Oleksandr Usyk, the two-time undisputed heavyweight champion and former undisputed cruiserweight king, has announced he is vacating his remaining world heavyweight titles — and will fight just once more before retiring.
The unbeaten Ukrainian southpaw (25-0, 16 KOs) posted a video on Instagram on Friday in which he declared: “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’m leaving the belts, but I’m not leaving the sport, because I still have my last dance.”
“Oleksandr Usyk vacates all heavyweight titles, announcing his 'last dance' before retirement”
Usyk, 39, currently holds the WBC, WBA and IBF belts after vacating the WBO version last November — with Britain’s Fabio Wardley elevated to champion. His decision to drop the WBO strap was not the first time he has chosen to relinquish a title on his own terms. After becoming the division’s first four-belt champion by beating Tyson Fury in May 2024, he gave up the IBF belt to proceed with the December rematch, which he again won on points. Daniel Dubois seized that IBF belt by knocking out Anthony Joshua, then lost it when Usyk beat him in July 2025 to once again become undisputed heavyweight ruler.
Usyk’s most recent fight came in May against kickboxing icon Rico Verhoeven — a controversial stoppage win at the Pyramids of Giza that saw Usyk retain his WBC belt with just one second of the 11th round remaining. The victory was contentious; the scorecards were divisive before the referee stepped in. That voluntary defence had been allowed despite Usyk being due to face mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel, the unbeaten German who, it now seems, will not get his shot.
In the video accompanying his announcement, Usyk added: “I want to thank everyone. I have great respect for all organisations. I want to thank everyone and say: there’s more to come. Glory to God for everything. Glory to Ukraine.” His highest-profile wins have all come against British boxers: he twice outpointed Anthony Joshua, twice outpointed Tyson Fury, and twice stopped Daniel Dubois.
But now the pound-for-pound star and modern great — an Olympic gold medallist who has never lost as a professional — is eyeing the exit. “This is a well-considered decision that I am confident will open new opportunities for me,” he wrote on Instagram. “This is not the end of the story. The continuation lies ahead.”
Who that final opponent will be remains up in the air — it will not be Agit Kabayel, and a collision with young British star Moses Itauma is also unlikely. Usyk leaves behind a heavyweight division suddenly without its dominant figure, and with the belts he has made available now set to be fought for by the next generation.