Oleksandr Usyk must defend WBC heavyweight title against Agit Kabayel next, says president Mauricio Sulaimán
WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán says Oleksandr Usyk must fight Agit Kabayel next or be stripped of his title, ruling out prospect of an immediate Rico Verhoeven rematch unless the Ukrainian wants to vacate one of the three belts he holds
Monday 1 June 2026 21:20, UK
WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán has reiterated that Oleksandr Usyk will be stripped of his world heavyweight title if he does not face Agit Kabayel.
Kabayel has been waiting patiently for his shot at the unified heavyweight champion, having held the position of WBC interim champion - and No 1 contender to Usyk - since February 2025.
The WBC sanctioned Usyk's voluntary defence of his belt against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in Egypt on May 23, but ordered the Ukrainian to face mandatory challenger Kabayel in his next fight.
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Usyk has faced calls for an immediate rematch with Verhoeven after the controversial finish in front of the pyramids, but it is not an option the WBC will consider.
"The WBC ruling was very clear," Sulaimán told Sky Sports. "We accepted Usyk's petition for a voluntary defence, which has now taken place.
"Now the mandatory fight is Usyk against the interim champion Kabayel."
Usyk is the reigning unified WBC, WBA Super and IBF heavyweight champion, but risks being stripped of one of those three titles if the Kabayel fight fails to materialise.
Usyk's second reign as undisputed heavyweight champion ended when he vacated his WBO title in November 2025, opening the door for Fabio Wardley and then Daniel Dubois to win it.
Whether Kabayel will be elevated from interim to full WBC heavyweight champion in the event of Usyk's dethronement - or instead ordered to fight for the vacant title - remains to be seen.
Sulaimán would not be drawn on the matter, adding: "We don't anticipate. We don't speculate.
"Only when something happens, when something is presented, do we go through the Board of Governors to make the proper ruling."
'Referees are lifekeepers, not timekeepers'
Matters could well have been taken out of Usyk's hands had his dramatic title defence against Verhoeven ended differently.
Kickboxing world champion Verhoeven, competing in only his second professional boxing bout, pushed Usyk all the way before being dropped by an uppercut and stopped with a second remaining in round 11.
Referee Mark Lyson was criticised for stopping the fight prematurely, but Sulaimán jumped to his defence.
"I'm very proud of Mark Lyson, the referee," he said. "Because the referee's only concern is the safety of the fighter.
"He's not a timekeeper. He's a lifekeeper. We will always support a referee.
"There's only one person in the whole world who can see what he has seen - the eyes of the fighter, the reaction, the situation.
"How many fights have we seen where one more punch can hurt a fighter?
"Rico went down. His mouthpiece came out. Time is called when the mouthpiece goes out. It was replaced.
"The referee is not concerned about the time. Even if the bell rings, you can stop the fight at any time. The referee's decision is the one that counts."
