'Unbelievable': Oleksandr Usyk vacates IBF title, divides fans as 'perfect setup for Fury vs. Joshua'

It was a very short reign Oleksandr Usyk As the undisputed champion, he had to vacate his IBF heavyweight title just five weeks after being crowned. Here's what happened: Tyson Fury The two teams have invoked the rematch clause and the match is scheduled to be played again on December 21, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the IBF has ordered Usyk to face the interim world heavyweight champion. Daniel Dubois Or relinquish the title. Dubois has emerged as a front-runner for the IBF title. 5v5 event held in Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaWith Usyk out of the picture, the former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua On September 21, he will face his compatriot Dubois at Wembley Stadium in London for the IBF title.

His two-fight deal with Fury means his hands are tied, as contractual obligations mean he cannot defend his IBF belt in time. Usyk had previously requested an exception from the IBF to keep the belt and give Fury the chance to become unbeaten champion. After his request was denied, he took to Instagram to announce his decision not to hold on to the belt any longer and wished the best of luck to the next challengers for the title.

For the first time in 24 years, the heavyweight division has an undefeated champion since Lennox Lewis. On May 18, Usyk defeated “The Gypsy King” in a hard-fought bout and secured his status as undefeated champion with a split decision victory. However, just five weeks later, the IBF stripped Usyk of his right to claim the title. However, Usyk showed no bitterness when he announced his decision to relinquish the IBF title.

He posted a video message on Instagram saying:Anthony and Daniel, listen, I know the IBF title is important to you guys. It's your gift on September 21st.” Usyk now retains the IBO, WBA, WBC and WBO world heavyweight titles, ensuring that his bout with Fury is for the unified heavyweight title, not an unbeaten title.

Now is the time for Anthony Joshua to have a chance to become a three-time heavyweight champion after losing his title. Andy Lewis and Oleksandr Usyk Respectively. Joshua has been in great form since returning after losing two straight fights to Usyk, winning three of his last four bouts by knockout. Under the tutelage of Tyson Fury's former trainer, Ben Davison, Joshua is feeling sharper than ever.

Anthony Joshua was so dominant in his last fight against Ngannou, knocking out the former UFC champion in the second round, something even former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury never managed to do, while interim heavyweight champion Dubois' last loss was also to Usyk. Since then, Dubois has landed knockout punches against both his opponents, Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic, putting him in prime position to once again become heavyweight champion.

With the title relinquished, the heavyweight division is back on track!

With Usyk relinquishing his IBF title, the door has been opened for other elite heavyweight boxers to become champions, and as fans have rightly pointed out, there are plenty of exciting fights to look forward to. One boxing fan enthused that if Fury beats unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and Joshua beats Dubois, the long-awaited British heavyweight showdown between Fury and Joshua, which has been in talks for a long time, could finally happen.

Another fan said Fury zero He has a chance to become the undisputed champion. However, this statement is not entirely true. He may not have a chance to become the undisputed champion in his next fight, but if he beats Usyk in the rematch, he may have a chance in future fights.

Meanwhile, other fans are ecstatic that Anthony Joshua has the chance to become world champion for a third time, and to do so he must beat Daniel Dubois at the famous Wembley Stadium on September 21.

One fan came up with a hypothetical scenario after Usyk relinquished the IBF title, and made a bold claim: “What if he regained the title and became the undefeated champion for the second time?”

Other fans expressed dissatisfaction that Usyk had to relinquish the title so soon after his undefeated reign. Unlike the UFC, boxing has many belts and there can be multiple world champions in one weight class, making it very difficult to decide who is the best in each weight class.

Some fans praised Usyk for relinquishing the title and giving another boxer the opportunity to challenge for the heavyweight title.

Will Usyk be able to reclaim his IBF title after the rematch with Fury? Or will the rematch with Fury mark the end of Usyk's heavyweight career? Let us know in the comments below.