Oleksandr Usyk, the unified heavyweight world champion, said in an interview with Boxing King Media that he wants Deontay Wilder to be his next opponent, citing the American’s profile as the reason for targeting him.
The Ukrainian secured his status as a two time undisputed heavyweight champion in July when he stopped Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium, but later chose to vacate his WBO belt. That decision elevated Britain’s Fabio Wardley from interim to full champion and left Usyk free to pursue a voluntary defence.
Despite Wilder’s sharp decline since his trilogy with Tyson Fury, which was followed by stoppage defeats to Joseph Parker in 2023 and Zhilei Zhang in 2024, Usyk still considers the former WBC champion a marquee name. Wilder returned in June after more than a year out, stopping the little known Tyrrell Anthony Herndon in seven rounds.
Usyk said he remains keen to box again next year and views Wilder as the leading candidate. He described the American as a famous and strong fighter and one of the division’s standout heavyweights of the past decade.
Whether the bout can be arranged quickly enough remains uncertain, with several mandatory challengers already tied up elsewhere. Agit Kabayel is scheduled to meet Damian Knyba on 10 January for the WBC interim title, the IBF has ordered Richard Torrez Jr to face Frank Sanchez in a final eliminator, and WBA regular champion Kubrat Pulev is set to fight Murat Gassiev on 12 December.
Usyk, who has twice beaten Tyson Fury as well as Dubois and Anthony Joshua, has previously said he intends to fight for only two more years, aiming for a final return to the ring in 2026. The Olympic gold medallist became undisputed champion at cruiserweight before moving up to heavyweight and outpointing Fury to become boxing’s first undisputed champion in 25 years.
