Story perspectives

Usyk Vacates WBA, WBC, IBF Heavyweight Titles

6/26/2026

Summary

Usyk Vacates Titles

On June 26, 2026, Ukrainian champion Oleksandr Usyk announced he is vacating his WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles.
He said he is not retiring, will keep fighting, and added that vacating the belts will let the next-in-line contenders, such as Agit Kabayel, fight for them.
Usyk’s most recent bout was an 11th-round stoppage win over Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in Cairo after Verhoeven had been leading on the scorecards.

Summary

Usyk Unifies Belts

In May 2024 Oleksandr Usyk became the first heavyweight to hold all four major belts simultaneously.
He previously unified the cruiserweight division in 2018 by defeating Mairis Briedis and Murat Gassiev.
Wins over Anthony Joshua (twice) and Tyson Fury (twice) cemented his elite status.
His 25-0 record includes a stoppage of kickboxer Rico Verhoeven, showing cross-discipline prowess, which analysts cite as evidence of one of boxing’s most accomplished careers.

Summary

Itauma vs Hrgovic

Moses Itauma will fight Filip Hrgovic on August 29 at London’s O2 Arena.
Frank Warren floated that a win for Itauma could set up a bout with Oleksandr Usyk.
Itauma expects to challenge Daniel Dubois for the WBO heavyweight title in 2027.
Oleksandr Usyk posted a video on X thanking sanctioning bodies and announcing his decision.
Analysts say the vacated belts may speed up match-ups among the division’s next-in-line fighters.

History

Historical Context

After Wladimir Klitschko began unifying the IBF and WBO crowns in 2006 and added the WBA belt in 2011, his reign produced a record 23 successful heavyweight title defenses through 2015. When Oleksandr Usyk vacated the WBA, WBC and IBF titles in 2026, promoters such as Frank Warren used the same vacancy strategy to fast-track contenders like Agit Kabayel.

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Usyk Vacates Titles

On June 26, 2026, Ukrainian champion Oleksandr Usyk announced he is vacating his WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles.
He said he is not retiring, will keep fighting, and added that vacating the belts will let the next-in-line contenders, such as Agit Kabayel, fight for them.
Usyk’s most recent bout was an 11th-round stoppage win over Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in Cairo after Verhoeven had been leading on the scorecards.

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