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Usyk Eyes Unification After Verhoeven Kickboxing, Wardley Defends

5/8/2026

45 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Usyk Mulls Unification

Sergey Lapin said Oleksandr Usyk, the WBC, WBA and IBF champion, will consider a unification bout with Fabio Wardley, the WBO champion, if Wardley proves himself at the highest level.
Oleksandr Usyk is preparing to fight kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven in Giza, Egypt on May 23, 2026.
Fabio Wardley will defend his WBO title against former world champion Daniel Dubois in Manchester on May 9, 2026.

Summary

Wardley Defends Title

The WBO heavyweight defense is Saturday night at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena.
Wardley rejected the champion label, saying a win will erase it.
Wardley earned the WBO belt by stopping Joseph Parker in October and was promoted after Usyk relinquished the regular title.
Dubois captured the IBF belt by beating Filip Hrgovic in 2024 and was elevated when Usyk vacated the regular version.
The bout will stream worldwide on DAZN.

Summary

Wardley Wants Usyk

The £24.99-per-month DAZN Ultimate tier includes the Wardley-vs-Dubois PPV, 12 PPV events a year, over 185 fight nights, and affiliate links that generate a publisher commission.
Fabio Wardley, the Ipswich-born heavyweight, wants a bout with two-time undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Sergey Lapin, chief executive of Ready To Fight, said Wardley must prove himself at the highest level before a Usyk fight is possible.

Summary

Usyk Defends

Oleksandr Usyk will defend his WBC heavyweight title against kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven in Egypt on May 23 2026.
Promoter Alex Lapin said Usyk now balances sporting and business factors and that the promotion is not built around a single name.
Usyk hopes a win over Daniel Dubois this weekend will boost his bid for a third undisputed heavyweight title.
He also backs the Ready To Fight project to aid the next generation.

History

Historical Context

Ali’s September 15 1978 rematch with Leon Spinks at New Orleans’ Superdome drew 70,000 fans and a $6 million gate, re-uniting the WBA and WBC heavyweight crowns. That title-unification model now underpins the push by WBO champion Fabio Wardley and promoter Ready To Fight, backed by DAZN, to merge the belts with Oleksandr Usyk in the heavyweight division, echoing the commercial momentum that reshaped boxing’s global market after Ali’s victory.

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Usyk Mulls Unification

Sergey Lapin said Oleksandr Usyk, the WBC, WBA and IBF champion, will consider a unification bout with Fabio Wardley, the WBO champion, if Wardley proves himself at the highest level.
Oleksandr Usyk is preparing to fight kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven in Giza, Egypt on May 23, 2026.
Fabio Wardley will defend his WBO title against former world champion Daniel Dubois in Manchester on May 9, 2026.

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