Usyk says retirement is near after 'One more last dance' comment

Former heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk told BBC Sport he wants one "last dance" before retiring. He insisted it will only be one more fight and no more.

Usyk, who has held the heavyweight world title, spoke to BBC Sport about his plans for the end of his career. In the interview he used the phrase "last dance" to describe a final appearance in the ring. He made clear that he expects to stop after a single additional bout, saying it will only be one more fight and no more.

The remarks came as a direct statement to BBC Sport, where Usyk outlined his intention to stage a solitary farewell. He framed that farewell as definitive rather than the start of a prolonged wind-down. The concise wording "last dance" served to sum up that approach.

Usyk repeatedly returned to the same basic declaration during the conversation, emphasising the singular nature of the bout he envisions. He declined to expand the plan into an extended series of farewell contests, sticking to the line that there would be only one more. The combination of his championship pedigree and the bluntness of the comments underlined the significance of the announcement.

Those words leave little ambiguity about his immediate intentions: a final outing followed by retirement. By telling BBC Sport he wants one "last dance" and that it will only be one more fight and no more, Usyk set out a clear endpoint for his ring career.