Usyk Linked With Jon Jones For Farewell Fight

Oleksandr Usyk's farewell fight has two names in the frame — and one of them has never thrown a professional boxing punch.

Usyk's promoter confirmed this week that the Ukrainian is eyeing a final bout against either Deontay Wilder or former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

"Oleksandr Usyk is eyeing a fight against Deontay Wilder or former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones later this year in the United States," the promoter said.

A Usyk-Wilder fight sits neatly within the professional boxing framework that governs the Ukrainian's career. The former WBC heavyweight champion is a known commodity — dangerous, promotable, and straightforward to match in terms of ruleset and sanctioning.

Jones is a different proposition entirely. Jones has never competed as a professional boxer and has fought just once in MMA over the past three years — his victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November 2024. Since then his future has been clouded by a dispute with Dana White over his exclusion from the White House card, though White maintained Jones was never genuinely in contention due to his hip arthritis.

Whether Usyk's team views both options as equally serious or is using the Jones name to generate attention while the Wilder negotiation develops is unclear. What is clear is that Usyk's final fight, whichever direction it goes, will not be a quiet farewell.