Usyk targets Benavidez fight before retirement
Heavyweight star Oleksandr Usyk is targeting a return to the cruiserweight division in 2027 for a showdown against David Benavidez before he retires. Read More: https://punchng.com/usyk-targets-benavidez-fight-before-retirement/
Ukrainian heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk is planning a return to the cruiserweight division in 2027, according to his adviser Sergey Lapin. The former undisputed heavyweight champion aims to reclaim the cruiserweight world title before attempting to unify the belts and become the undisputed champion in that division.
Usyk, 39, won all 16 of his fights in the cruiserweight division before transitioning to heavyweight in 2019. He has a professional record of 25 wins from 25 fights and previously held the title as a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion. Benavidez, a 29-year-old American, currently holds the WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles and is set to face Poland's Michal Cieslak on December 5.
Usyk's potential return to the division, where he first established himself as a leading fighter, remains a plan, but the proposed bout with Benavidez has now been placed on the radar as a potential blockbuster match.
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