Usyk set to relinquish his heavyweight championship crowns

Oleksandr Usyk, the reigning heavyweight champion, revealed on Friday that he is relinquishing his three world title belts, but emphasized that he has no intention of retiring from the sport.

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The 39-year-old Ukrainian boxer, who remains unbeaten in his professional career, expressed his desire to "make them free so that the guys who are in line for them can box", thereby paving the way for other contenders to compete for the titles.

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Usyk's decision comes just a month after his closely contested match against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven, where he narrowly avoided a shocking defeat with a highly controversial 11th-round stoppage.

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Verhoeven, who was participating in only his second boxing bout, had been leading on the scorecards until the 11th round, making Usyk's comeback all the more remarkable.

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In a social media post, Usyk announced his decision, stating "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", and reassuring his fans that he is not leaving the sport just yet.

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Usyk, who has had an illustrious career with 25 victories and 16 knockouts in as many fights, expressed his gratitude to everyone and hinted that there is more to come, saying "I still have my last dance".

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As an undisputed world champion in both cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, Usyk boasts an impressive record, having won numerous titles, including Olympic, world, and European championships in his amateur career.

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Some of his most notable victories include wins against British heavyweights Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Daniel Dubois, all of whom he has beaten twice.

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Usyk's victories against these British heavyweights are particularly noteworthy, with his win against Joshua in September 2021 earning him the WBA, WBO, and IBF belts, and his win against Fury in May 2024 securing the WBC belt.

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However, he was forced to vacate the IBF belt for his rematch with Fury, only to win it back against Dubois in July 2025, and later vacate the WBO belt a few months later, which Dubois then won by defeating fellow Briton Fabio Wardley in May.