Oleksandr Usyk has relinquished his WBO heavyweight title after informing the governing body he would not proceed with a mandatory defence against Britain’s Fabio Wardley, the World Boxing Organization said on Monday.

The Ukrainian held the IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight belts since his first victory over Anthony Joshua back in 2021. He added the WBC by beating Tyson Fury in May of 2024, before dropping and recapturing the IBF by beating Daniel Dubois in their rematch this year.

World heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has relinquished his WBO belt. The governing body says the title will go to British fighter Fabio Wardley, who became interim champion by beating Joseph Parker with an 11th-round stoppage last month.

Britain's Fabio Wardley is expected to be elevated to WBO heavyweight champion after Oleksandr Usyk decides to relinquish his title.

The only undisputed heavyweight champion of the 21st century has now disrupted his fully unified reign for the second time.

Oleksandr Usyk is one of the greatest boxers of his generation and now Mike Tyson has been speaking about how he might have got on back in the 90s.

Now, Fabio Wardley has been elevated to WBO champion from his interim status, without having ever thrown a punch. Last month, he knocked out Joseph Parker in a shock result in London that earned him his belt. Parker has since failed a drug test for cocaine use, which is banned in competition.

British boxer Fabio Wardley is set to become WBO heavyweight champion after Oleksandr Usyk opted to relinquish the title rather than defend it against the unbeaten Briton. Wardley secured the interim belt last month with a dramatic 11th-round stoppage of Joseph Parker, which mandated a challenge against Usyk by September's end.