PARIS, France (AFP) — Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk said on Friday he was vacating his three boxing world title belts but is not retiring.

The 39-year-old Ukrainian, who is unbeaten in his professional career, said he wanted “to make them free so that the guys who are in line for them can box.”

Usyk’s announcement came just a month after he came close to a shock upset defeat to Kick-boxer Rico Verhoeven.

Usyk needed a highly-controversial 11th-round stoppage to turn the tables on the Dutchman, who had been leading on the scorecards up to that point despite taking part in only his second boxing bout.

“Good day to everyone. Today is Friday, the weather is good, and it’s a good day to say that I want to vacate all the belts that I currently hold -— to make them free so that the guys who are in line for them can box,” said Usyk in a social media post.

“My friends, I’m giving up the belts, but I’m not leaving the sport, because I still have my last dance.”

“I want to thank everyone; I respect all organizations. I want to thank everyone and say there is more to come.”

Usyk, who had held the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) belts, has been undisputed world champion at both cruiserweight and heavyweight and boasts an unblemished record of 25 victories, including 16 knock-outs, in as many fights.

In his amateur career, he was Olympic, world and European champion.

He is known for his excellent footwork and ring craft, as well as his ability to punch from unorthodox angles.

But he looked a shadow of his former self in a labored and uninspired performance against Verhoeven, whose jerky style and bulldozing aggression had unsettled the Ukrainian.

Verhoeven had rocked Usyk several times in the shadow of the Great Pyramid of Giza before being floored late in the 11th round.

After rising to his feat, Usyk swarmed him with a barrage of blows but Verhoeven seemed to be riding out the storm before the referee jumped in to end the fight.

Usyk’s most iconic victories have been against British heavyweights Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois — whom he beat twice each.

He beat Joshua in September 2021 to win the WBA, World Boxing Organization (WBO) and IBF belts and then took the WBC belt off Fury in May 2024.

He had to vacate the IBF belt for his rematch with Fury but then won it back off Dubois in July 2025, only to vacate the WBO belt a few months later.

Dubois then beat fellow Briton Fabio Wardley in May to win that belt.

Usyk became WBO cruiserweight champion in 2016 when he defeated Pole Krzysztof Glowacki, beating Latvia’s Mairis Briedis in 2018 to add the WBC strap and then months later claiming the WBA and IBF belts off Russian Murat Gassiev.

The Russian, who has since also moved up to heavyweight, was Usyk’s WBA mandatory challenger and has now been upgraded to champion.