Usyk breaks silence on relinquishing WBO belt: Champion's statement
Oleksandr Usyk (photo: Getty Images)
Oleksandr Usyk is no longer the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world after deciding to vacate the WBO title voluntarily. The Ukrainian boxer commented on his decision, and promoters have called it logical and timely, according to the champion's Instagram account.
Usyk publicly announced his decision to vacate the title
The World Boxing Organization confirmed that it received an official notice from Oleksandr Usyk's representatives stating his intention to vacate the belt. The boxer personally addressed the organization on social media, expressing his gratitude.
"Good morning, everyone. Thank you, WBO, for being with me," Usyk said.
The decision to vacate the WBO title means that Usyk has lost his status as the undisputed heavyweight champion, which he achieved in July after earning a stoppage victory over Daniel Dubois. For now, the Ukrainian continues to hold the IBF, WBA, and WBC championship belts.
Why Usyk vacated the title: the promoter's explanation
Ukrainian promoter Oleksandr Krasiuk, who works with Usyk, commented on his fighter's decision for Sport.ua. In his view, vacating the title at this stage of Usyk’s career was fully justified.
Krasiuk emphasized that the mandatory WBO title defense became an issue for Usyk after his fight with Dubois. Although the boxer was given extra time to recover from his injury, he ultimately had to decide between defending the belt or relinquishing it.
"A fight with Wardley carries no value right now: not sporting, not media-wise, not commercially," the promoter said, stressing that in this situation Oleksandr Usyk "did the right thing."
New champion and his future
The new WBO heavyweight champion is British boxer Fabio Wardley. He earned the right to be the top contender after knocking out Joseph Parker in the 11th round.
Legendary promoter Frank Warren, commenting on the situation, expressed his admiration for the new champion.
"Britain has a new heavyweight world champion and a new star of the sport. One of my most incredible stories I've seen in my 45 years as a promoter and I could not be prouder of Fabio Wardley," The Ring quotes Warren as saying.
Warren also added that in 2026, Wardley has "some huge fights ahead for 2026 as he defends his WBO belt and creates a true legacy in the sport."
What's next for Usyk
The Ukrainian last fought in July, knocking out Daniel Dubois and becoming the undisputed champion for the second time. Losing the WBO title now reshapes the division, but Usyk still holds three of its major belts.
The boxer previously stated that he intends to continue competing actively in the professional ring until he reaches the age of 41.
Find out what advice Usyk received from the former manager of the Klitschko brothers.
