Oleksandr Usyk defeated the British Daniel Dubois in his last fight in July.
The Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk has ruled out a fight against the young British heavyweight Moses Itauma, but has confirmed that he is training and will return to the ring next year.
Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) knocked out Daniel Dubois in July, reclaiming his undisputed heavyweight crown, and the IBF belt he had vacated last year, achieving a resounding victory at Wembley Stadium.
The WBO ordered Usyk to fight interim champion Joseph Parker, but negotiations did not prosper, as Usyk declared he was injured and needed time out of the ring. Parker will face Fabio Wardley in London on October 25.Moses Itauma defeated Dillian Whyte in August.
Usyk has revealed that he has returned to training, but will not face Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs) in his next fight.
No, I will not fight Itauma. He is young… he is always bothering me. And he himself said that he does not hit grandfathers.
Oleksandr Usyk
“I can’t say exactly who, because negotiations are ongoing. I would be lying if I gave you a name,” he added.
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Itauma is considered one of the most outstanding promises in world boxing, with 11 knockouts in 13 fights. In his last fight, he achieved a resounding victory, knocking out Dillian Whyte in the first round in August.
Usyk, 38 years old, plans to return to the ring in 2026, but it has not yet been decided who will be his opponent.
“I will fight until I am 41 years old. Then I will build a sports academy; I will train there and train others,” he concluded.
