Heavyweight Title Mandatories On Hold As Usyk Remains Inactive
The heavyweight title picture is stuck heading into 2026.
Oleksandr Usyk still holds three of the four major belts, but he is not fighting.
With no return date set, the mandatory system across the division has slowed to a crawl. Usyk vacated the WBO title earlier this year after being ordered to defend against Fabio Wardley.
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That order came after Wardley’s win over Joseph Parker. Instead of taking the fight, Usyk gave up the belt and kept the IBF, WBA, and WBC titles.
His last bout came on July 19, when he stopped IBF champion Daniel Dubois in the fifth round. Since then, there has been no official announcement regarding his next fight.
He is not expected back in the ring until sometime in 2026. That leaves the rest of the division waiting. With Usyk still holding three belts and no fight scheduled, the mandatory challengers are stalled. Rankings continue to update, but nothing moves without a defense or a vacancy.
Fighters can take non-title bouts to stay active, but that comes with risk. A loss can drop them out of position. Others choose to wait and lose time instead.
Agit Kabayel is among the contenders affected by the delay. He remains highly ranked, but there is no date and no enforcement order in place that would move him closer to a title shot.
The same uncertainty applies to other mandatory positions tied to Usyk’s remaining belts. Sanctioning bodies have tools to act, but they have been slow to use them. Stripping a unified champion is rarely done quickly, especially when the champion is coming off a recent win and citing injury.
That has left the system in limbo.
As of late December 2025, Usyk has no confirmed return date. There is also no timetable for resolving the outstanding mandatory obligations connected to his IBF, WBA, and WBC titles. For now, the belts stay put.
The challengers wait. Nothing changes until Usyk fights again or gives one up.
