Sports · 26 June, 2026 · 3 min read
Oleksandr Usyk Vacates WBA, WBC, IBF Heavyweight Titles, Says ‘Last Dance’ Still Coming
Usyk vacates WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles. He is not retiring and plans one final fight, described as his last dance.
Interpretation of what Usyk’s move means for title politics.
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Usyk vacates belts
Oleksandr Usyk announced he will vacate all three of his heavyweight titles—WBA, WBC and IBF—while insisting he is not retiring and still has a “last dance” to come. In a video posted on X, Usyk said, “I want to vacate all the belts that I currently hold to make them available for the guys next in line to fight for them,” and he added, “Friends, I’m leaving the belts but I’m not leaving the sport because I still have my last dance.” The decision follows Usyk’s May fight in which he stopped kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in the 11th round, a bout that the BBC described as “a gritty win over Rico Verhoeven in Egypt.”B
The BBC also reported that the WBC had ordered Usyk to fight Agit Kabayel next, but Usyk’s vacating of the belts changes what comes next for the sanctioning bodies. BSherdog said Usyk, who is 40 years of age in January and is 25-0 with 16 KOs, decided to relinquish his WBA, WBC and IBF belts and make them available for “those next in line” to vie for them.
WBC reaction and options
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman expressed disappointment after learning of Usyk’s move through a social media video, writing, “What a disappointment is for me to learn from a social media video that our heavyweight champion is vacating his WBC title.” Sulaiman added in the same post that he “personally wish[es] Usyk great success in his life inside and outside the ring,” while the BBC framed the vacating as leaving openings “everywhere” in the heavyweight division. BThe BBC reported that mandatory challengers are enforced on a rotating basis between sanctioning bodies and that the WBC had ordered Usyk to fight Agit Kabayel next, with Kabayel described as “the most deserving contender yet to receive his opportunity.”B
MMA Junkie said the vacating comes ahead of a June 30 deadline set by the WBC to book a title-unification bout vs. interim champion Agit Kabayel, and it noted that Usyk’s “last dance” opponent was not yet confirmed. MMA Junkie also said Usyk’s sports director, Sergey Lapin, told ESPN’s Andreas Hale that Usyk would retain the Ring Magazine belt but vacated the sanctioned titles “to give Anthony Joshua the opportunity to compete for and reunify them.”
What’s at stake next
With Usyk vacating the WBC, WBA and IBF belts, the BBC said the sanctioning bodies now face decisions that could elevate interim or ranked challengers, including WBC “interim” champion Agit Kabayel. BThe BBC also said Frank Sanchez is ranked number one with the IBF and that Murat Gassiev holds the WBA “regular” title, while it pointed to Moses Itauma as another contender whose “world-title route” could open up. BThe New York Times reported that Usyk, described as “the 39-year-old,” had already given up the WBO title earlier this year and now relinquished the WBC, WBA and IBF belts too, leaving him without those sanctioned crowns as he nears retirement.T
The Guardian added that Usyk’s vacating move comes after his May stoppage win over Rico Verhoeven in the 11th round, and it said Usyk’s sporting director Sergey Lapin told ESPN that the Ukrainian vacated the belts to give Anthony Joshua a chance to reunify them. Sherdog said Usyk has not tipped his hat on whether his final bout would be a rematch against Rico Verhoeven or Tyson Fury, or whether any gold would be on the line, leaving the “last dance” as the remaining focal point for the division.