Usyk knocked out Daniel Dubois in the fifth round last weekend at Wembley Stadium in London. The win made Usyk the undisputed heavyweight champion for the second time in his career.
The WBO has now said Usyk must face Parker next, picking him over other contenders like Tyson Fury, Agit Kabayel, and Derek Chisora.
Parker's been on a roll lately. He's beaten Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang, and Martin Bakole in his last three fights. The New Zealander held the WBO heavyweight title from 2016 to 2018 and wants to become world champion again.
Parker knows he's got a tough task ahead. He talked about his game plan for Usyk in a recent interview.
"With Usyk, he's a superior boxer and a very good technician. Ring IQ is very good. You have to apply pressure and match him for punches. He throws a lot of punches, you have to be very fit, have good endurance, and be able to sustain that from the first round to the last round."
Parker will need to put pressure on Usyk, throw as many punches as him, and stay fit for all 12 rounds. It's a tall order against the undefeated Ukrainian champion.
Carl Froch, a former super-middleweight world champion, has given his thoughts on the potential fight. Boxing fans will be eager to see if Parker can pull off the upset and become a two-time world heavyweight champion.