news-engine

← boxing

Champions by Weight Class: Heavyweight Edition

· BBN Editor · 2026-08-12T11:24:57+00:00 · nguồn gốc

Key points: - Agit Kabayel holds the WBC heavyweight title, elevated from interim champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated in June 2026 - Daniel Dubois holds the WBO title, won by stopping Fabio Wardley in the 11th round in May 2026 - The IBF title is vacant and will be contested by Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic on August 29 - Murat Gassiev holds the WBA title A division reshuffled by one decision Oleksandr Usyk’s choice to vacate his heavyweight titles earlier this year didn’t just create an opening. It scattered the division’s biggest prize across three different men, with a fourth belt still sitting empty. Here’s exactly who holds what right now. WBC – Agit Kabayel Kabayel (27-0, 19 KOs) was elevated from interim to full WBC champion the day after Usyk relinquished the title in June 2026. The German southpaw made history in the process, becoming the first heavyweight world champion of Kurdish descent and Germany’s first heavyweight champion since Max Schmeling in 1932. He built his case for the position with a fourth-round stoppage of previously unbeaten Arslanbek Makhmudov and a dominant win over Zhilei Zhang, and has said he’s open to defending against any of the division’s top names once a fall date is arranged. WBO – Daniel Dubois Dubois (23-3, 22 KOs) won the WBO title in dramatic fashion, rising from two early knockdowns to stop Fabio Wardley in the 11th round back in May at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena. It’s Dubois’ second reign as a world heavyweight champion, having previously held the IBF title before losing it to Usyk. A rematch clause with Wardley remains in place, though Dubois’ team has floated other options for his next defence. WBA – Murat Gassiev Gassiev (33-2, 28 KOs) inherited the full WBA title last year after Usyk vacated it along with his WBC and IBF belts, without having to fight for it outright. He made his first defence of the belt against late replacement Peter Kadiru, stepping in after original opponent Tony Yoka withdrew with an injury just days before fight night. Gassiev needed only six rounds to get the job done, trapping Kadiru against the ropes and forcing a stoppage. IBF – Vacant The IBF title has sat empty since Usyk’s decision to relinquish it, and it won’t stay that way much longer. Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic meet for the vacant championship on August 29 at London’s O2 Arena, giving the division its first fully resolved four-belt picture since the reshuffle began. Why this matters going forward With three of the four titles now settled among Kabayel, Dubois, and Gassiev, and the fourth about to be decided in London, the heavyweight division is edging back toward a stage where unification fights actually become possible again. Something that’s been largely theoretical since Usyk cleared out the field.