Usyk Will Retire After Two More Fights – Who Will He Face?

Oleksandr Usyk says he will walk away from boxing after two more fights. 

Usyk solidified his position as the best heavyweight of this generation after his wins over Tyson Fury. He beat The Gypsy King twice to become the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion and retain his unified heavyweight belts. The win also meant Usyk became a two-weight undisputed champion, having done so at cruiserweight previously. He joined Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue as two-weight undisputed champions. That led to speculation that Usyk could retire. But it seems he will continue. Daniel Dubois will defend his IBF Heavyweight Title against Joseph Parker on February 22. A win sets up an undisputed fight with Usyk. Usyk and Dubois have a history.

They faced each other in 2023 as Usyk came out victorious with a ninth-round stoppage win. But the fight was marred by controversy after Dubois dropped him in the fifth round with a body shot. However, his shot was deemed a low blow, something which divided the boxing community. Usyk was given up to five minutes to recover, allowing him to overcome that shot. Dubois’ team appealed the decision in the hope of getting it turned into a no-contest. That did not happen, leaving Usyk with the win. There is enough of a narrative for a rematch to take place.

Usyk Reacts

"I will fight who will win. Joseph Parker, Daniel Dubois, no problem. I think two years, one-and-a-half [left in boxing]. [And] I feel great myself. I feel I have two fights to prepare [for], not more – just two," Usyk said 

Nevertheless, there is a risk that Usyk stays in the sport for too long. The Ukrainian is 38 years old and showed that he had slowed down from previous years when fans saw him face Fury in the two fights. He is also naturally a cruiserweight, meaning that the additional weight is bound to impact his longevity. Usyk is on record saying that he does not enjoy putting on the extra pounds, raising speculation that he could move down to cruiserweight.

Should He Retire Now?

But dropping weight at this late stage of his career would not be wise. Roy Jones Jr. had done that previously. He moved up to heavyweight to beat John Ruiz. He then moved back down to light heavyweight, as he was never the same fighter. Former world champion Carl Frampton previously said he felt that Usyk should walk away after beating Fury for the second time. Usyk risks losing his undefeated record.

"Fury was better tonight, so Usyk had to be better. Fury held the ring better, held the ring more, but Usyk had to up his game, and he did that. That is what champion fighters do. Usyk could retire now as a living legend, an absolute great. When fighters are still fighting, we don’t class them as great. Usyk is one of the greatest fighters we have ever seen. I can firmly say that without a shadow of a doubt," Frampton said 

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