Usyk vacates heavyweight titles to clear path for contenders

Oleksandr Usyk will relinquish all his heavyweight world titles, the unified champion announced on Friday. The Ukrainian said he wants the belts available for the next fighters in line.

“Today is Friday, the weather is beautiful, and it is a good day to say that I want to vacate all the belts I currently hold. I want to make them available so the guys who want them and are next in line can fight for them.”

— Oleksandr Usyk, via ESPN

What Oleksandr Usyk said

Usyk holds multiple heavyweight titles after back-to-back wins over Tyson Fury in 2024. His decision opens the division's championship picture and allows sanctioning bodies to order mandatory challengers. The move follows months of speculation about his next steps at heavyweight.

What it moves

The announcement leaves the heavyweight landscape without a unified champion for the first time in over a year. Sanctioning bodies will now determine which contenders fight for the vacant straps. Usyk did not say whether he plans to retire or move divisions.

Source: espn.com. Full Oleksandr Usyk fight history and recent news at boxingnews.com.