Oleksandr Usyk has stepped down from his heavyweight titles. The Ukrainian champion vacated his WBC, WBA, IBF and Ring Magazine belts this week.
Usyk, 39, remains undefeated as a professional boxer. He insists he isn't retiring from the sport despite giving up the titles.
"I want to vacate all the belts that I currently hold, to make them free so that the guys who are in line for them can box," Usyk announced on social media. He described Friday as the perfect day for his decision.
According to him, he still has one final fight left. "I'm giving up the belts, but I'm not leaving the sport because I still have my last dance," the champion explained.
His announcement comes just weeks after a controversial fight with Rico Verhoeven. Usyk needed an 11th-round stoppage to retain his undisputed title against the kickboxing star.
Verhoeven had been winning on the scorecards at the time of the stoppage. It marked only his second professional boxing match.
In his video message, Usyk thanked all the boxing organizations. He promised that more is coming from him in the future.
Usyk has built one of modern boxing's greatest legacies. He won undisputed championships at both cruiserweight and heavyweight.
His professional record stands at 25 wins and 16 knockouts. Before turning pro, he collected Olympic, world and European amateur titles.
