WBC crowns new heavyweight champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacates belt

Oleksandr Usyk has vacated his WBC, WBA, and IBF heavyweight titles, ending his reign that included victories over Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Daniel Dubois. The WBC has moved swiftly to crown Germany's Agit Kabayel as the new WBC heavyweight champion, confirmed by WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman via a Zoom call on June 27, 2026. Kabayel earned his interim title through wins over notable opponents including Arslanbek Makhmudov and Zhilei Zhang, and was originally ordered to face Usyk before the Ukrainian chose to vacate instead.