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WBO Shakes Up Heavyweight Division: Usyk's Next Opponent Not Who You'd Expect

George Fields July 25, 2025, 6:13 a.m.
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Oleksandr Usyk will face Joseph Parker for the WBO heavyweight title. The World Boxing Organization's president, Gustavo Olivieri, made the announcement on social media platform X.

Usyk, the undisputed heavyweight champion, must now reconsider his retirement plans. The Ukrainian fighter knocked out Daniel Dubois in the fifth round at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, July 19. This was a rematch for Usyk, who had previously mentioned hanging up his gloves after securing the undisputed heavyweight champion label.

Parker, a New Zealander with a record of 36 wins (24 by knockout) and 3 losses, earned his shot at the title recently. He was originally set to fight Daniel Dubois on February 22, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. When Dubois pulled out due to illness during fight week, Parker instead faced Martin Bakole. Parker knocked out Bakole in the second round, claiming the WBO interim title.

Olivieri stated that the WBO will soon reveal a deadline for the free negotiation period. During this time, Usyk and Parker's teams will discuss the venue, date, and financial details of the fight.

Usyk hasn't yet responded to the challenge. If he refuses to fight Parker, he could lose his WBO belt.

"Usyk is the undisputed champion and Parker is the interim champion and mandatory challenger," Olivieri explained on X.

This fight order comes after Usyk's two victories over Tyson Fury. Their first bout at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh saw Usyk win by split decision, making him the first fully unified heavyweight champion of the four-belt era. In their rematch on December 21 last year, Usyk won again, this time by unanimous decision after 12 rounds.

Minutes after Usyk's win over Dubois, Fury claimed he was ready to face the Ukrainian again, saying he knows how to defeat him. Saudi Arabian promoter Turki Alalshikh has proposed another Usyk-Fury matchup. However, with Usyk having already beaten Fury twice, this potential third fight seems more like Fury's whim than a necessary tiebreaker.

Watch this story: Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois 2 Undercard - Full Fight Card List, Schedule, Running Order

For now, all eyes are on Usyk and Parker as they prepare for their upcoming title clash.

Tags
Oleksandr Usyk Tyson Fury Joseph Parker Daniel Dubois Martin Bakole
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