Oleksandr Usyk’s return date and likely next opponent revealed

Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley will battle to decide who is next in line for a shot at Oleksandr Usyk’s undisputed heavyweight titles on Saturday.

Oleksandr Usyk's advisor, Sergey Lapin, has revealed that the Ukrainian is expected back in the ring in the first half of 2026 to defend his undisputed heavyweight titles.

This comes shortly after Usyk claimed he plans to fight until he is 41, and he is reportedly targeting a fight against Joseph Parker or Fabio Wardley next.

“[After the Daniel Dubois fight] He was non-committal about even fighting one more fight,” Mike Coppinger said on Monday’s Inside The Ring show. “But I spoke to Usyk’s advisor Sergey Lapin, and he said he expects maybe five more fights from Usyk and that he is looking at the first half of 2026 against the winner of this Saturday’s fight between Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley."

Usyk was initially ordered to negotiate for an undisputed title defence against Joseph Parker in July, but received a 90-day extension due to a back injury sustained during his fight with Daniel Dubois.

Parker has chosen to stay active and will defend his WBO interim title and mandatory challenger status against WBA interim champion Fabio Wardley at the O2 Arena on Saturday.

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Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley, right, face off in London (Ben Whitley/PA) (PA Wire)

Parker is on the run of a lifetime, having beaten Zhilei Zhang, Deontay Wilder and Martin Bakole to position himself as mandatory challenger.

Wardley is coming off a dramatic win over Justis Huni in June, and is hoping to make an unlikely run at a world title despite his lack of world-level experience if he can topple Parker.

Tyson Fury has been vocal about coming back for a trilogy fight with Usyk despite losing both fights in 2024, but Lapin said he doesn’t see why anyone would want to see that fight.

“Theoretically, it’s an interesting option, but for whom?” Lapin asked The Ring. “If boxing fans truly support it, then maybe. However, in my opinion, that chapter is closed."

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Another option is the heir apparent to the heavyweight crown, Moses Itauma, whom Turki Alalshikh has expressed an interest in putting in with Usyk. But Lapin insisted Itauma is not at the required level to face the undisputed champion.

“Itauma still needs a serious test before facing a legend,” Lapin said. “Have we seen him go the full 12-round distance? Has he been in dangerous situations in the ring? My answer is no. At this stage, he doesn’t have the tools to beat Usyk.”

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Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley fight on Saturday, October 25, to become the WBO mandatory challenger to Oleksandr Usyk. Watch the fight and undercard live and exclusive on DAZN PPV.

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