Oleksandr Usyk‘s next move is currently being decided.
The Ukrainian became undisputed heavyweight champion for the second time in July when he knocked out Daniel Dubois in the fifth round at Wembley Stadium to add his IBF belt to his WBC, WBA and WBO titles.
While that bout may have only taken place a month ago, attention immediately turned to who Usyk will face next, with the WBO ordering him to defend against mandatory challenger Joseph Parker.
Parker earned that right with victories over Martin Bakole, Zhilei Zhang and Deontay Wilder over the past 18 months, becoming interim WBO heavyweight champion in the process.
The two camps were given 30 days to negotiate before it went to purse bids, but Usyk has requested more time, citing the need to recover from injuries.
With no decision reached yet, and Saudi chief Turki Alalshikh declaring he doesn’t want the Parker fight next, fans have begun to speculate that Usyk may choose to vacate the WBO belt and instead take on another fighter, with the likes of Agit Kabayel and Moses Itauma mentioned as possible opponents.
Usyk’s Team Director Sergey Lapin has now provided an update, telling Boxing King Media that Parker still currently appears to be the frontrunner for the fight.
“We have the WBO belt, his first belt. We have rules. We need to speak with the team and next opponent is Parker. Is this fight not Saudi? We’ll see where we do it and the next step.”
Usyk’s first world title was the WBO cruiserweight belt in September 2016, before going on to become undisputed at both cruiserweight and heavyweight.
It means the Ukrainian may have some loyalty towards the governing body, but it wouldn’t be the first time that he has lost his undisputed status by vacating a belt, after doing so with the IBF title in 2024.
