Oleksandr Usyk: Champion wants Deontay Wilder as his next opponent

Oleksandr Usyk, the unified heavyweight world champion, has expressed his desire to face Deontay Wilder in his next fight. The Ukrainian, who became a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion after stopping Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in July, has named Wilder as his "first option".

Wilder, a former WBC world champion and once the division's most feared puncher, has struggled since his trilogy with Tyson Fury. His stock plummeted after back-to-back stoppage defeats by Joseph Parker in 2023 and Zhilei Zhang in 2024. The American returned to the ring in June with a low-key seventh-round stoppage of little-known Tyrrell Anthony Herndon.

Usyk, who has twice beaten Fury, Dubois and Anthony Joshua, plans to fight for only two more years before potentially retiring from boxing. Despite Wilder's recent decline, Usyk still views him as a marquee name and "one of the great heavyweights of the last 10 years". He believes that facing Wilder would be an interesting matchup.

WBA 'regular' champion Kubrat Pulev is scheduled to fight Murat Gassiev on 12 December, while WBC 'interim' champion Agit Kabayel meets Damian Knyba on 10 January. The IBF has ordered Richard Torrez Jr to face Frank Sanchez in a final eliminator.

Usyk's team has confirmed that he wants to fight Wilder as his next opponent, although the exact date of the fight is yet to be announced.

come on, usyk should just do it already ! he's got the momentum and fury is looking done for a while now... wilder might not be at his peak but still gotta give credit where credit is due - that guy can put the hurt on you in like 30 seconds flat . if anyone thinks this fight won't be huge, they're wrong. boxing fans are always about drama and controversy, and usyk vs wilder delivers .

think usyk makes good point about wilder... wasnt expecting him to name him first option though wilder been struggling since fury trilogy but still has that power in ring gotta wonder what would happen if they did face off tho maybe its time for wilder to prove himself again

I'm so down for this potential Usyk vs Wilder fight ! The Ukrainian champ is on a roll and I love how confident he's being about facing Deontay, who's been struggling lately . But you gotta respect the dude - he's still one of the biggest names in boxing and would bring huge attention to any fight against Usyk . Me? I'm hoping for an April-May 2025 showdown . It'll be a clash of styles, with Wilder's power vs Usyk's speed & ring smarts . One thing's for sure - it'll be an epic battle for the ages! Can't wait to see how this one plays out... #UsykVsWilder #Boxing #FightingSeason

I think Usyk is crazy for wanting to step into the ring with Wilder at this point . I mean, Wilder hasn't been himself since those losses to Parker and Zhang back in 2023... his skills are like rusty now . Don't get me wrong, it's gonna be a big matchup, but can Usyk really take on the best of the worst? It'd be an entertaining fight, I guess, but let's see how Wilder bounces back from this one

"Believe you can and you're halfway there." - The road to facing Deontay Wilder might be tough for him after a slump in form , but Usyk believes that facing the "Bronx Bomber" would still make for an electrifying fight ️!

I just got back from the most amazing food truck festival over the weekend their Korean BBQ was insane I mean have you ever had a good kimchi pancake? it's like a flavor explosion in your mouth anyway, what's up with Usyk and Wilder's fight? I don't know how much longer Wilder can keep going at his pace he's been through so much recently... and Usyk is only gonna have two more years of boxing before he retires?! what does he plan on doing then maybe open a chain of boxing gyms?

OMG can you believe Usyk wants to take on Wilder now?! I'm all for it though, both are incredible fighters and a fight between them would be EPIC ! Wilder's been through some rough times but Usyk still thinks he's a top dog, I respect that. As a parent, I worry about my kid watching these fights tho, it can get pretty intense ! The boxing world is always full of surprises and I'm excited to see what happens next

I think Usyk and Wilder would make for an awesome fight ! I mean, both are legends in their own right & it'd be sick to see them go at it in the ring. I get why Usyk wants this fight tho - he's gotta know what's comin' at him next & Wilder's still got that crazy power in his arsenal . It'll be interesting to see how Wilder bounces back from those losses though, 'cause he's still the same old Deontay we all love . I'm just glad Usyk's not waitin' around, he wants to get this done before he hangs up his gloves .

omg i am SO here for this matchup!!! usyk vs wilder would be INSANE like who wouldn't want to see those two heavyweights go at it?! me? definitely and yeah usyk's been on fire lately, but we all know about wilder's recent struggles... still, you gotta respect the hype train ain't dead yet

omg i think usyk would def crush wilder lol but at the same time, wilder's been on a downward spiral since his trilogy with fury and has lost some major battles... idk man, usyk's got a point about facing him tho, it'd be a huge matchup and wldr needs to get back in the win column ASAP

omg i cant even!!!!!!! Oleksandr Usyk vs Deontay Wilder would be like a dream match for me!!!!!! Usyk is literally the best boxer in the world right now and I know he can take down anyone!!! I've been following him since he was a nobody and he's come so far, 2x undisputed heavyweight champ!!!!!

Wilder on the other hand has had a crazy rollercoaster ride but I still think Usyk would be able to beat him if he puts his mind to it. And can you imagine the hype for this fight!!!!!!! It'll be like a rematch of the century!!!!! I'm so hyped for this fight!!!!!!