Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk will give up all his championship belts. However, he added that he is not retiring from the sport.
He reported this in a video message on Instagram.
According to him, he wants to leave the belts for young athletes.
"This is a conscious decision, which I am sure will open up new opportunities for me. This is not the end of the story. The continuation is ahead," Usyk signed the video.
During his fight with “Verhoeven” on May 24 at the “Giza Arena”, Usyk retained his WBC and IBF heavyweight world championship belts. He also received the exclusive WBC "King of the Nile" belt.
- In November 2025, Usyk relinquished the WBO title and lost his status as the absolute world champion. Usyk became the WBO world champion in September 2021, when he defeated British boxer Anthony Joshua.
- The Ukrainian defended the title five times and won all of his fights — once against Joshua and twice against Daniel Dubois and Tyson Fury.
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