Promoter Frank Warren has called for Oleksandr Usyk to face one fighter in particular next after his controversial victory over Rico Verhoeven.
The Ukrainian great made his highly-anticipated return to the ring on Saturday night as he faced kickboxing great Verhoeven at the iconic Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
Verhoeven started the bout very well and caused Usyk a number of issues throughout the heavyweight clash, hurting the 39-year-old multiple times along the way.
Many viewers felt the Dutchman held a commanding lead on all three of the judges scorecards but he failed to get over the line after Usyk stopped him in the penultimate round, sparking outrage amongst his team and the Egyptian crowd.
Referee Mark Lyson waved off the bout with just one second remaining in the 11th round to effectively squander Vehoeven’s chances of becoming the first man to defeat Usyk.
Whilst many have already called for a rematch between Usyk and Verhoeven, promoter Frank Warren has called for the Ukrainian great to go down a different route when he returns to the ring.
Speaking on social media, Warren urges Usyk to face the unbeaten Agit Kabayel next as he claims the 39-year-old must either face the WBC mandatory challenger or vacate the title.
“Agit is the interim WBC champion and next in line. Usyk now either has to fight him or vacate, it’s as simple as that.”
“Queensberry are more than ready to make the fight.”
Kabayel has held the WBC interim world heavyweight title since he produced an impressive 6th round stoppage win over China’s Zhilei Zhang in February of 2025.
The 33-year-old, who is unbeaten in 27 bouts as a professional, is expected to demand a showdown with Usyk next as he looks to finally become a world heavyweight champion having been made to wait longer than he has wished.
