Usyk Wants Deontay Wilder for His Final Fight — Here's Why

Oleksandr Usyk has picked his exit music, and it's Deontay Wilder. The 39-year-old Ukrainian, a spotless 25-0 (16 KO) and the man widely regarded as this era's finest heavyweight, told All Out Fighting that Wilder is the name he wants for a single farewell fight before retirement. Usyk vacated all three of his heavyweight belts earlier this year and has been chasing a clean send-off ever since.

The pitch is a target date of December 2026 or early 2027. Usyk's reasoning is simple: he called Wilder a dangerous man who spent the better part of a decade as a top-tier fighter and a world champion — the kind of one-punch threat that keeps a farewell fight honest. On paper, Wilder's 43 knockouts in 45 wins back that up.

The Verhoeven Warning

There's a reason Usyk might want a marquee opponent rather than a tune-up. Against Rico Verhoeven back in May, he looked a step slower than the fighter who bullied the division for years, and a controversial 11th-round stoppage bailed him out of what could have been a stunning upset. He got the TKO on the record. He did not get the reassurance.

Usyk's résumé needs no propping up. He joined Evander Holyfield as only the second man to go undisputed at both cruiserweight and heavyweight, a feat that already parks him among the all-time greats regardless of how this last fight goes. A win over Wilder is a clean full stop; anything else is a footnote to a career that's already written.

Does Wilder Still Move the Needle?

The obvious knock is Wilder's form. The Bronze Bomber has dropped four of his last seven, and his most recent outing was a split-decision win over Derek Chisora — hardly the fearsome finisher who once terrorized the division. Usyk brushed off the idea that beating a diminished Wilder wouldn't earn him credit from the fans. He wants the puncher, warts and all.

If the fight lands, it pits an unbeaten lineal champion against a former WBC ruler who still carries genuine knockout equity into any round. For Usyk, it's a chance to walk away on his own terms against a name that means something. For Wilder, it's a shot at rewriting the last two years in a single night. Both men need it for different reasons — which is exactly what makes it work.