Usyk Next Fight: New Stance on Kabayel Opens Door to Surprising Routes
The debate over usyk next fight has taken an unexpected turn after the unified world heavyweight champion outlined a mutable plan that now includes unbeaten Agit Kabayel as a realistic option. Speaking ahead of a scheduled WBC title defence in May, the champion made clear that while a third clash with Tyson Fury remains on his radar, he may instead slot Kabayel into his closing bouts — a development that reshapes the immediate heavyweight hierarchy.
Why this matters right now
Boxing’s elite calendar is compact and consequential: the champion is due to defend his WBC heavyweight title against kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt in May, and has signalled an intention to face the winner of the WBO heavyweight title fight between Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois thereafter. The choice of opponent after those commitments will influence mandatories, commercial pathways and the long-proposed trilogy with Tyson Fury. The prospect of usyk next fight veering toward Kabayel alters negotiation dynamics for all parties and could accelerate or delay a Fury rematch.
Usyk Next Fight: underlying choices and consequences
The champion framed his itinerary as a plan, not an immovable schedule. Oleksandr Usyk, WBC heavyweight champion, said: “Maybe I will fight Kabayel – maybe I don’t face Tyson Fury for a third time and I fight Kabayel instead. I only say my plan but that is not set in stone. ” That language is significant: it acknowledges both the mandatory challenger and the commercial magnetism of a Fury trilogy while preserving flexibility around family and team priorities. Choosing Kabayel — the unbeaten WBC mandatory challenger with a 27-0 record (19 KOs) — would satisfy an official ranking obligation and advance a traditional competitive route. Opting for Fury again would prioritise the marquee superfight narrative and potential legacy closure. Opting instead for the winner of the Wardley–Dubois fight would offer another path toward undisputed ambitions referenced by the champion.
Operationally, the champion’s statement that “I must live my life, I must look after my team, my children” reframes matchmaking as a balancing act between sporting mandate and career management. A Kabayel fight would resolve a clear ranking pressure; a Fury trilogy would deliver peak commercial returns and global attention; the Wardley–Dubois winner represents the shortest route to further titles. Each route carries ripple effects for mandatories, promoters, broadcasters and the fighters who would be moved up or off the calendar depending on the chosen sequence.
Expert perspectives and regional stakes
Voices inside the division have already reacted. Agit Kabayel, unbeaten WBC mandatory challenger, has publicly questioned the champion’s priorities, saying the champion “is only interested in money; everything else is of no interest to him. ” That critique underscores the tension between ranking obligations and lucrative super-fights that has long characterised heavyweight negotiations.
From the champion’s side, Usyk also noted: “I understand the Agit fans are saying you must fight him, you must fight him. But I don’t have to fight him. ” He added praise for the challenger: “Maybe it’s possible I fight Agit. He’s a great fighter, and he’s very smart. ” Those two threads — a mandatory claimant pressing for a title shot and a champion keeping options open — set up a near-term bargaining table where timelines, purse splits and legacy considerations will collide.
Regionally, a Kabayel fight places emphasis on the champion’s obligation to the WBC rankings, while a pivot to the Wardley–Dubois winner would highlight the WBO landscape and extend into national narratives tied to those contenders. Globally, the potential postponement or abandonment of a Fury trilogy would shift marquee attention and revenue expectations across European and Middle Eastern venues already linked to heavyweight spectacles.
The championship’s immediate schedule — the May defence at the Pyramids of Giza and the post-May targeting of the Wardley–Dubois victor — means stakeholders must prepare contingency plans. Promoters and matchmakers will watch the champion’s remarks closely as timelines tighten and mandatories press for resolution.
So, as the heavyweight map narrows and possibilities multiply, will the champion seal a legacy-defining trilogy or accept the rank-driven path with Kabayel — and what will that choice mean for the sport’s next chapter? The answer to that central question will determine how the next era of heavyweight boxing is written, and how swiftly the usyk next fight decision reshapes the division.
