Oleksandr Usyk has set his sights on a remarkable final chapter for his legendary boxing career, plotting a sensational return to the division where he first achieved greatness.
The Ukrainian maestro was last seen in action back in May, when he successfully defended his unified heavyweight world titles with an 11th-round stoppage victory over kickboxing superstar Rico Verhoeven. Despite securing another stoppage win to add to his flawless professional record, the performance was widely viewed as uncharacteristically underwhelming for a fighter of Usyk’s supreme technical caliber. The hard-fought bout prompted a period of reflection for the pound-for-pound great, leading him to make the surprising decision to vacate his heavyweight world titles. At the time, Usyk indicated that he was simply looking to orchestrate one final, career-defining farewell fight in 2027 before officially hanging up his gloves for good.
However, it appears that the future Hall of Famer has significantly revised his roadmap. According to new revelations from Usyk’s close advisor Sergey Lapin during an interview with Casinostugan, the team has mapped out an ambitious two-fight plan that will culminate in a high-stakes, undisputed cruiserweight title showdown against American star David Benavidez.
Outlining the strategy for the twilight of Usyk’s career, Lapin detailed the precise steps required to achieve this historic ambition. "Oleksandr aims to return to cruiserweight in 2027 and become undisputed again," Lapin revealed. "First, we are looking at a fight for a vacant IBF world title. Then, the goal is to face David Benavidez to unify all the belts and become undisputed cruiserweight champion."
For Usyk, a return to the 200-pound division is a homecoming of sorts. Before embarking on his dominant, history-making campaign in the heavyweight division that saw him capture and defend the undisputed crown against elite competition, Usyk first established his legendary status at cruiserweight. During his initial reign as the king of the division, the Ukrainian technician swept through the weight class, delivering masterclass performances and defeating top-tier opponents such as Mairis Briedis, Murat Gassiev, and former champion Tony Bellew to capture all the major sanctioning body belts.
That exact path of dominance—sweeping the 200-pound division and capturing the imagination of the global boxing public—is an accomplishment that David Benavidez is actively trying to replicate for himself. "The Mexican Monster" has made a seamless and devastating transition after moving up to the cruiserweight limit, quickly establishing his dominance by capturing the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles with a comprehensive sixth-round stoppage victory over Gilberto Ramirez.
Benavidez’s championship campaign is showing no signs of slowing down as he continues to clear out the division. The hard-hitting star is already booked to return to the ring in December for his next major assignment, where he will face Michal Cieslak. In that upcoming bout, Benavidez will look to add yet another prestigious belt to his expanding collection by challenging for the WBC cruiserweight title. Following that crucial December test, the boxing landscape has already begun buzzing with intense speculation regarding a potential blockbuster matchup between Benavidez and Australia’s undefeated powerhouse Jai Opetaia next year.
Prior to Usyk’s newly revealed career pivot, conventional wisdom within the boxing community suggested that a potential collision between Benavidez and Opetaia would serve as the definitive battle for undisputed supremacy at cruiserweight, provided Opetaia was able to successfully recapture the IBF world title that he previously held.
However, with Usyk now publicly setting his sights squarely on securing that very same vacant IBF world championship for his own comeback fight, the entire landscape of the cruiserweight division has shifted dramatically. Usyk’s aggressive entry back into the title picture could effectively see the Ukrainian veteran leapfrog the Australian star, setting the stage for a monumental, legacy-defining clash against Benavidez to crown an undisputed king at 200 pounds and bring Usyk’s storied career full circle.
