Oleksandr Usyk handed world title ultimatum by WBC after request granted

We don’t know who Oleksandr Usyk is set to face next, but we do know who he will be ordered to box afterwards.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has confirmed that the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight champion must defend his belts against interim title holder Agit Kabayel following a voluntary defence.

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Usyk hasn’t set foot in the ring since his five-round demolition job of Daniel Dubois in July to unify the division.

The Ukrainian didn’t retain his undisputed status for long, as he was stripped of his WBO belt within two months of winning it, after rejecting a mandatory defence against Fabio Wardley.

Usyk did so with the knowledge that he would be facing Deontay Wilder next.

The WBA, WBC and IBF all cleared the path for the bout to take place by granting Usyk a voluntary defence.

However, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ has elected to box Derek Chisora instead, leaving Usyk out in the cold.

Former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr and kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven have been floated around as potential dance partners for ‘The Cat’, while a long-awaited date with Kabayel looms.

“Kabayel was not available because he had a fight scheduled in January,” Sulaiman told Chris Mannix.

“So [Usyk] requested a voluntary title defence, which is very customary.

“He was given that opportunity, and he must fight the interim champion next. That’s the ruling.”

Kabayel picked up the interim WBC strap by chopping down Zhilei Zhang inside six rounds in February last year.

He subsequently defended his belt on January 10, blasting away Damian Knyba in front of a sold-out Rudolf Weber-Arena in Oberhausen, Germany.

Rather than sitting on the sidelines and waiting for his shot at a full world title, the fast-rising 33-year-old intends to remain active this year.

His promoter, Frank Warren, is eyeing another home fight for the German superstar in the Spring, with WBC No.1-rated contender Lawrence Okolie being floated around as a potential opponent.

“We had the balls to go there, do it and take that chance,” Warren told Ring Magazine.

“Going back a long time, there’s always been a lot of love for boxing in Germany, and they’ve got a hero.

“The arena sold out in just over a day. He’s fighting in May, and we’re going for a bigger venue next time.”

The heavyweight division is edging toward another undisputed champion, not through a formal tournament, but through a set of fights that are already booked, already moving, or lining up next.

This is not fantasy matchmaking. The route is forming across the WBO, WBA, and WBC pathways, and if the pieces fall into place, a full unification could land in 2027.

The Fights Already Set The Route In Motion
Derek Chisora faces Deontay Wilder on April 4.

One week later, Tyson Fury returns against Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11.

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Elsewhere, Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois for the WBO heavyweight title is in talks for the summer.

Those fights are separate on the surface. In reality, they start filtering the division into clear lanes toward the belts.

The WBA Funnel And The Next Challenger
In addition, the winner of Chisora vs Wilder has already been offered a shot at Murat Gassiev.

Gassiev has a mandatory obligation in Moses Itauma, but all parties have agreed to delay it, which opens the door for the Chisora-Wilder winner to face Gassiev next.

If that happens, the winner of Chisora, Wilder, and Gassiev would emerge as the sole WBA secondary champion.

From there, the route points straight at Oleksandr Usyk. That fighter would get the green light to face Usyk in his next mandatory after the Ukrainian satisfies his WBC obligation against Agit Kabayel.

Itauma still matters. His delayed mandatory status gives him a say in what happens next, which is why he remains a wildcard even with the agreement in place.

Usyk Keeps The Whole Picture Together
At the top, Usyk is the anchor holding the championship picture in one place.

Before any bigger unification can happen, he is expected to satisfy his next mandatory.

After that, the WBA route would be ready-made: the winner coming out of the Chisora-Wilder-Gassiev sequence would be next in line once the WBC requirement is cleared.

That is what makes this feel structured instead of chaotic. The contenders arrive through obligations, not shortcuts.

The WBO Side Runs Through Fury
Fury’s job is simple on paper and difficult in reality.

He must first beat Makhmudov. If he does, the winner of the proposed Wardley vs Dubois fight would sit directly in his path, establishing who controls the WBO route.

Once the WBO ruler is known, and once Usyk has worked through his WBC and WBA obligations, the division finally has a clean line toward a full undisputed encounter.

Where The Wildcards Fit
Itauma remains a wildcard because a delayed mandatory still carries leverage. Anthony Joshua is another.

Wardley has already stated he would be willing to face Joshua if the Fury fight does not happen.

Andy Ruiz Jr is the highest-ranked contender not currently involved. If injuries or pullouts hit any stage of the route, Ruiz is the type of name who could be slotted in quickly.

A Realistic Route To Undisputed In 2027
If Fury comes through his side and Usyk clears his obligations against the WBC and WBA challengers, the division narrows on its own.

At that point, undisputed would not be something forced together. It would be the logical meeting point of the routes that are already forming now.

Nothing here guarantees an undisputed champion. But the pathway is real, and finally visible.