The World Boxing Council (WBC) has officially granted unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk permission to make a voluntary defense of his WBC title, opening the door for a potential blockbuster fight against former champion Deontay Wilder.
This development, announced during the WBC’s annual convention in Bangkok, Thailand, comes just days after Usyk publicly named Wilder as his “first option” for a 2026 return to the
Oleksandr Usyk, the 38-year-old Ukrainian southpaw, entered 2025 as the undisputed heavyweight king, holding the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO belts after his historic May 2024 majority decision win over Tyson Fury—the first loss of Fury’s career.
He solidified his reign with a dominant fifth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois in July 2025 at Wembley Stadium, marking his fifth consecutive heavyweight victory.
However, Usyk vacated the WBO title in late 2025 to avoid facing mandatory challenger Fabio Wardley, allowing Wardley to be upgraded to full WBO champion.
This left Usyk as the unified holder of the WBC, WBA, and IBF straps. With mandatory challengers looming across organizations—including the WBC’s interim champion Agit Kabayel facing Damian Knyba on January 10, 2026, and an IBF final eliminator between Richard Torrez Jr. and Frank Sanchez—Usyk petitioned the WBC for flexibility to select his next opponent.
The request was swiftly approved, with WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman confirming: “Usyk did petition for a voluntary defence which was granted today.”
The IBF has also signaled no opposition to a Usyk-Wilder matchup, further smoothing the way for negotiations.
Deontay Wilder, the 40-year-old “Bronze Bomber” from Alabama, re-entered the WBC’s top 10 rankings following a low-profile seventh-round stoppage of journeyman Tyrell Anthony Herndon in June 2025—his first win since stopping Robert Helenius in 2022.
Wilder’s storied career includes a decade-long reign as WBC champion from 2015 to 2020, where he racked up 10 defenses and became synonymous with one-punch knockout power (43 KOs in 44 wins).
Yet, Wilder’s recent form has been rocky: He suffered stoppage losses to Fury (in their 2021 rematch and 2023 trilogy finale), a decision defeat to Joseph Parker in 2024, and a brutal knockout by Zhilei Zhang later that year.
Critics have called the WBC’s ranking bump “cynical,” arguing it overlooks Wilder’s 1-4 skid in his last five fights. Despite this, Usyk sees value in the matchup.
Usyk hasn’t fought since July and has vowed a 2026 return, potentially fitting in this voluntary defense before tackling mandatories like Lawrence Okolie (who faces Moses Itauma in a WBC eliminator).
A Usyk-Wilder bout could headline a major card in the first half of 2026, possibly in the U.S. to capitalize on Wilder’s marketability.