Usyk Targets Benavidez Fight Before Retirement

Former undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk is targeting a return to the cruiserweight division in 2027, with a potential showdown against American boxer David Benavidez planned before his retirement.

Usyk’s adviser, Sergey Lapin, disclosed the Ukrainian boxer’s plans, saying the 39-year-old wants to reclaim the undisputed cruiserweight championship as the final achievement of his professional career.

According to Lapin, Usyk intends to first compete for a vacant cruiserweight world title before pursuing a unification bout against Benavidez.

“Oleksandr aims to return to cruiserweight in 2027 and become undisputed again,” Lapin said.

“First, we are looking at a fight for a vacant world title. Then, the goal is to face David Benavidez to unify all the belts and become undisputed cruiserweight champion.

“We see 2027 as the final chapter of his career. He wants to finish as undisputed champion in the division where he first won all the belts.”

Usyk previously dominated the cruiserweight division, winning all 16 of his professional fights there and becoming undisputed champion before moving up to heavyweight in 2019.

He went on to establish himself among boxing’s leading heavyweights, defeating prominent opponents including Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois. He remains undefeated, with a professional record of 25 victories.

Benavidez, 29, is also unbeaten, with 32 professional wins. He currently holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles and is scheduled to face Poland’s Michal Cieslak on December 5 in a contest involving the WBC title.

The proposed Usyk-Benavidez fight would depend on the outcome of Benavidez’s upcoming bout and negotiations between the two camps.

Usyk had previously indicated that he wanted one final challenge before retiring, describing it as his “last dance”. His adviser’s latest comments suggest that he now intends to conclude his career by returning to the division where he first became undisputed champion.

Although no date or venue has been confirmed for the proposed fight, the 2027 plan has placed a potential cruiserweight showdown between the two undefeated boxers on the agenda.