Usyk Outlines Three-Fight Retirement Plan

Oleksandr Usyk, the unified heavyweight boxing champion, has outlined a three-fight plan to cap his undefeated career, starting with a title defense against kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven on May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. The 39-year-old Ukrainian, who holds the WBC and other major belts, aims to face the winner of the WBO title bout between Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois on May 9 in Manchester, England, before concluding with a potential trilogy against Tyson Fury.

Usyk's roadmap reflects his ambition to become a three-time heavyweight champion, matching Muhammad Ali's record. He vacated the WBO belt last year, which elevated Wardley to champion status, and previously relinquished the IBF title before reclaiming it. His path to undisputed status included victories over Fury in two closely contested bouts in 2024, the first of which crowned him the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the millennium. Those wins solidified Usyk's 24-0 record, featuring knockouts and triumphs in hostile environments across cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions.

The upcoming Wardley-Dubois clash carries added intrigue as a contest for the vacated WBO strap. Wardley, 20-0 with...