Murat Gassiev Crowned Full WBA Champion, But Left Without an Opponent

Murat Gassiev is the latest to benefit from Oleksandr Usyk vacating his titles, but now finds himself in need of a new opponent.

The day proved to be a rollercoaster for former cruiserweight champion Murat Gassiev. Early in the morning, the IBA, organizers of "Iron" Murat's upcoming July 11 bout, announced his promotion from interim to full WBA Heavyweight Champion after Oleksandr Usyk relinquished his remaining belts.

However, just hours later, it became clear that Gassiev would require a new challenger for his first title defense, as Tony Yoka withdrew due to a back injury. According to ESPN and The Ring, Joe Joyce (16-4, 15 KOs) is the leading candidate to step in. The Brit currently has a fight scheduled against Artyom Suslenkov on the same fight card, making this switch the most straightforward option. This, however, would mean a world title contender would be a boxer who has lost his last two fights and four of his previous five.

Gassiev's (33-2, 26 KOs) path to the heavyweight championship hasn't been particularly stellar either. Once a formidable force in the 200-pound division, his first significant test after losing to Usyk in the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) finals saw him drop an unconvincing decision to Otto Wallin in 2023. Subsequent victories over Ken Ljungquist and Jeremiah Milton somehow earned him a shot against Kubrat Pulev. The Bulgarian was outboxing Gassiev for five rounds, but Gassiev landed a powerful left hook in the sixth round, sending Pulev to a knockout defeat and ending the match.