In a sunlit video message posted to Instagram on Friday, Oleksandr Usyk announced he was vacating all three of his world heavyweight title belts, a move that instantly reshapes boxing’s marquee division. The 39-year-old Ukrainian, still unbeaten in 25 professional fights, held the WBA, WBC and IBF straps but declared he wanted to “make them free so that the guys who are in line for them can box.” He stressed, however, that he was not retiring: “I’m giving up the belts, but I’m not leaving the sport, because I still have my last dance.”

The decision comes barely a month after Usyk’s most contentious ring appearance, an 11th-round technical knockout of Dutch kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven before the Pyramids of Giza. Verhoeven, in only his second professional boxing bout, led on all three scorecards until the stoppage, prompting widespread debate over the officiating. Usyk, who has twice defeated Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois, had already been navigating the mandatory-defence obligations that come with holding multiple titles; he previously vacated the IBF and WBO belts only to reclaim one and relinquish the other in a complex dance of sanctioning-body demands.

From Mexico City, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman expressed dismay at learning of the decision via social media, telling reporters he initially thought the video might be AI-generated. In Germany, the news was greeted with particular anticipation: Agit Kabayel, the WBC interim champion, is now poised to be elevated to full champion, which would make him the first German heavyweight titleholder since Max Schmeling in the 1930s. Kabayel himself responded to Usyk’s post by hailing him as “a true legend inside and outside the ring.” Usyk’s manager, Sergey Lapin, told ESPN that the champion’s ambition is to close his career with a fight in the United States, where he has never boxed as a professional.

Usyk’s personal journey has been inseparable from the war in his homeland. After the Verhoeven fight, he revealed that his family had been sheltering from a Russian bombardment during the bout, and he dedicated the victory to Ukrainian soldiers. In recent interviews, he has spoken of a future in acting and business, yet insisted that unfinished business remains in the ring. For now, the heavyweight division stands suddenly vacant at the top, with contenders jostling for the abandoned thrones while Usyk prepares for one last, carefully choreographed exit.