Usyk Vacates His Heavyweight Belts but Vows One 'Last Dance'

Oleksandr Usyk, the Ukrainian who has dominated heavyweight boxing, has announced he is vacating his major world titles — but made clear he is not retiring just yet.

Stepping back from the belts

In a social-media post, the 39-year-old said he wanted to relinquish the belts he holds so that "the guys who want them and are next in line can fight for them," ESPN reported. The decision frees up the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles for other contenders. Usyk's sporting director, Sergey Lapin, mentioned former two-time champion Anthony Joshua — twice beaten by Usyk — as one fighter who might pursue them. Usyk is widely regarded as also holding the Ring Magazine title, seen by many as the lineal championship.

'My last dance'

Usyk was careful to distinguish leaving the belts from leaving the sport. "I'm leaving the belts but not leaving the sport because I still have my last dance," he wrote, per ESPN. Lapin said the boxer hopes to stage that farewell fight in the United States. No opponent, date or venue has been confirmed, and the status of a previously discussed defense against Agit Kabayel was unclear.

One of the era's best

Usyk turned professional in 2013 and became undisputed cruiserweight champion in 2018 before moving up to heavyweight, where he beat Anthony Joshua twice and then defeated Tyson Fury to become undisputed heavyweight champion, with further wins including over Daniel Dubois. ESPN lists his record as 25-0 and ranks him near the top of its pound-for-pound list. By vacating these titles while keeping the Ring belt, he steps back from the sanctioning bodies' hardware without formally ending his reign as the man who beat the best of his generation.

What it means for the division

The move sets off a scramble at the top of a talent-rich heavyweight era, with the vacated belts now open to challengers. For Usyk, the "last dance" framing points to a marquee send-off rather than a quiet exit — a champion seeking to choose his own final moment. Until an opponent is named, though, the details of that farewell remain to be seen.