Oleksandr Usyk targets Deontay Wilder for heavyweight retirement fight

Former undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk is reportedly lining up a final retirement fight against Deontay Wilder after recently relinquishing his world titles.

The Ukrainian star vacated his three remaining world championship belts late last month to pursue one final lucrative appearance before leaving the sport.

Discussions are understood to be advancing with Zuffa Boxing, a newly formed promotional outfit backed by UFC president Dana White and influential Saudi boxing figure Turki Alalshikh.

The final piece of the era

A matchup with the 40-year-old American would represent the last major un-fought champion from the southpaw’s dominant era.

The decorated former Olympian has already secured high-profile victories over leading heavyweights Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois in recent years.

He views the Alabama-born knockout artist as the only remaining elite opponent left to conquer from the division’s celebrated 2015 generation.

Wilder seeks career redemption

While the former undisputed king is preparing to exit at his absolute peak, his prospective opponent arrives following a turbulent period in the ring.

The American held the WBC heavyweight title for five years before suffering back-to-back defeats to Fury and subsequently losing momentum in the business.

Following a devastating stoppage loss to Zhilei Zhang earlier this year, the veteran did recently bounce back with a much-needed victory over Derek Chisora.

Despite returning to winning ways, the former world champion has still suffered defeat in four of his last seven professional outings.