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Unified heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk has named Deontay Wilder as the “first option” for his next fight.<\/b><\/p>\n
The Ukrainian stopped Londoner Daniel Dubois<\/a> at Wembley Stadium in July to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion.<\/p>\n Usyk, 38, then vacated his WBO belt, with Britain’s Fabio Wardley upgraded<\/a> from ‘interim’ to full champion.<\/p>\n “I continue fighting next year. I want to fight Deontay Wilder. I think it’s interesting,” he told Boxing King Media.<\/p>\n Wilder, a former WBC world champion and once the division’s most feared puncher, has struggled since his trilogy with Tyson Fury<\/a>.<\/p>\n The American’s stock plummeted after back-to-back stoppage defeats by Joseph Parker in 2023 and Zhilei Zhang in 2024.<\/p>\n After more than a year out, Wilder, 40, returned in June with a low-key seventh-round stoppage of little-known Tyrrell Anthony Herndon.<\/p>\n Despite that decline, Usyk still views ‘The Bronze Bomber’ as a marquee name.<\/p>\n “He is a world champion guy. A very famous and strong guy,” Usyk said.<\/p>\n “One of the great heavyweights of the last 10 years. I spoke with my team and said he is the first option.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n