Oleksandr Usyk given ultimatum over voluntary title defence: ‘Interim champion next’

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has insisted that Agit Kabayel “must” be next for Oleksandr Usyk, after the Ukrainian’s planned voluntary title defence.

Usyk, the unified heavyweight champion, has been granted a voluntary defence in his next fight, which the unbeaten champion reportedly wanted to come against Deontay Wilder.

However, Wilder has since been paired with Derek Chisora in a contest set for 4 April at London’s O2 Arena. And at last week’s press conference for that clash, Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel said: “Look, Usyk came to us recently to fight. We didn’t know if that could happen, and we were on a trajectory to fight Chisora.”

Usyk’s manager Egis Klimas previously noted that Wilder, a former world heavyweight champion, was one of the biggest names from this generation that Usyk hadn’t fought. “And as well, it’s in the United States,” Klimas said of a prospective bout between Usyk, 38, and the American, 40.

Now, however, Usyk’s next move is unclear. In any case, Sulaiman has said the WBC (World Boxing Council) interim champion must be next for the southpaw after his voluntary fight.

Agit Kabayel holds the WBC interim belt, having won it with a stoppage of Zhilei Zhang last February, a result that gave way to a knockout of Damian Knyba last month.

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“Kabayel was not available, because he had a fight scheduled in January,” Sulaiman told boxing analyst Chris Mannix. “So, [Usyk] requested a voluntary title defence, which is very customary.

“He was given that opportunity, and he must fight the interim champion next. That’s the ruling.”

Like Usyk, Kabayel is unbeaten, and the 33-year-old German has occupied a place on the periphery of the world heavyweight title scene for some time.

A few months into his run with the interim WBC belt, Kabayel saw Usyk defend the unified titles against IBF champion Daniel Dubois, whom Usyk stopped to become a two-time undisputed king at heavyweight. Usyk, who was previously undisputed at cruiserweight, also stopped Dubois in 2023.

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To further complicate matters for Kabayel, Fabio Wardley emerged as a potential opponent for Usyk in October, when the Briton beat Joseph Parker to win the interim WBO title. But Usyk gave up the regular WBO belt one month later, and now the unbeaten Wardley looks set to defend it against Dubois in May.

Elsewhere in the division, Tyson Fury will emerge from his fifth career retirement when he boxes Arslanbek Makhmudov on 11 April. And the “Gypsy King” remains keen on a trilogy bout with Usyk.

However, there appears to be little interest in such a match-up, after Usyk outpointed Fury twice in 2024. Usyk handed the 37-year-old the first defeats of his career in their two bouts, winning their first clash by a close margin and their rematch more comfortably.