On the evening of June 26, Oleksandr Usyk published a statement on Instagram: he is relinquishing all four heavyweight championship belts — WBC, WBA, IBF, and IBO — making them "available for those in line." The boxer himself called this a "conscious decision" and promised a last dance — one final fight.
The public rationale is impeccable: the younger generation gets the opportunity to box for vacant titles rather than waiting for the champion to decide when to defend. But the numbers and chronology add another layer to this story.
Why now
Alongside Usyk's statement, media reports circulated rumors about his move to Zuffa Boxing — a new promotional project by Dana White and Saudi official Turki Al-Sheikh. The key detail: Zuffa Boxing does not work with traditional sanctioning organizations — WBC, WBA, IBF. This means a boxer signing with them cannot hold classic belts by default.
Usyk's team officially denied the rumors. Director Sergei Lapin wrote: "This information does not correspond to reality." Yet Usyk himself surrendered the belts anyway — and announced a major fight in the USA, where Zuffa Boxing is planning to base its main operations.
"I'm relinquishing the belts, but I'm not leaving the sport because I have a last dance."
Oleksandr Usyk, Instagram, June 26
WBO — already a precedent
This is not the first voluntary surrender. In autumn 2024, Usyk already relinquished the WBO belt, which went to Fabio Wardley as the top contender. That was also explained by sporting considerations — not contractual circumstances. The pattern repeats.
What's next
The most concrete reference point is Deontay Wilder. According to Fight News 24, the bout could take place in April or May 2026 in the USA. Promoter Frank Warren confirmed interest in a match between the winner of the Wilder-Chisora fight (April 2026) and Usyk.
- Usyk is 39 years old, record: 25-0 (16 KOs)
- Last fight: May 23, victory over Rico Verhoeven by knockout in Egypt
- Four belts relinquished voluntarily, none lost in the ring
Usyk framed the surrender of his belts as a gift to young boxers — and this may be sincere. But if the last dance takes place under the Zuffa Boxing banner, where they have no titles of their own yet, it will turn out that "altruism" and business logic this time coincided down to the day.
The question is simple: if in a few months Usyk appears at a Zuffa Boxing press conference — will that change the assessment of today's gesture, or will it no longer matter?
