Cruiserweight champ reacts to Usyk dropping down for Benavidez fight

Oleksandr Usyk is planning a return to the cruiserweight division to fight David Benavidez, and the longest-reigning cruiserweight champion in history has now weighed in.

Johnny Nelson held the WBO cruiserweight world title for a record six and a half years.

Speaking to talkSPORT Boxing, Nelson gave his take on Usyk dropping back down to 200 pounds after dominating at heavyweight.

“He got in the ring [at the Canelo-Mbilli fight] and showed his six-pack and I thought, ‘he can do the weight well,’” Nelson said.

“For him to dominate cruiserweight, dominate heavyweight and then go back down to cruiserweight and dominate, which he can do, I think is history-making.”

Usyk, 39, previously reigned as undisputed champion at cruiserweight before moving up to heavyweight.

At heavyweight, he beat Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois among others, becoming undisputed twice over.

He relinquished his unified heavyweight world title after an underwhelming performance against Rico Verhoeven in May 2026.

Usyk then announced he would have one “farewell fight” before retiring.

Initially, former WBC heavyweight king Deontay Wilder was expected to be that final opponent, but talks collapsed.

Now Usyk has confirmed he is targeting a cruiserweight showdown with pound-for-pound star David Benavidez.

Benavidez currently holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight world titles.

He can claim a third cruiserweight world title when he takes on Michal Cieslak next month, with the remaining IBF title currently left vacant.

Nelson believes Usyk’s move is as much about business as it is about legacy.

“I understand why he is doing it, he is doing it because he wants to make money,” Nelson said.

“Even though he is the best heavyweight in the world, he has not made as much money as [Tyson] Fury or AJ [Anthony Joshua].

“So, he wants the money fights, high-risk, low-reward in regards to fighting the guys that haven’t got titles like his last fight [against Rico Verhoeven], which he nearly lost.

“So I totally get it, it is a good business move and a good historical move, as well.”

Nelson also pointed out that Benavidez is not the only elite cruiserweight waiting in the wings.

Jai Opetaia, another undefeated cruiserweight star, is set to face Deontay Wilder on December 11, 2026, as part of the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua undercard in Cardiff.

Opetaia, 31, is stepping up to heavyweight for that fight but is expected to return to cruiserweight afterward.

Chris Billam-Smith, the former WBO cruiserweight champion, has also reacted to Usyk’s plans.

“Probably it’s fair to say it knocks me down a spot in the world rankings,” Billam-Smith told Sky Sports.

“But it’s also great for the division, a huge name for the division that really probably has been the face of boxing, definitely in terms of achievement.”

Billam-Smith noted that if Usyk fights Benavidez, it means Benavidez will not be fighting Opetaia next.

That could open a door for Billam-Smith to face Opetaia himself.

“That definitely seems more doable now,” Billam-Smith said.

“I’m happy about that, because I think Benavidez would beat him and I always wanted to be the first man to beat Opetaia.”

Billam-Smith also addressed the possibility of fighting Usyk himself.

“Not next, maybe if he beats Benavidez, I beat Opetaia, that’s a nice little southpaw fight,” he said.

Nelson, who has watched Usyk’s career from start to finish, summed up the stakes.

Usyk is not just chasing a win — he is chasing history by attempting to dominate a division he already conquered, after dominating another.

The question now is whether Benavidez will accept the fight, and whether Usyk can still make 200 pounds cleanly.

Nelson believes he can.

“He can do the weight well,” Nelson said.