Usyk Eyes Wilder and a Zuffa Belt for His Boxing 'Last Dance'

Oleksandr Usyk is 25-0 and out of belts by choice. The Ukrainian handed back his WBC, IBF and WBA straps in June, closing out a run as a three-time, two-division undisputed champion, and now his camp is lining up one final assignment before retirement. According to advisor Sergey Lapin, that swansong is most likely against Deontay Wilder — and it could be staged under Dana White's Zuffa Boxing banner.

Lapin told Parimatch Casino that a Usyk-Wilder matchup is one of the loudest and most realistic options on the table, and confirmed his team has spoken directly with Zuffa. There's a catch: no deal is signed yet, and the 39-year-old isn't interested in simply lending his name to a startup promotion. Lapin said the opponent, platform and money all have to line up before Usyk commits.

Why Zuffa Wants Him

The pitch cuts both ways. Usyk would instantly legitimize Zuffa's inaugural heavyweight title — no small thing for a boxing project still finding its footing. In return, Lapin made clear the payoff needs to be worthy of a final chapter, not a favor to a new belt. He also noted that first refusal on hosting the fight goes to Turki Alalshikh, who's tightly aligned with Zuffa's operation.

Wilder, for his part, has just enough momentum to make the sell work. 'The Bronze Bomber' edged Derek Chisora by split decision in April, dropping the 36-14 veteran twice in a scrappy affair. At 45-4-1 with 43 knockouts, Wilder still carries the most dangerous right hand in the division's recent history — even if the win over Chisora was closer than his power reputation suggests.

The wrinkle here is that many expected Usyk to run it back with Rico Verhoeven. That fight in May was a grind: the former kickboxing champion pushed hard before Usyk stopped him in the 11th, a performance that looked well below the Ukrainian's peak. A rematch would've made narrative sense. Instead, Team Usyk appears to be chasing a bigger occasion and a fresher name.

None of this is locked. Lapin's language — 'the numbers still need to make sense' — is the kind of thing you say when talks are real but fragile. What's clear is the shape of the endgame: Usyk wants a marquee opponent, a proper stage and a fitting payday to walk away undefeated. Wilder under the Zuffa flag, backed by Alalshikh's money, ticks a lot of those boxes.