Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has announced that he is relinquishing his three world title belts but insisted he is not retiring from boxing.
The unbeaten 39-year-old Ukrainian said on Friday that he wanted to vacate the titles to give other contenders an opportunity to fight for them, while making it clear that he still has one final chapter left in his career.
“Good day to everyone. Today is Friday, the weather is good, and it’s a good day to say that I want to vacate all the belts that I currently hold—to make them free so that the guys who are in line for them can box,” Usyk said in a video posted on social media.
“My friends, I’m giving up the belts, but I’m not leaving the sport because I still have my last dance.
“I want to thank everyone; I respect all organisations. I want to thank everyone and say there is more to come.”
Usyk’s announcement comes just a month after he narrowly avoided a stunning upset against Dutch kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven. The Ukrainian needed a controversial 11th-round stoppage to secure victory after trailing on the judges’ scorecards against Verhoeven, who was only competing in his second professional boxing bout.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters of his generation, Usyk has been the undisputed world champion at both cruiserweight and heavyweight. He boasts a perfect professional record of 25 wins from 25 fights, including 16 by knockout.
His amateur career was equally illustrious, earning Olympic, world and European championship titles before turning professional.
Among his most notable victories are two wins each over British heavyweights Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois.
Usyk defeated Joshua in September 2021 to capture the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles before adding the WBC belt with his victory over Fury in May 2024.
He later vacated the IBF title ahead of his rematch with Fury, regained it by defeating Dubois in July 2025, and subsequently relinquished the WBO belt a few months later.
Dubois went on to claim the vacant WBO title with a victory over fellow Briton Fabio Wardley in May.
