The 39-year-old wants to go out on his own terms.
Oleksandr Usyk revealed this month that he was vacating his heavyweight world titles ahead of what he described as his “last dance”.
Agit Kabayel had been expected to be next in line to face the unbeaten superstar as the WBC mandatory challenger.
However, Usyk’s decision to relinquish his titles left Kabayel elevated to full WBC champion.
While ‘The Cat’ no longer holds any belts, he has still teased one final outing before retirement.
As it stands, his final opponent remains unknown, but it is expected Deontay Wilder is a likely option.
Sergey Lapin, Head of Team Usyk and CEO of Ready to Fight, has since explained the reasoning behind the Ukrainian superstar’s decision.
Lapin told Sky Sports: “Now he wants to decide for himself what the final chapter of his career will look like.
“Rather than allowing circumstances or mandatory title defences to make that decision for him.
“He made the conscious decision to vacate his championship belts in order to bring new life to the heavyweight division, give new champions the opportunity to prove themselves, and help move the sport forward.”
What else did Sergey Lapin say about Oleksandr Usyk’s decision?
During his career, Oleksandr Usyk has become an undisputed world champion at cruiserweight, before repeating the feat twice at heavyweight.
Lapin continued: “I believe Oleksandr has achieved almost everything that can be achieved in boxing.
“He has already secured his place in history as the undisputed champion in two weight divisions.
“We prefer to take things step by step. Right now, our full focus is on the next challenge.
“When Oleksandr feels the time is right, he will make that decision himself.
“He has earned the right to decide when and how to close this chapter.”
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