Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua
World Heavyweight Champion Usyk ready to vacate IBF title
World Heavyweight Boxing champion, Oleksandr Usyk, is giving up his IBF championship to allow Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois to fight for it in September.
Usyk defeated Tyson Fury in a split decision in Saudi Arabia last month. The 37-year-old Ukrainian became the first heavyweight to hold the titles of IBF, WBO, WBA, and WBC.
Usyk is committed to fight Tyson Fury in a rematch, as he cannot defend the IBF title against Daniel Dubois.
Consequently, Dubois’ fight against Anthony Joshua, also a British fighter, at Wembley in September may suddenly be for the vacant belt.
A video posted on social media, quoted Usyk as saying: “Anthony and Daniel, listen. I know the IBF title is important to you. It is my present to you on 21 September.
“The world loves strong. Your friend, the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World, Oleksandr Usyk.”
The 37-year-old reportedly requested to keep the IBF championship until December to compete for the undisputed title in another bout with Fury.
But going by IBF regulations, Usyk would not have been awarded the title if he hadn’t defeated Dubois first.
Before Usyk in 1999, the last fighter to unify all three of the main heavyweight championships was Lennox Lewis of Britain.