Usyk in Zuffa Talks for Wilder Farewell Fight
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- Oleksandr Usyk, 39 and unbeaten in 25 professional fights, vacated his WBA 'Super', WBC and IBF heavyweight titles last week but insists he has not retired and wants 'one last dance' against Deontay Wilder.
- Usyk's team is in direct talks with Dana White's Zuffa Boxing to stage the Wilder fight in America, which his team director Sergey Lapin called 'the most logical' location — though no agreements have been signed.
- Deontay Wilder's manager Shelly Finkel said the 40-year-old former world champion would take the fight if offered; Wilder last beat Derek Chisora by split decision in April for the 45th win of his 50-fight career.
- Zuffa Boxing, fronted by UFC president Dana White and backed by Saudi Arabian funding, seeks to challenge boxing's traditional sanctioning-body model by crowning its own champions rather than relying on existing belts.
- Agit Kabayel has been upgraded to full WBC heavyweight champion after Usyk vacated the title rather than face the 'interim' champ in a mandated defense.
Why it matters: Usyk sideswept a mandatory WBC title defense against Agit Kabayel to pursue a farewell bout against Deontay Wilder, handing Zuffa Boxing a marquee headline for its boxing launch — but the source flags Wilder as 'well past his peak' and notes he 'has not looked the same fighter' since his Fury trilogy.
