Overview
- Oleksandr Usyk announced on Friday, June 26 that he has relinquished the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles while saying he will return for one final fight before retiring.
- Giving up the belts cancels pending mandatory orders including the WBC’s requirement to face interim champion Agit Kabayel and hands responsibility to sanctioning bodies to fill the vacancies.
- Usyk made the decision public on social media and said he wanted the titles available for the next contenders while preserving freedom to pick the opponent, venue and timing for his ‘last dance’.
- The move follows Usyk’s controversial, hard-fought May stoppage of Rico Verhoeven and comes after he already surrendered the WBO belt in 2025, a sequence that commentators link to decisions about his form and legacy.
- The vacancies create immediate title opportunities for fighters such as Frank Sanchez, Murat Gassiev and Agit Kabayel, shift promotional leverage among networks and leave Usyk with lineal and reputational influence for a lucrative farewell event.