Oleksandr Usyk Explains Why He Chose Wilder Fight and Relinquished WBO Defense Against Wardley

Oleksandr Usyk has set the record straight regarding his choice of next opponent. The Ukrainian champion explained why he decided to relinquish the WBO title in favor of a clash with American Deontay Wilder, bypassing the mandatory challenger.

Three-division undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk, in an exclusive interview for Ready To Fight, shared why he vacated the WBO belt instead of conducting a defense against mandatory challenger Fabio Wardley.

– You vacated the belt, chose not to fight Wardley, and selected Wilder instead. Critics say that from a sporting perspective, Wardley deserved this fight more. Why Wilder?

– First of all, it's the USA — I want to box in America. Secondly, Wilder has been at the top for the last 10 years. This is about sporting interest. In the "big three," there were Joshua, Fury, and Wilder. I beat Joshua twice, I beat Fury twice, and one unbeaten one remains — Wilder.

As a reminder, Wardley was first in line to fight Usyk due to his status as the interim challenger. However, Oleksandr stated that he is currently not interested in that matchup and relinquished the title, allowing Fabio to be elevated to full champion status.