Deontay Wilder‘s hopes of facing Oleksandr Usyk for his WBC heavyweight title look to be over.
Over the past few months, Wilder has been linked to a showdown with Usyk, who along with the WBC title, also holds the WBA and IBF belts.
Wilder was once the long-term WBC champion, making 10 defences of the strap between 2015 and 2020, and had regularly stated his desire to reclaim his crown again.
A bout between Usyk and Wilder didn’t come to fruition after ‘The Bronze Bomber’ instead opted to take on Derek Chisora in April, but it was believed a victory there may have led to the clash against the Ukrainian.
Those plans could now be up in smoke, after it was announced that the WBC had ordered Usyk to defend his belt against mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel immediately after his next voluntary defence.
Usyk is expected to return over the next few months, and has been linked to make that voluntary defence against the likes of Andy Ruiz or Rico Verhoeven, but may have to turn his attention after that to Kabayel rather than Wilder.
Kabayel is the current WBC interim heavyweight champion, with the unbeaten star having defeated fighters such as Zhilei Zhang, Frank Sanchez and Arslanbek Makhmudov throughout his career.
Usyk could choose to vacate his WBC belt if he decides a fight against Wilder is more lucrative than a clash against Kabayel, but ‘The Bronze Bomber’ must first beat Chisora, then potentially face the Ukrainian for the WBA and IBF belts, with the chance to become WBC champion again now seemingly gone.