Overview
- Usyk formally relinquished his WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles, a decision announced on June 26 that ends his obligations to mandatory challengers.
- The WBC immediately elevated interim champion Agit Kabayel to full champion and the WBA and IBF have opened processes to sanction fights or promote holders to fill the vacant belts.
- Usyk’s team says he will take one final fight and is targeting a U.S. date, with Deontay Wilder named as the frontrunner and Jon Jones discussed as a higher-profile but contractually complex alternative.
- Promoters including Eddie Hearn have signaled Wilder as the most realistic opponent, and Usyk’s camp is aiming for a late‑2026 or early‑2027 bout window.
- The move reshapes the heavyweight map by creating immediate title opportunities for contenders such as Moses Itauma, Filip Hrgovic, Frank Sanchez, Daniel Dubois and Murat Gassiev, and it could produce multiple major heavyweight title fights over the next year.