On May 18, Oleksandr Usyk scored an iconic win over Tyson Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. However, his reign of all four belts would be short-lived and he would face a long-term suspension. Due to a contracted rematch with “The Gypsy King ” and the IBF’s strict rules regarding mandatory challengers, the Ukrainian will be stripped of the IBF title. After this, there will be a fight for the IBG title between Filip Hrgrovic and Daniel Dubois in June. The winner of the bout is likely to face Anthony Joshua in September, setting up a possible unification fight with the winner of the Fury vs. Usky rematch.
Due to mandatory rules Usyk has to vacate the title
“The Cat” is currently focused on the rematch with Fury and is not worried about the impending loss of the IBF title. After a long and tough training camp, he is ready to solidify his position as the top heavyweight in the world with another win over Fury. Despite delays in scheduling such fights in recent years, the IBF has a reputation for being strict with their mandatory challengers. Filip Hrgovic had to wait a long time to secure a fight for the mandatory spot, eventually earning it by beating Zilei Zhang in 2022.
The last time the IBF heavyweight title was defended against a mandatory opponent was in 2020, when Joshua was successful in retaining his IBF, WBO and WBA belts against Kubrat Pulev. Because Fury injured his eye during training, the Usyk vs. Fury match got delayed and the IBF became impatient with its mandatory obligation. With Usyk having no chance to defend the belt, it would be vacated within weeks of his win.
Usyk is facing medical suspension
Although Usyk has become the undisputed champion, he has been medically suspended by the British Boxing Board of Control until June 2. This suspension will not have a significant impact on his boxing career, as he is expected to take a break before a potential rematch with Fury in October this year. After their recent fight, Fury claimed that Oleksandr’s jaw was broken. But this was later disapproved of by Usyk at the press conference. His promoter, Alex Krassyuk, clarified that Usyk experienced discomfort in his upper jaw and underwent medical testing as a precaution. The problem was minor, requiring only one week for recovery.
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