The situation surrounding all of Oleksandr Usyk’s world titles is now set in stone ahead of his clash with kickboxer Rico Verhoeven.
The WBC has controversially put its belt on the line for the fight, meaning that Verhoeven, despite being given little to no chance of winning, could win the belt on May 23 in Egypt.
Today, the WBA announced that the fight will count as a successful world title defence if Usyk wins, but the challenger will be unable to claim the belt even if he causes a seismic upset. Should that be the case, a committee will convene on the next steps.
The IBF has taken a similar stance, but, whilst Verhoeven cannot win that title either, the sanctioning body will immediately declare its heavyweight belt vacant if Usyk loses.
The conditions under which Usyk has been permitted to take the fight while remaining champion are:
1. If Usyk loses on May 23, 2026, the IBF Heavyweight title will be declared vacant immediately.
2. If Usyk wins on May 23, 2026, the IBF will acknowledge the WBC’s position in the rotation and order the IBF mandatory bout for one hundred eighty (180) days thereafter.
3. If the WBA grants a special permit, the IBF will acknowledge the WBA’s position in the rotation and order the IBF mandatory bout for one hundred eighty (180) days thereafter.
4. The IBF reserves the right to amend the mandatory date in the event of substantial delays in the rotation.
Usyk will be ordered to face WBC mandatory Agit Kabayel following the Verhoeven clash, with promoter Frank Warren confident he would be stripped should he fail to fulfil the obligation.
