Oleksandr Usyk ready to face Fabio Wardley

Oleksandr Usyk has said that Fabio Wardley is his former sparring partner, and he is ready to fight the Briton in a blockbuster showdown.

Wardley has recently become the WBO ruler, when Usyk decided to vacate his belt rather than face the mandatory in 2025.

Wardley has only a white-collar boxing background, but he defeated Joseph Parker last time out by knockout and also did the same with Justis Huni last year, so he is on a good run of form.

The 31-year-old has won 19 of his 21 fights through knockout power, and drew one with Frazer Clarke, which he then avenged emphatically, securing first round KO in the rematch a few months later.

Wardley was speaking to The Stomping Ground out in the United States when his interview was interrupted by Usyk, who was passing by and was asked about a fight with the Brit.

“Me, with Fabio? No problem. It’s not my problem, it’s the managers. [He’s a] good guy, we’re sparring together. He’s a world champion. Listen, boxing’s a great sport, He is world champion. So am I,” Usyk said.

The question about the potential fight was then repeated sometime down the line, and he said: “Maybe, maybe, maybe.”

For the unversed, Oleksandr Usyk informed the World Boxing Organisation that he would not face Britain’s Wardley in a mandatory defence, the WBO confirmed on November 17.

Following this, Wardley was announced as the full-fledged WBO champion and will make his first defence in 2026.

Everyone was curious about the decision made by one of the best in the boxing world, and now he has revealed why he opted not to fight Wardley.

According to Ukrainian camp manager Sergey Lapin, Usyk claims he wants to give a chance to young boxers.

“Oleksandr vacated the belt to give young boxers a chance to fight for it. Let’s see how everything develops from here. Fabio Wardley vs. Moses Itauma would be a wonderful fight for both, and it would be very interesting to see who comes out on top," Lapin said.