Former two-time undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk could lose yet another title. The 39-year-old undefeated star had to relinquish his WBO belt last year to avoid facing Fabio Wardley. And now, his WBC title is under threat if he decides not to follow the latest instructions from the organization.

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman has claimed that Usyk must face Agit Kabayel following his voluntary title defense. He was granted a mandatory defense, which the Ukrainian pound-for-pound star wanted to use to face Deontay Wilder. However, things didn’t quite play out that way.

Egis Kilmas, Oleksandr Usyk’s manager, previously claimed Wilder was the only major former heavyweight champion Usyk hadn’t fought yet. Wilder is now booked against Derek Chisora for April 4 at London’s O2 Arena. “Look, Usyk came to us recently to fight,” Wilder’s manager, Shelly Finkel, said. “We didn’t know if that could happen, and we were on a trajectory to fight Chisora.” This has created an issue for the 39-year-old, whose next step remains unclear.

But whoever he ends up fighting next, Sulaiman claims Usyk, the interim WBC champion, Kabayel has to be next in line after that. Notably, Kabayel defeated Zhilei Zhang in February last year to win the interim belt and has since knocked out Damian Knyba last month. “Kabayel was not available, because he had a fight scheduled in January,” Sulaiman told Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix. 

“So, [Usyk] requested a voluntary title defense, which is very customary,” the WBC president added. “He was given that opportunity, and he must fight the interim champion next. That’s the ruling.” Regardless, while Usyk may not have been granted his wish to face Wilder, he has another lucrative offer.

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Tyson Fury would like a third shot at Oleksandr Usyk

Former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury remains convinced he can reclaim his place at the top, and according to promoter Frank Warren, that hunger still burns strong. Speaking to Sky Sports, Warren made Fury’s intentions clear. “He wants to be the best. That’s how he’s always been. He’s told me he wants to fight Usyk again,” Warren said.

Fury, who is scheduled to return in April against Arslanbek Makhmudov, sees another clash with Oleksandr Usyk as essential to regaining his status. Warren emphasized the Briton’s competitive drive, adding, “Tyson’s a fighting man. He loves it… when he gets down to serious training, he wants to see an end result, and the end result for him is fighting.” 

The pair squared off twice, with ‘The Cat’ emerging victorious on both occasions. However, Fury has consistently maintained that he does not believe he lost either fight, making redemption the driving force behind his return. Although he is set to face Makhmudov next, Fury previously stated that a trilogy bout with Usyk is the only fight compelling enough to bring him out of retirement.

“If I was going to come back, I would come back for Usyk, but I want a fair result in England,” Fury told Sky Sports in July last year. “That would be the fight I want next.” This suggests Fury may view his upcoming bout as a stepping stone toward a decisive third clash with Usyk. Still, whether that scenario ultimately materializes remains to be seen.

Clearly, Oleksandr Usyk isn’t running low on options. However, he appears to be fixated on Deontay Wilder at the moment. So, it would be interesting to see who ‘The Cat’ ends up fighting next. What do you think his next move should be?