Wardley to be world champion as Usyk gives up belt

After Oleksandr Usyk made the decision to drop him as WBO heavyweight champion, Fabio Wardley of Great Britain is expected to do so.

The World Boxing Organization (WBO) informed Ukrainian fighter Usyk that he would not defend his title against Wardley without being required to do so.

Usyk “opted to relinquish his title after taking his position seriously,” according to the WBO.

After defeating Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in July, Usyk is still the WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight champion.

He defeated Tyson Fury to win the IBF title in May of 2024, first before losing to the mandatory challenger five weeks later.

In a statement, WBO President Gustavo Olivieri described Usyk as “a champion of champions.”

Oleksandr Usyk, an undefeated, two-division WBO undisputed world champion, has received the WBO’s deepest respect, admiration, and gratitude, according to Olivieri.

“His boxing career is one of the most extraordinary and significant of our time,” he said.

Anthony Joshua defeated Usyk to claim the WBO belt in 2021, and the pair continued to defend it four more times.

The WBO had ordered negotiations for a mandatory defense of interim champion Joseph Parker of New Zealand in July, but Usyk’s back injury forced the decision to postpone the fight.

However, Wardley, 30, won the interim title from Parker last month in the eleventh round of the London O2 Arena and was required to face Usyk before September.

Wardley’s promotion has not yet been confirmed by the WBO, but his promoter, Frank Warren, sees it as a formality.

Warren posted on X, “Britain has a new heavyweight world champion and a new star of the sport.”

“I could not be prouder of Fabio Wardley because it is one of the most incredible stories I’ve seen in my 45 years as a promoter.”

As he defends his WBO belt and leaves a lasting legacy in the sport, there are some significant fights in store for 2026.