Usyk vacates heavyweight belts, vows to continue boxing

Undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk announced Friday he is relinquishing his three world title belts, but stressed he is not retiring from the sport.

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Good day to everyone. 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.

The 39-year-old Ukrainian, who holds an undefeated professional record, stated his intention to "make them free so that the guys who are in line for them can box." Usyk's decision comes just one month after a contentious victory over kickboxer Rico Verhoeven, who had been leading on the scorecards until a highly controversial 11th-round stoppage.

"My friends, I’m giving up the belts, but I’m not leaving the sport, because I still have my last dance," Usyk said in a social media post. He expressed gratitude to all organizations and promised "there is more to come."

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

Usyk has achieved undisputed champion status in both cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, boasting 25 wins with 16 knockouts in as many fights. His career highlights include victories over prominent British heavyweights Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Daniel Dubois. He secured the WBA, WBO, and IBF belts from Joshua in September 2021, later adding the WBC belt from Fury in May 2024. Usyk had previously vacated the IBF belt for his rematch with Fury, only to reclaim it from Dubois in July 2025, before vacating the WBO belt months later.

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