Frank Sanchez Eyes Mandatory Shot, Usyk Highlights Path to Title

Frank Sanchez gets a direct path to Oleksandr Usyk when he faces Richard Torrez Jnr on Saturday in an IBF final eliminator, and usyk highlights is now tied to whether he can clear the last obstacle in front of a mandatory title shot. The winner becomes the IBF mandatory challenger for the belt held by the unified champion.

That puts Sanchez in a one-fight position to change the heavyweight picture. A win would move him into line for Usyk’s belt, while a loss would leave him outside that path and force the Cuban heavyweight to reset again.

Torrez Jnr on the undercard

The eliminator sits on the undercard of Usyk’s fight against Rico Verhoeven in Giza, Egypt. Sanchez is 39 years old, and the bout arrives with his résumé still shaped by one setback: his sole defeat came against Agit Kabayel in 2024 while he was hampered by a knee injury.

Torrez brings a clean record into the bout. He has 14 victories, including 12 stoppages, and that combination makes him the kind of opponent Sanchez cannot afford to overlook in a fight that carries mandatory status as the prize.

Mike Borao on Frank Sanchez

Mike Borao said, "Frank is facing a top, undefeated, relentless southpaw in Torrez - an opponent that no one is looking past." He also said, "I expect a great performance from Frank this weekend," and added, "He has the best coach, Eddy Reynoso, in his corner, and he's worked extremely hard."

Borao tied the immediate task to the calendar too, saying, "Frank's focus is on getting past Torrez on May 23," before adding, "Only after that can he think about the future and his goal of becoming the first Cuban heavyweight champion." He said Usyk would welcome the matchup after a strong win, noting, "That said, I think Usyk would welcome a fight with Frank, particularly with an impressive win. After all, Usyk has six wins over Fury, Joshua, and Dubois, and he's starting to run out of opponents!"

Usyk title picture

The pressure on Sanchez comes from what the eliminator unlocks. The winner becomes the mandatory challenger for Usyk’s IBF belt, which makes Saturday less about staying busy and more about moving into the line that matters most.

For Sanchez, that is the clearest route left. For Usyk, it narrows the field again, with a challenger waiting if Sanchez can handle Torrez and turn the undercard into a title-shaping result.