Oleksandr Usyk's choice to vacate his championship titles explained - so he can decide ‘final chapter’ for himself

Oleksandr Usyk relinquished his heavyweight world championships "to decide for himself" the final chapter of his career.

The WBC has now ruled that Agit Kabayel will be its new heavyweight champion, with the IBF and WBA still to decide what next for their newly-vacated belts.

Kabayel was the holder of a WBC interim title, making him the mandatory challenger and next in line to fight Usyk for the full championship.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said: "Just finished an incredibly sensitive Zoom video call with Agit Kabayel, George Warren, Spencer Brown and some WBC board members in have confirmed that Agit is the WBC heavyweight champion of the world as per the WBC board of governors voting.

"Congratulations champ!"

Usyk has been an undisputed world champion at cruiserweight and twice over at heavyweight and is still undefeated as a professional boxer.

To retain his WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles, Usyk was facing a raft of mandatory challengers.

But he only wants to fight once more in his career and has vacated his belts so he can plot out his own course to retirement.