Usyk Vacates Heavyweight World Titles, Rules Out Retirement

The unbeaten Ukrainian champion says he is relinquishing his world title belts to give other contenders an opportunity to compete but insists he is not retiring from boxing.

Heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk has announced that he is vacating his world heavyweight title belts, bringing an end to his latest reign as champion while confirming that he still intends to fight again.

The 39-year-old Ukrainian made the announcement in a video posted on social media on Friday, saying the decision was intended to allow other contenders an opportunity to compete for the sport's biggest prizes.

"Today is Friday, the weather is good and it's a good day to say that 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," Usyk said.

The former undisputed heavyweight champion quickly dismissed speculation that he was preparing to retire.

"My friends, I'm giving up the belts, but I'm not leaving the sport because I still have my last dance," he said.

"I want to thank everyone. I respect all the organisations. I want to thank everyone and say there is more to come."

Usyk's announcement comes barely a month after surviving one of the toughest fights of his career against Dutch kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven.

The Ukrainian retained his titles after a controversial 11th-round stoppage victory despite trailing on the judges' scorecards for much of the contest. Verhoeven, who was only competing in his second professional boxing bout, pushed the champion close to a shock defeat.

Usyk leaves the heavyweight division as one of the most accomplished fighters of his generation.

The Ukrainian boasts a perfect professional record of 25 wins from 25 fights, with 16 victories by knockout, and has achieved the rare feat of becoming the undisputed world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions.

Before turning professional, he also enjoyed one of boxing's most decorated amateur careers, winning Olympic, World Championship and European Championship gold medals.

His legacy includes memorable victories over some of the biggest names in heavyweight boxing, including Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Daniel Dubois, defeating each of them twice.

Usyk first claimed the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles by defeating Joshua in September 2021 before completing his collection by taking the WBC belt from Fury in May 2024.

He later relinquished the IBF title ahead of his rematch with Fury, regained it by defeating Dubois in July 2025, and subsequently vacated the WBO belt later that year.

With Usyk now stepping aside, the heavyweight title picture is expected to open up for leading contenders as the division prepares to crown new champions, while the Ukrainian focuses on what he has described as the final chapter of his remarkable career.