Oleksandr Usyk has announced that he will vacate all of the heavyweight world titles he currently holds, but the Ukrainian champion has made clear he is not retiring yet.
Usyk, a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion, had been holding the WBC, WBA and IBF belts after previously vacating the WBO title. His last fight came in May, when he defeated kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven in a surprisingly competitive bout.
With mandatory challengers now lining up across the sanctioning bodies, Usyk has decided to step aside and make the belts available.
“Today is Friday, the weather is beautiful and it’s a good day to say that I want to vacate all the belts I currently hold,” Usyk said. “I want to make them available to the guys next in line who can fight for them.”
Despite giving up the titles, Usyk confirmed he still plans to fight one more time.
“I’m leaving the belts but I’m not leaving the sport because I still have a last dance,” Usyk said. “I have great respect for the organisations and I want to thank them. There’s more to come.”
Usyk’s decision could lead to WBC interim champion Agit Kabayel being elevated to full champion, while WBA Regular champion Murat Gassiev may also benefit. In the IBF rankings, Frank Sanchez sits at No. 1, with Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic also highly placed ahead of their August fight.
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