch. 

A standout novice who gained Olympic gold at tremendous heavyweight for Ukraine on the 2012 London Video games, Usyk went on to creator one of the vital achieved and revered skilled careers in Boxing historical past. 

As a cruiserweight, Usyk cleaned out the division throughout arguably its deepest period in historical past by unifying titles towards unbeaten champions Mairis Briedis and Murat Gassiev in successful the World Boxing Tremendous Collection event in 2018. Then, regardless of being thought-about small at 6-foot-3 and roughly 225 kilos throughout this period of tremendous heavyweights, the artful southpaw put collectively an unbelievable resume within the sport’s glamour division. 

Usyk owns heavyweight wins over the likes of Anthony Joshua (twice), Tyson Fury (twice), Dubois (twice) and Derek Chisora regardless of competing in simply 9 whole fights within the division. 

The Verhoeven combat raised loads of questions, nevertheless, as Usyk regarded undertrained and out of solutions towards the 37-year-old kickboxer, who was getting into simply his second professional boxing bout and first since 2014. 

Though Usyk expects to return for a closing combat to shut out his profession, he gave no details about potential opponents or a timeframe.