Updated: August 2026
The heavyweight division has entered a new era.
Oleksandr Usyk is no longer collecting all four major sanctioning-body belts, but there is still little debate over who sits at the top of the heavyweight mountain. Usyk remains The Ring champion and improved to 25-0 when he stopped Rico Verhoeven in the 11th round in May. Since then, the major belts have spread across the division, with Daniel Dubois holding the WBO championship, Agit Kabayel owning the WBC title and Murat Gassiev recognized as WBA champion. The IBF championship remains vacant.
Fight Week’s rankings are based on recent results, quality of opposition, championship accomplishments, activity and where each fighter stands in the division today.
1. Oleksandr Usyk — 25-0, 16 KOs
There is No. 1, and then there is everyone else.
Usyk has already beaten Tyson Fury twice, Anthony Joshua twice and Daniel Dubois twice. His latest victory came with an 11th-round stoppage of former kickboxing heavyweight king Rico Verhoeven on May 23. Until somebody beats Usyk—or he walks away from boxing—the top spot belongs to him.
2. Daniel Dubois — 23-3, 22 KOs
Dubois has rebuilt his career again.
After another loss to Usyk in 2025, Dubois returned in May and survived two knockdowns before stopping Fabio Wardley in the 11th round to capture the WBO heavyweight championship. It was a violent, back-and-forth fight that showed Dubois can recover when things go badly.
He has earned his place directly behind Usyk.
3. Agit Kabayel — 27-0, 19 KOs
Kabayel may still be the most overlooked elite heavyweight in boxing.
The unbeaten German has put together stoppage victories over Arslanbek Makhmudov, Frank Sanchez and Zhilei Zhang. He followed those wins by stopping previously unbeaten Damian Knyba in three rounds in January and has since been elevated to full WBC heavyweight champion.
Kabayel doesn’t have Fury’s celebrity or Joshua’s drawing power, but his résumé is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
4. Tyson Fury — 36-2-1, 25 KOs
Two losses to Usyk remain the only defeats of Fury’s career.
Fury returned from another retirement this year, defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov and then stopped veteran Mariusz Wach in seven rounds on July 24. Those weren’t wins over elite opposition, but they allowed Fury to get rounds after a lengthy layoff.
A long-awaited showdown with Anthony Joshua is now the major fight on his horizon.
5. Fabio Wardley — 20-1-1, 19 KOs
Wardley’s unbeaten record is gone, but his stock did not collapse with it.
He dropped Dubois twice before eventually being stopped in the 11th round of their May war. Wardley has already activated his rematch clause, giving him an opportunity to immediately reclaim the WBO championship.
One defeat in a Fight of the Year-level battle shouldn’t erase everything Wardley accomplished on his rise.
6. Moses Itauma — 15-0, 13 KOs
The biggest question surrounding Moses Itauma is no longer whether he is a prospect. It is how quickly he can become a world champion.
The unbeaten young heavyweight has climbed rapidly through the division and is scheduled to face Filip Hrgovic on August 29 at London’s O2 Arena. The fight has been upgraded to a bout for the vacant IBF heavyweight championship.
A victory over Hrgovic could send Itauma straight into Fight Week’s top five.
7. Filip Hrgovic — 20-1, 15 KOs
Hrgovic has quietly fought his way back into championship position.
His only professional loss came against Dubois, and he has since rebuilt his momentum. Now he gets one of the biggest opportunities of his career against Itauma.
The winner leaves London with the IBF heavyweight championship and could become one of the most important players in the division overnight.
8. Anthony Joshua — 30-4, 27 KOs
Joshua remains one of boxing’s biggest names, but ranking him has become increasingly difficult.
The former two-time unified heavyweight champion returned July 25 against Kristian Prenga. Joshua was dropped twice in the opening round before recovering to score the knockout. It was exciting, but it also raised questions about where Joshua currently stands among the division’s elite.
A victory over Fury would change the picture immediately.
9. Murat Gassiev — WBA Heavyweight Champion
Holding a world championship normally carries significant weight in rankings, but Gassiev still needs the signature heavyweight victory that several fighters above him already possess.
The former unified cruiserweight champion was elevated to full WBA heavyweight champion after Usyk relinquished the belt. Gassiev then defended the title in July, stopping late-replacement Peter Kadiru in the sixth round.
A unification fight against Kabayel or Dubois would give him the chance to move much higher.
10. Frank Sanchez — 26-1, 19 KOs
Frank Sanchez earns the final spot after producing one of the division’s more important recent victories.
The Cuban stopped previously unbeaten Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr. in just two rounds in May. The win pushed Sanchez back into the heavyweight title picture and helped establish him as the IBF’s No. 1 contender before the organization eventually moved toward Itauma-Hrgovic for its vacant championship.
Sanchez’s lone defeat came against Kabayel, and he remains a difficult matchup for almost anyone in the division.
Fight Week Heavyweight Top 10
1. Oleksandr Usyk
2. Daniel Dubois
3. Agit Kabayel
4. Tyson Fury
5. Fabio Wardley
6. Moses Itauma
7. Filip Hrgovic
8. Anthony Joshua
9. Murat Gassiev
10. Frank Sanchez
Biggest Mover: Daniel Dubois
Dubois has gone from another devastating loss against Usyk to world champion again. His ability to climb off the canvas twice and stop Wardley makes him the clear No. 2 heavyweight in the Fight Week rankings.
New Entry: Murat Gassiev
Gassiev’s elevation to full WBA heavyweight champion and successful first defense put him firmly back into the conversation. Now he needs a major fight against one of the other champions.
Dropped Out
None. This is the first edition of Fight Week’s rotating Heavyweight Top 10, so we are establishing the baseline rankings this month.
Beginning with the next edition, fighters will officially move up, move down, enter or leave the Fight Week rankings.
On the Bubble
Joseph Parker — His loss to Wardley hurt his standing, but his previous body of work keeps him close.
Efe Ajagba — Still a legitimate contender and recently held a place inside The Ring’s heavyweight top 10.
Justis Huni — Remains around the edge of the elite heavyweight conversation and has also appeared in The Ring’s top 10.
Jarrell Miller — Currently ranked No. 2 by the WBA and could soon find himself in a championship fight against Gassiev.
Fight Week Fight to Watch
Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgovic — August 29
This one could shake up the rankings almost immediately.
Itauma is trying to prove that the future has already arrived. Hrgovic is trying to show that experience, size and world-class pedigree still matter.
More importantly, the vacant IBF heavyweight championship will be on the line.
The winner could be sitting inside Fight Week’s heavyweight top five when these rankings are updated again.
Fight Week Debate: Who is the biggest threat to Oleksandr Usyk right now—Daniel Dubois, Agit Kabayel, Tyson Fury or someone else?
