Overview
- Usyk’s adviser Serhii (Sergey) Lapin said Friday that the 39-year-old plans to drop back to cruiserweight in 2027 to pursue an undisputed title before retiring.
- Lapin described a two-step plan in which Usyk would first fight for the currently vacant IBF cruiserweight belt and then seek a unification fight with David Benavidez.
- Benavidez presently holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles and is scheduled to fight WBC champion Michal Cieslak on December 5, so the winner of that fight will shape any 2027 unification path.
- No dates, contracts, IBF sanctioning decisions or cross-promotional agreements have been announced, so the plan remains reported intent rather than a confirmed matchup.
- The idea returns Usyk to the division where he first became undisputed and follows his May decision to vacate heavyweight belts after beating Rico Verhoeven, which shifts the end-of-career options he and promoters are weighing.