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Oleksandr Usyk has vacated his WBA, WBC, and IBF world heavyweight titles and announced that he is preparing for the final fight of his professional career.
The decision comes after mounting pressure from the WBC, which insisted that Usyk fulfill a mandatory title defense against Agit Kabayel. The Ukrainian made it clear that while he is giving up his championship belts, he is not walking away from boxing. Tyson Fury, Derek Chisora, Deontay Wilder, and Rico Verhoeven have all emerged as potential opponents for his farewell bout.
Usyk's decision to relinquish his titles means that Murat Gassiev will become the new WBA world champion, Agit Kabayel will inherit the WBC title, while the IBF is expected to sanction a fight for its vacant championship.
Farewell to a Champion
Sad news for the boxing world: former undisputed world champion in two weight divisions Oleksandr Usyk has announced that he is vacating all of his world titles.
Here is his farewell message:
"Today is a beautiful day, and the weather is perfect to announce that I want to vacate all the belts I currently hold, so the guys who have been waiting for their opportunity can fight for them. My friends, I'm leaving the belts behind, but I'm not leaving the sport. I still have one final dance ahead of me. I want to thank all the organizations and say that there's still more to come."
How Did It Come to This?
The WBC had been increasing the pressure on Usyk, while the Ukrainian was interested only in the biggest possible fights. Vacating his titles became the logical solution.
Following his victory over Rico Verhoeven, the WBC ordered Usyk to make a mandatory defense against interim champion Agit Kabayel.
Kabayel himself launched an active campaign on Instagram promoting the fight, joined by his promoter Frank Warren and WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán.
Meanwhile, Turki Alalshikh was reportedly interested in staging a Usyk–Verhoeven rematch in the Netherlands, as well as a showdown between Usyk and Kabayel in Istanbul.
Usyk remained silent, refusing to respond to the challenges or reveal his future plans. However, one day earlier, his team director Sergey Lapin hinted that retirement was becoming a genuine possibility.
"Oleksandr has earned the right to carefully evaluate every opportunity. Kabayel is an excellent fighter, a worthy champion, and someone we respect. But fights of this magnitude are not made through social media campaigns or public pressure. They require a serious proposal from serious people, the right commercial structure, support from broadcasting partners, and the proper venue. That's how the biggest boxing events in the world are made.
"People should remember one thing: when a fighter has accomplished everything Oleksandr has accomplished, every appearance in the ring becomes a special occasion. It's possible the fans have already seen him fight for the last time. Or perhaps there is still one final chapter to come. We'll know soon."
Now we do.
Usyk has vacated the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles and is officially preparing for the final fight of his career.
As a result, Murat Gassiev will become WBA world champion, Agit Kabayel will inherit the WBC belt, while the IBF is expected to order a vacant title fight between Frank Sanchez and either the winner of Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgović or the highest available contender, Bakhodir Jalolov.
Following his grueling and controversial victory over Verhoeven, Usyk's decision to retire appears entirely logical. His former long-time promoter Alexander Krassyuk—who worked alongside him from the very beginning of his professional career before the two parted ways last year—had already hinted that this moment was approaching.
Another factor behind Usyk's decision is the lack of elite opponents he has yet to face. None of the current mandatory challengers possess enough commercial appeal to justify extending his career.
Back in 2025, Usyk vacated the WBO title, which was subsequently awarded to Fabio Wardley. Continued pressure from the WBC and Agit Kabayel has now led him to relinquish another championship belt.
Who Could Face Usyk in His Final Fight? Four Names Stand Out
With the belts now relinquished, Usyk is no longer restricted by mandatory obligations. Instead, he is free to choose from boxing's biggest and most marketable names.
- Tyson Fury
The leading candidate is Tyson Fury, as Usyk has expressed interest in completing their trilogy.
Fury himself has already indicated that he wants a third fight after finally facing Anthony Joshua.
"After I beat Joshua, I want his sensei. I want the rematch with the Rabbit. London, Las Vegas, or New York, baby! I promise you, Rabbit—you'll get yours."
- Derek Chisora
Another realistic option is Derek Chisora, who has announced his retirement several times only to return once again.
Just two weeks after losing to Deontay Wilder, Chisora admitted he does not want his career to end that way.
Today's version of Chisora represents a favorable stylistic matchup for Usyk while remaining one of Britain's most popular heavyweights. Their first meeting in 2020 was one of the toughest fights of Usyk's career, making a rematch an entirely logical farewell event.
- Deontay Wilder
The third possibility is Deontay Wilder.
Late in 2025, Usyk was eager to fight the American, and the WBC had even approved the matchup. Instead, Wilder opted for the safer route against Chisora in London, winning comfortably.
Following that victory, Wilder declared that he was ready to fight Usyk, especially after rebuilding his momentum with such an impressive performance. Commercially, this would be one of the easiest fights to sell.
- Rico Verhoeven
The final candidate is Rico Verhoeven.
If Usyk plans to stage his farewell before the end of the year, an immediate rematch with the Dutch superstar appears entirely realistic.
Given Turki Alalshikh's strong interest in organizing the event, financial demands are unlikely to be an obstacle. For Usyk, it would also represent one final opportunity to secure an enormous payday before bringing one of boxing's greatest careers to a close.
