Former undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk is planning a dramatic return to the cruiserweight division in 2027 to face undefeated American star David Benavidez in a high-stakes unification bout before calling time on his legendary professional boxing career, according to his adviser Sergey Lapin.
The 39-year-old Ukrainian superstar, who has established himself as one of the most decorated fighters of his generation, last stepped into the ring in May when he secured a hard-fought, gritty victory over Rico Verhoeven. Following that grueling contest, Usyk made the calculated decision to vacate his heavyweight world titles, sparking intense speculation across the combat sports landscape regarding the final steps of his illustrious journey in the sport.
While Usyk had previously made it clear that he intended to embark on a "last dance" before officially stepping away from professional competition, most observers and fans within the boxing community widely anticipated that his final appearances would take place within the heavyweight ranks where he spent the past several years establishing absolute dominance. However, Lapin has revealed that the former undisputed ruler of two divisions is instead planning a bold strategic move down in weight, returning to the 200-pound class where his rise to international stardom originally began.
According to Lapin, the master plan for Usyk’s final stretch involves claiming a vacant cruiserweight world title first, setting the stage for a blockbuster undisputed unification clash against Benavidez, who currently stands as one of the most formidable forces in the division.
"Oleksandr aims to return to cruiserweight in 2027 and become undisputed again," Lapin confirmed, outlining the team’s precise road map for the coming years.
The strategic blueprint laid out by Usyk’s camp focuses on a methodical two-fight sequence designed to maximize both legacy and championship gold before the Ukrainian Icon hangs up his gloves for good. Rather than jumping straight into a high-risk unification bout after a long absence from the weight class, the plan allows Usyk to re-establish his championship footing at cruiserweight before pursuing the ultimate crown.
"First, we are looking at a fight for a vacant world title," Lapin explained regarding the immediate priority for Usyk’s division return. "Then, the goal is to face David Benavidez to unify all the belts and become undisputed cruiserweight champion."
The decision to target 2027 as the timeline for this ambitious campaign reflects a carefully calculated end-date for a career that has spanned nearly two decades of elite-level competition across amateur and professional ranks. For Usyk and his management team, returning to the weight division that launched his professional ascension offers a poetic and fitting conclusion to an unprecedented sporting story.
"We see 2027 as the final chapter of his career," Lapin stated. "He wants to finish as undisputed champion in the division where he first won all the belts."
Usyk’s history in the cruiserweight division remains one of the most dominant periods by any fighter in modern boxing history. Long before he stepped up to challenge the giant heavyweights of the world, Usyk established a reign of absolute supremacy at 200 pounds. Throughout the majority of his professional career, he swept through the weight class with remarkable ease, stringing together 16 consecutive victories and systematically defeating every fellow champion in the division to become the undisputed cruiserweight world champion.
After conquering every available title at cruiserweight, Usyk made the permanent jump to the heavyweight division in 2019, embarking on a quest to replicate his success against significantly larger opponents. What followed was a historic heavyweight campaign that silenced critics who questioned whether his size and style could translate to boxing’s glamour division.
At heavyweight, Usyk achieved extraordinary success, transforming into a two-time undisputed champion at the weight class and elevating his global status to historic heights. Over the course of his heavyweight tenure, he compiled an immaculate record against the absolute elite of the division. Most notably, Usyk delivered commanding performances against three of Britain’s top heavyweight figures, earning double victories over Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Daniel Dubois. By defeating each of those three marquee names twice, Usyk stretched his career record to an unblemished 25 victories in 25 professional fights, leaving no doubt regarding his place among the all-time greats of the sport.
However, after clearing out the heavyweight division and earning his gritty win over Verhoeven in May, Usyk’s decision to vacate his belts cleared the board for a new challenge. Rather than defending heavyweight hardware against a new crop of contenders, the Ukrainian veteran views the challenge of shedding weight and reclaiming undisputed status at 200 pounds as the ultimate motivation for his final years in the sport.
Standing in the way of Usyk’s dream farewell is David Benavidez, the explosive 29-year-old American who has rapidly emerged as the premier power in the cruiserweight division. Benavidez boasts an immaculate professional record of his own, having won all 32 of his career fights with a combination of relentless pressure, high volume, and devastating punching power.
Benavidez currently holds two of the major world championships at cruiserweight, possessing both the WBO and WBA titles. His grip on the division could become even stronger in the near future, as the undefeated American is scheduled to fight Poland’s Michal Cieslak for the vacant WBC cruiserweight world title on 5 December. A victory over Cieslak would consolidate three of the four recognized major world titles under Benavidez’s waist, putting him on the precipice of full division unification.
The remaining piece of the cruiserweight championship puzzle involves the IBF title, which currently sits vacant. The belt became available after former champion Jai Opetaia was officially stripped of the title in March, creating an opening in the division’s hierarchy.
This vacancy in the IBF ranks provides the exact entry point that Usyk and Lapin are seeking. Under their proposed plan, Usyk could position himself to fight for the vacant belt upon his return to the division, capturing a world championship and instantly re-establishing himself as a titleholder at cruiserweight. Once equipped with that belt, Usyk would possess the necessary leverage to finalize a high-stakes, all-or-nothing unification spectacle against Benavidez, who is expected to hold the remaining titles.
Should the plan materialize as envisioned in 2027, the potential clash between Usyk and Benavidez would represent one of the most compelling cross-generational fights in modern combat sports. It would pit an aging, master tactician in Usyk—attempting a rare downward weight transition late in his career—against a younger, undefeated power-puncher in Benavidez at the peak of his physical powers.
For Usyk, who will be 40 years old by the time his proposed 2027 timeline reaches its climax, the physical demands of returning to the 200-pound limit after spending nearly eight years competing at heavyweight will present a unique hurdle. However, his team remains fully confident that his discipline, ring IQ, and deep familiarity with the cruiserweight division will allow him to orchestrate one final historical achievement.
If successful, Usyk would achieve the unprecedented feat of becoming an undisputed champion at cruiserweight, moving up to achieve undisputed status at heavyweight, and then dropping back down to regain undisputed status in his original weight class. With the strategic path now publicly outlined by Lapin, the boxing world will be watching closely as the division’s title landscape unfolds, leading toward what promises to be a dramatic final chapter for one of the sport’s modern icons.
