Unified heavyweight champion won’t be signing with Zuffa.
Oleksandr Usyk is already one of the greatest boxers of all time, and for many, he is the greatest from the country of Ukraine. This is no small title to hold, given the nation has produced the Klitschko brothers and Vasiliy Lomachenko.
While his achievements have been gone over time and time again and praised by practically everyone in the sport, Usyk is the former undisputed cruiserweight and two-time undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Officially, he has never lost or even been knocked down, and he is universally considered to be on the high end of the pound-for-pound list.
Despite how long he has been fighting for, he is yet to show real signs of decline. Yet at 39 years old, logic would dictate that he simply can’t go on forever. Whether he retires or loses in the ring, he likely won’t be around for much longer.
Usyk’s next moves are currently unknown. He has been linked to several opponents over the past few months, however. These include Deontay Wilder, Andy Ruiz Jr., and even kickboxer Rico Verhoeven.
What we do know is that if he wants to keep his WBC title after making his next voluntary defence, he will have to fight Agit Kabayel, who is considered by many to be the most deserving challenger.
When this may potentially be isn’t certain, and we don’t have a date for Usyk’s next fight. However, per Usyk himself, he is “getting ready for something big”.
While we don’t know what this is yet, we know that it’s not a signing with Zuffa Boxing, as rumours have been suggesting recently.
Serhii Lapin, part of Usyk’s team, confirmed as much on his personal Twitter, stating, “This information is not true. We ask that you rely exclusively on official statements from our team.”
Friends, there are reports circulating in the media claiming that Oleksandr Usyk has allegedly signed a contract with Zuffa Boxing. This information is not true. We ask that you rely exclusively on official statements from our team.@usykaa @RTFight_boxing
— Serhii Lapin (@LapinSerhii) February 25, 2026
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