Heavyweight champion Usyk says vacating heavyweight world title belts

Usyk, who had held the WBA, WBC and IBF belts, has been the satellite undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight champion.

Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk says helium was vacating his 3 boxing satellite rubric belts but is not retiring.

The 39-year-old Ukrainian, who is unbeaten successful his nonrecreational career, said connected Friday that helium wanted “to marque them escaped truthful that the guys who are successful enactment for them tin box”.

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Usyk’s announcement came conscionable a period aft helium came adjacent to a daze upset decision to kickboxer Rico Verhoeven.

Usyk needed a highly-controversial 11th-round stoppage to crook the tables connected the Dutchman, who had been starring connected the scorecards up to that constituent contempt taking portion successful lone his 2nd boxing bout.

“Good time to everyone. Today is Friday, the upwind is good, and it’s a bully time to accidental that I privation to vacate each the belts that I presently clasp -— to marque them escaped truthful that the guys who are successful enactment for them tin box,” said Usyk successful a societal media post.

“My friends, I’m giving up the belts, but I’m not leaving the sport, due to the fact that I inactive person my past dance.

“I privation to convey everyone; I respect each organisations. I privation to convey everyone and accidental determination is much to come.”

Usyk, who had held the WBA, WBC and IBF belts, has been undisputed satellite champion astatine some cruiserweight and heavyweight and boasts an unblemished grounds of 25 victories, including 16 knockouts, successful arsenic galore fights.

He is known for his fantabulous footwork and ringing craft, arsenic good arsenic his quality to punch from unorthodox angles.

Iconic victories

But helium looked a shadiness of his erstwhile aforesaid successful a laboured and uninspired show against Verhoeven, whose jerky benignant and bulldozing aggression had unsettled the Ukrainian.

Verhoeven had rocked Usyk respective times successful the shadiness of the Great Pyramid of Giza earlier being floored precocious successful the 11th round.

After rising to his feat, Usyk swarmed him with a barrage of blows but Verhoeven seemed to beryllium riding retired the tempest earlier the referee jumped successful to extremity the fight.

Usyk’s astir iconic victories person been against British heavyweights Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois — whom helium bushed doubly each.

He bushed Joshua successful September 2021 to triumph the WBA, WBO and IBF belts and past took the WBC loop disconnected Fury successful May 2024.

He had to vacate the IBF loop for his rematch with Fury but past won it backmost disconnected Dubois successful July 2025, lone to vacate the WBO loop a fewer months later.

Dubois past bushed chap Briton Fabio Wardley successful May to triumph that belt.

Usyk became WBO cruiserweight champion successful 2016 erstwhile helium defeated Pole Krzysztof Glowacki, beating Latvia’s Mairis Briedis successful 2018 to adhd the WBC strap and past months aboriginal claiming the WBA and IBF belts disconnected Russian Murat Gassiev.

The Russian, who has since besides moved up to heavyweight, was Usyk’s WBA mandatory challenger and has present been upgraded to champion.