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Usyk vacates belts but is not retiring
Published
26 June 2026, 17:39 BST
Updated 7 minutes ago
Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk says he will vacate all his belts but is not retiring.
The 39-year-old, who has an undefeated professional record of 25 wins, held the WBA 'super', WBC and IBF belts.
"This is a well-considered decision that I am confident will open new opportunities for me. This is not the end of the story. The continuation lies ahead," he said on X.
The Ukrainian said in the build-up to his last fight in May - a gritty win over Rico Verhoeven in Egypt - that he still wanted to fight on two more occasions before considering whether to hang up the gloves.
He added in a video message: "I want to vacate all the belts that I currently hold to make them available for the guys next in line to fight for them.
"Friends, I'm leaving the belts but not the sport because I still have my last dance."
More to follow.
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Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk says he will vacate all his belts but is not retiring.
The 39-year-old, who has an undefeated professional record of 25 wins, held the WBA 'super', WBC and IBF belts.
"This is a well-considered decision that I am confident will open new opportunities for me. This is not the end of the story. The continuation lies ahead," he said on X.
The Ukrainian said in the build-up to his last fight in May - a gritty win over Rico Verhoeven in Egypt - that he still wanted to fight on two more occasions before considering whether to hang up the gloves.
He added in a video message: "I want to vacate all the belts that I currently hold to make them available for the guys next in line to fight for them.
"Friends, I'm leaving the belts but not the sport because I still have my last dance."
More to follow.
Related topics
Boxing
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