Oleksandr Usyk‘s next opponent appears to be on the verge of being announced.
Usyk was last in action in July 2024 when he became undisputed heavyweight champion for the second time with a fifth round knockout victory over Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in London.
That undisputed reign ended later in the year when Usyk opted to vacate his WBO title rather than face mandatory challenger Fabio Wardley, but he still remains in possession of the WBC, WBA and IBF titles.
It seemed like a fight between Usyk and Deontay Wilder was next after the pair confirmed their desire to face one another, but ‘The Bronze Bomber’ has instead chosen to take on Derek Chisora in April, leaving fans wondering who the Ukrainian may face instead.
While names such as Andy Ruiz and Jarrell Miller have been floated, it seems a choice from leftfield is the current frontrunner to face the unified heavyweight king.
Promoter Frank Warren has shared his insight on that surprise choice, as when asked by Seconds Out about the rumours that Usyk could take on kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven, he appeared to confirm that was the case.
“He’s going to have a fight against an MMA fighter, so he may not fight or defend his titles by the end of the year. All of these mandatories, and most of the guys are with us, they’re not going to sit around waiting.”
Warren works with a number of elite heavyweights, including Wardley, Dubois, Moses Itauma, Agit Kabayel and Lawrence Okolie, so it is clear why they may be unhappy with the delay in getting to potentially challenge for world honours.
Verhoeven had been linked to a fight against Anthony Joshua earlier this year, but it seems he could now be set to land a shock clash against Usyk, with the full details around the proposed match-up currently unknown.
