Usyk in Zuffa talks for farewell bout with Wilder

A side-by-side image of Oleksandr Usyk and Deontay Wilder

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption,

Oleksandr Usyk (left) won an Olympic gold medal before dominating as a cruiserweight and heavyweight in the professional ranks

ByKal SajadBBC Sport boxing journalist

Published11 minutes ago

Heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk is in talks with Dana White's Zuffa Boxing for a farewell fight against Deontay Wilder in America.

The Ukrainian vacated his WBA 'Super', WBC and IBF heavyweight titles last week, but insisted he has not retired and wants "one last dance".

Usyk, 39, is unbeaten in 25 professional fights and widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters of his generation, while Wilder, 40, is a former world champion but well past his peak.

"Usyk has already stated that he sees Deontay Wilder as the opponent for his last dance," Usyk's team director, Sergey Lapin, told BBC Sport.

"It is a match-up with significant potential from a sporting, media and international perspective."

American Wilder's manager, Shelly Finkel, told BBC Sport: "If Deontay is offered a fight with Usyk, he would take it."

The bout could be promoted by Zuffa Boxing, with Usyk potentially linking up with the new promotional venture for the final stage of his career.

Zuffa Boxing, fronted by UFC president White and backed by Saudi Arabian funding, is seeking to challenge boxing's established promotional model by recognising its own champions rather than relying on the sport's traditional sanctioning-body belts.

"We are in direct discussions with Zuffa Boxing at the highest level. At this stage, no agreements have been signed," Lapin added.

"Zuffa Boxing is being considered as one of the potential partners for a major international event.

"The final structure will be determined based on what is in the best interests of the fight, the fighters, and the overall scale of the project."

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America most 'logical' location for Usyk-Wilder

Usyk controversially stopped kickboxing great Rico Verhoeven in May and had been ordered to defend his WBC belt against 'interim' champion Agit Kabayel next.

Instead, he chose to give up his titles. Kabayel has since been upgraded to full world champion.

There have been calls for Usyk to give Verhoeven a rematch after the Dutchman pushed him to the limit despite having boxed only once before. Verhoeven, a dominant force in kickboxing, was eventually stopped late in the 11th round.

But Usyk, a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion who was also undisputed at cruiserweight, appears to favour Wilder as the opponent for his farewell fight.

Wilder beat Briton Derek Chisora by split decision in April to record the 45th win of his 50-fight professional career.

The Alabama fighter, who has 43 stoppage victories, was once regarded as the hardest-hitting heavyweight in boxing. But he has been in decline in recent years and has not looked the same fighter since his trilogy with Tyson Fury.

Lapin says America is "the most logical option" for Usyk-Wilder, but the date and location remain open.

"There is considerable interest surrounding this possibility at the moment, but no concrete agreements have been reached," Lapin said.

"A fight of this level requires more than just the right names. It also requires the right partner, the right venue, the right broadcast platform, and an event of the appropriate scale."