WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman was left disappointed after discovering through social media that Oleksandr Usyk has vacated his world heavyweight title.
Not only that, but the Ukrainian has also relinquished his IBF and WBA belts and, more importantly, insisted that his “final fight” is just around the corner.
At the age of 39, it only makes sense that Usyk has put his exit strategy in motion, having achieved undisputed glory at both cruiserweight and heavyweight.
There is, of course, nothing left to prove, yet the future Hall of Famer clearly feels an urge to remain in the sport for a short while longer.
The obvious opponent for his last dance would be Rico Verhoeven, who gave a terrific account of himself when they squared off last month.
In fact, the former kickboxing champion had even built a slight lead on one of the judges’ scorecards, before ultimately getting stopped on his feet in round 11.
This outcome was seen as incredibly controversial, however, given that referee Mark Lyson waved the Dutchman off after the bell had sounded.
A rematch with Verhoeven therefore makes complete financial sense for Usyk, even if Sulaiman is disappointed to no longer be involved in his career.
Taking to social media, the WBC president shared his immediate reaction to Usyk’s announcement on Friday.
“What a disappointment [it] is for me to learn from a social media video that our heavyweight champion is vacating his WBC title.
“This is the current life we live in, I would even think it is AI. I personally wish Usyk great success in his life inside and outside the ring.”
What a disappointment is for me to learn from a social media video that our heavyweight champion is vacating his WBC title. This is the current life we live in, I would even think it is AI . I personally wish Usyk great success in his life inside and outside the ring . pic.twitter.com/OjPNGdJpJd
— Mauricio Sulaiman (@wbcmoro) June 26, 2026
The vacant WBC title is now set to be contested by ‘interim’ champion Agit Kabayel, who should end up facing the next highest-ranked available contender.
