Usyk says he won’t fight Itauma

Two-time undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has ruled out an imminent showdown with rising star Moses Itauma and revealed he plans to continue fighting until age 41

The Ukrainian southpaw dismissed talk of facing the 20-year-old British prospect in his next bout, saying the youngster is too young for such a high-profile clash.

“No, I won’t fight Itauma. He’s young, always teasing me. And he said himself he doesn’t hit grandpas,” Usyk joked in an interview with Ready To Fight.

The 38-year-old champion added that active negotiations prevent him from naming future opponents.

Usyk has not fought since his dazzling fifth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois on July 19 at Wembley Stadium and is currently recovering from a back injury.

The pound-for-pound star does not expect to defend his IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO, and Ring titles until 2026.

However, Usyk has revised his retirement plans, announcing he intends to extend his career beyond his previously stated goal of one more fight.

“I’ll fight until I’m 41,” Usyk told his Ready to Fight website. “Then I will build a sports academy. I will train there and train others.”

The revised timeline hints at a busier late-career stretch once he’s fully healthy, with multiple defences potentially stacked into 2026–2028.

Itauma rocketed up the division with a first-round knockout of Dillian Whyte on August 16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In the immediate aftermath, Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh publicly floated the idea of Usyk–Itauma, and the British prodigy has called such a bout a “win-win”, even in defeat.

For now, Usyk appears to prefer more seasoned opposition, though the match-up could resurface in the next couple of years as Itauma continues his ascent.

The unbeaten champion is ranked number two pound-for-pound by The Ring and boasts a record of 24-0 with 15 knockouts.

Before beating Dubois, Usyk suggested he would fight only once more after a rematch with the former IBF titleholder, but that stance has now softened.

His next fight could be a defence of his WBO belt against the winner of the Joseph Parker versus Fabio Wardley showdown. Alternatively, he might forgo the belt and wait for a more high-profile bout.

A back injury has prevented the world heavyweight champion from fighting for the rest of this year, but he is training and preparing for a targeted return in 2026.

Itauma, who is 13-0 with 11 knockouts, is often considered the second coming of Mike Tyson because of his incredible rise through the ranks.