Skip to main content
institutional access

You are connecting from
Lake Geneva Public Library,
please login or register to take advantage of your institution's Ground News Plan.

Published loading...Updated

Oleksandr Usyk to Vacate Three Heavyweight Titles Ahead of Planned Retirement Bout

  • On Friday, 39-year-old Oleksandr Usyk announced he is vacating his WBC, WBA, and IBF heavyweight titles, but confirmed he is not retiring and still has his "last dance" ahead.
  • Usyk, holding an unblemished professional record of 25 victories and 16 knock-outs, said he wanted "to make them free so that the guys who are in line for them can box."
  • The Ukrainian's decision follows a highly-controversial 11th-round stoppage victory over Kick-boxer Rico Verhoeven last month, where Verhoeven had led on the scorecards before the divisive result.
  • Despite relinquishing the belts, Usyk insisted he remains active, saying, "I'm not leaving the sport, because I still have my last dance," while expressing respect for all governing organizations.
  • Having turned professional after winning Olympic gold, the unbeaten champion remains defined by iconic victories over Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Daniel Dubois across multiple weight divisions.
Insights by Ground AI
Podcasts & Opinions

92 Articles

Lean Left

World heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has announced that he will relinquish his WBC, WBA and IBF titles, although he will remain active in professional boxing. The undefeated 39-year-old Ukrainian stressed that he is not considering retirement, but that the decision to relinquish his titles is "well thought out" and aims to open up new opportunities in the continuation of his career. In a video message posted on Twitter, Usyk announced that …

PerthNowPerthNow
Reposted by
The West AustralianThe West Australian
Center

Heavyweight champ Usyk vacates titles for 'last dance'

Undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk says he will give up all of his titles for one last fight.

·City of Perth, Australia
Read Full Article
Lean Right

The Netherlands Kikboxer is still trying to rematch Usik by grasping the Ukrainian-mentioned "last dance" as a real opportunity to organize their meeting.

·Kyiv, Ukraine
Read Full Article
Het Laatste NieuwsHet Laatste Nieuws
Reposted by
De MorgenDe Morgen
Lean Right

Boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk (39) has announced on social media that he is relinquishing his three heavyweight world titles (WBA, WBC and IBF). He stated that he will step into the ring one more time, without specifying when.

·Kobbegem, Belgium
Read Full Article
Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/yearSubscribe

Bias Distribution

  • 40% of the sources lean Left
40% Left

Factuality Info Icon

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

Ownership

Info Icon

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

Boxing News 24 broke the news on Friday, June 26, 2026.
Too Big Arrow Icon
Sources are mostly out of (0)

Similar News Topics

News
Feed Dots Icon
For You
Search Icon
Search
Blindspot LogoBlindspotLocal