Oleksandr Usyk has talked up a showdown with feared cruiserweight champion David Benavidez, in a stunning potential next transfer.
After surviving a scare against kickboxing icon Rico Verhoeven in the boxing ring in May, Usyk vacated the unified heavyweight titles and claimed his next bout would be his last.
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Now, however, the unbeaten Ukrainian has urged he might have an additional combat in him, with the second of those two contests ideally coming against Benavidez.
Oleksandr Usyk pictured in July (Getty)
The Mexican-American is an undefeated three-weight champion, but his most-recent successes have come at cruiserweight, where he holds the WBA and WBO belts. Benavidez, 29, picked up the titles by dominating and stopping Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in six rounds in May, having taken aside Anthony Yarde at light-heavyweight in his earlier bout.
Usyk is a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion, but he made his identify at cruiserweight, where he turned the only undisputed champion of the four-belt period. The 39-year-old was expected to spherical out his profession at heavyweight, doubtlessly against former champion Deontay Wilder, but he seems adamant about a shocking weight-cut to his previous division.
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“Because I cleaned out the heavyweight [division] and [want to go] back to my weight,” Usyk advised The Ring on Saturday. “Yes, correct, [I want to fight the best version of Benavidez].
“Right now, I weigh 96 or 97 kg [211-213lb]. If I have an alternative at cruiserweight, I am back. It’s a huge combat because Benavidez is a huge champion. Me, a little bit, too?”
Also at the weekend, Usyk’s crew director Sergey Lapin advised Casinostugan: “First, we are wanting at a combat for a vacant world title. Then, the objective is to face David Benavidez to unify all the belts and become undisputed cruiserweight champion.
David Benavidez dismantled Gilberto Ramirez in gorgeous fashion in May (Getty)
“We see 2027 as the final chapter of his career. He wants to finish as undisputed champion in the division where he first won all the belts. If we’re going to do this, we need to take a comprehensive approach. The first fight for a world title, the second for the undisputed championship.
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“Usyk has never been a natural heavyweight; cruiserweight is his home. He loves a problem, so he moved up, cleaned out the heavyweight division, and now he is coming home to restore order.”
While Benavidez holds the WBA and WBO straps, Michal Cieslak owns the WBC title and will box the “Mexican Monster” in a unification combat in December. Meanwhile, the IBF title stays vacant after Jai Opetaia was stripped of the gold.
Rico Verhoeven protesting the stoppage of his combat with Usyk (Getty)
Usyk’s heavyweight-title combat with Verhoeven, at the pyramids of Giza in Egypt, proved extremely controversial.
The kickboxer was seemingly on monitor for a resolution win when he was dropped and stopped in spherical 11, but the stoppage – which was extensively deemed untimely – was not the only controversy; the official scorecards were later revealed to be much nearer than viewers expected.
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