Oleksandr Usyk, who turned 39 in January, has revealed his career retirement plans. The Ukrainian heavyweight will face kickboxer Rico Verhoeven next weekend in Egypt for the WBC belt in what appears to be a crossover bout. Usyk suggested that finishing his career after three more fights would be appropriate timing. The post indicates he is nearing the end of his combat sports career while still competing at the highest level.
Oleksandr Usyk has opened up about the timeline he envisions for the end of his combat sports career, with the Ukrainian heavyweight suggesting that three more fights would bring his time competing to a fitting close.
The remarks came ahead of his upcoming crossover bout against Dutch kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven, scheduled to take place in Egypt, where Usyk will put the WBC heavyweight title on the line. Usyk turned 39 in January, and the conversation around retirement reflects a fighter who is thinking seriously about life after competition even as he continues operating at the sport's highest level.
Why it matters
- Usyk is among the most decorated heavyweights of his generation, and any retirement timeline carries significant weight for the division
- A WBC title fight against a kickboxer in a crossover format raises questions about the direction of his final chapter
- Three fights remaining would still leave room for marquee matchups before he walks away
No verified statistical record for Usyk was available in the AgentMMA database at the time of publication, so specific career figures have been omitted from this report. What is confirmed is that Usyk holds the WBC heavyweight belt heading into the Verhoeven contest and that he publicly framed this period as the concluding stretch of a long career across multiple combat disciplines.
The crossover nature of the Verhoeven fight — pitting a decorated boxing world champion against one of kickboxing's all-time greats — adds an unusual dimension to what Usyk has described as his final run. Whether that run extends to three bouts or fewer will depend on how the coming months unfold, but the 39-year-old has made clear he is thinking beyond any single night.
