Oleksandr Usyk is still thinking historically despite the final spurt of his career. The Ukrainian wants to become the undisputed world champion again in 2026 – but Verhoeven and probably Agit Kabayel are waiting first.
Oleksandr Usyk apparently still has one big goal before he ends his career. The heavyweight champion has recently stated several times that he only has three fights left. One of them will take place this weekend against kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven at the pyramids of Giza in Egypt. But Usyk is thinking much further ahead in the long term. In a training video, the Ukrainian showed a wall with several years marked on it. “This is my first undisputed cruiserweight title,” says Usyk, pointing to a note on the wall with “2018” scribbled on it. “2024 in Saudi Arabia, that’s my second undisputed title. London 2025, that’s my third undisputed title. 2026 will be four uncontested titles.”
To do so, the 39-year-old would have to regain all the major belts. One possible way to achieve this could be a third fight against Daniel Dubois, who recently secured the WBO title by beating Fabio Wardley. However, the situation is complicated. Wardley has a rematch clause, and WBO mandatory challenger Moses Itauma is also pushing for his chance. And the WBC is also putting pressure on him: after the Verhoeven fight, Usyk is supposed to fight interim world champion Agit Kabayel, otherwise he could lose the WBC title. Nevertheless, Usyk seems determined to end his career with another historic chapter.
Text by Robin Josten