Derek Chisora apparently has one more dance left in him.
Six months after his 50th professional fight against Deontay Wilder was presented as the end of a 19-year career, Chisora has announced that he intends to return in December against WBA heavyweight champion Murat Gassiev. There is one important catch.
The fight is not fully confirmed yet. Chisora announced the matchup during an IBA press conference in Istanbul and said London or Manchester are being considered, but there is still no exact date or venue. Gassiev has since admitted that the announcement caught him somewhat by surprise and suggested his own next move is not completely settled.
So, yes, Derek Chisora’s next fight is currently being planned against Murat Gassiev in December 2026, but there are still details that need signing off.
For the latest prices across the heavyweight division, visit BetVictor’s boxing odds page.
When Is Derek Chisora’s Next Fight?
Derek Chisora says he will fight Murat Gassiev in December 2026.
An exact date has not been announced.
The venue is also still undecided, although Chisora said during the announcement that the fight is expected to take place in either London or Manchester.
At the moment, the known details are:
- Fight: Derek Chisora vs Murat Gassiev
- Expected date: December 2026
- Venue: London or Manchester
- Weight class: Heavyweight
- Chisora record: 36-14, 23 KOs
- Gassiev record: 34-2, 27 KOs
- Titles: Still to be clarified
- UK broadcaster: Not formally confirmed
Chisora was fairly definite when speaking in Istanbul, saying that December would bring him against Gassiev and that two belts were expected to be involved.
The problem is that boxing announcements are only truly simple once both sides are saying the same thing. That has not quite happened yet.
Is Chisora vs Gassiev Confirmed?
This needs a little bit of care.
Chisora has announced the fight publicly, and reports suggest the intention is to stage it in England before the end of the year.
Gassiev, however, sounded considerably less certain when discussing the matchup.
The Russian said Chisora was not currently in the WBA rankings and indicated that he had been looking towards other opponents, including WBC champion Agit Kabayel and potentially the winner of Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua. He also suggested his next fight could land in late December or even early 2027.
That does not mean Chisora vs Gassiev will not happen.
It does mean I would stop short of calling the date, venue and title situation official until there is a joint announcement or signed fight confirmation.
For now, the fairest wording is:
Chisora vs Gassiev is planned for December, but the final details remain to be confirmed.
Why Is Derek Chisora Fighting Again?
Because apparently fight number 50 was not actually the final dance.
Chisora’s meeting with Wilder at The O2 in April was promoted throughout the build-up as his farewell.
He even confirmed afterwards that he was retiring. The fight itself was classic late-career Chisora.
It was messy, physical and much more competitive than anyone expecting a gentle retirement night might have imagined.
Wilder eventually won by split decision, with two judges scoring it 115-111 and 115-113 for Wilder, while the third had Chisora ahead 115-112.
Chisora then told reporters after the fight that he was tired and could no longer keep doing it. Six months later, that retirement has disappeared.
When asked about it during the Gassiev announcement, Chisora argued that he never personally said the Wilder fight had to be the end and joked that this was essentially another sequel to his “last dance”.
Anyone who has followed Chisora’s career probably will not be stunned. Retirement has never looked particularly permanent with him.
What Happened Against Deontay Wilder?
The result probably explains why Chisora still believes he can compete. He lost.
But he did not look like a fighter who had absolutely nothing left.
Wilder started well and landed the cleaner power shots, but Chisora kept finding his way into the fight and turned it into the sort of ugly heavyweight scrap he has spent years dragging opponents into.
Both men touched the canvas during a strange and chaotic 12 rounds.
By the end, one judge had actually scored the fight for Chisora. That matters psychologically.
If Chisora had been badly knocked out or completely dominated in fight number 50, another comeback would have been much harder to justify even to himself.
Instead, he went the full distance with a former WBC heavyweight champion and lost a split decision.
At 42, though, the bigger question is not whether he can still have competitive rounds.
It is how many more of those rounds he should be having.
Who Is Murat Gassiev?
Murat Gassiev is a former unified cruiserweight champion who now competes at heavyweight.
The 32-year-old has a professional record of 34-2 with 27 knockouts. Both defeats came against elite opposition.
Oleksandr Usyk beat him by unanimous decision in the 2018 World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight final, while Otto Wallin defeated him by split decision at heavyweight in 2023.
Since then, Gassiev has rebuilt. His most recent fight came against Peter Kadiru in Moscow on 11 July, with Gassiev retaining his WBA heavyweight title through a sixth-round stoppage.
The finish came after sustained pressure forced Kadiru’s corner to wave the towel.
That improved Gassiev to 34-2 and kept him firmly involved in a heavyweight division where the belts are currently spread across several fighters.
Our heavyweight boxing rankings 2026 currently have Gassiev inside the top 10.
Is Chisora vs Gassiev a World Title Fight?
Possibly. And that word is doing a lot of work.
Chisora said during his announcement that two belts would be on the line, referring to an IBA title and the belt currently held by Gassiev.
The WBA situation is considerably messier.
Gassiev was elevated to full WBA heavyweight champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the sanctioning-body belts earlier this year. He then made his first defence against Kadiru.
Since then, reports have emerged that Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua on 11 December will be sanctioned for the WBA “Super” heavyweight championship, which would leave Gassiev holding the “Regular” version.
Gassiev has publicly said he was surprised by the situation and had not received clear information directly from the WBA. Yes, it is confusing.
Our guide to boxing governing bodies explains why the WBA can sometimes have more than one recognised champion in the same weight division.
Until the WBA itself and the organisers clarify exactly what title Gassiev would defend against Chisora, I would avoid promising that Chisora is definitely getting a recognised world-title challenge.
Could Derek Chisora Finally Become World Champion?
That is clearly part of the attraction.
Chisora has been around elite heavyweight boxing for almost two decades without ever becoming a world champion.
His first major opportunity came against Vitali Klitschko in 2012, when he challenged for the WBC heavyweight title and lost on points.
Ten years later, he challenged Tyson Fury for the same belt and was stopped in the tenth round.
Now he is potentially getting another chance at 42. It would be a ridiculous story if he actually did it.
Chisora has always had the sort of career where the record alone does not explain his popularity. Fourteen defeats would normally end any realistic world-title conversation years earlier, but plenty of those losses came against some of the best heavyweights of his era.
- Tyson Fury.
- Oleksandr Usyk.
- Vitali Klitschko.
- David Haye.
- Joseph Parker.
- Dillian Whyte.
- Deontay Wilder.
He has spent years taking fights other heavyweights were happy to avoid.
That does not automatically mean he should beat Gassiev.
It explains why British fans will probably watch him try.
Chisora vs Gassiev: How Do They Match Up?
If the fight does get finalised, it is not particularly difficult to imagine how it looks. Chisora wants to be close.
He has never been at his best spending 12 rounds at long range trying to win a technically clean boxing match.
His entire game is built around making opponents uncomfortable.
He walks forward, gets his head onto the chest, works to the body and tries to turn clean exchanges into physical ones.
Gassiev is much happier when he has room.
He carries serious power in both hands and has always been particularly dangerous downstairs. That body work was a major feature of his cruiserweight run and remains effective at heavyweight.
There is also a substantial age difference. Gassiev is 32. Chisora is 42 and has now had 50 professional fights. That is hard to ignore.
If Chisora can force Gassiev backwards and turn the fight into a wrestling match around the ropes, his experience could make things awkward.
If Gassiev keeps enough distance to plant his feet and punch, I would favour him strongly.
Derek Chisora vs Murat Gassiev Odds
At the time of writing, BetVictor odds are not yet available for Chisora vs Gassiev.
That makes sense because an exact date, venue and complete title arrangement have not been formally confirmed.
If the fight is finalised, I would expect Gassiev to open as the favourite.
He is ten years younger, carries genuine knockout power and has been competing as a heavyweight champion during 2026.
Chisora’s argument would be experience and pressure.
He has spent far more time against elite heavyweight opposition and still showed against Wilder that he can make experienced fighters work for every round.
The odds section will be updated once markets become available.
How Does Fury vs Joshua Affect Chisora vs Gassiev?
More than you might expect.
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua finally meet on Friday 11 December at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, and reports say the WBA Super heavyweight championship will be attached to that fight.
That has frustrated Gassiev. He believed he had become the recognised WBA champion when Usyk vacated the belt and had already defended it.
Joshua has also said that Gassiev is somebody he would be interested in facing if he beats Fury.
So Gassiev suddenly has several possible routes. He can fight Chisora and can push towards the Fury-Joshua winner.
He can look at another recognised heavyweight champion.
That is another reason we should not pretend the Chisora matchup is completely finalised yet.
Our updated Fury vs Joshua guide has the confirmed Cardiff date, Netflix broadcast and latest information around the fight.
What Happens Next?
The next step is paperwork rather than another press conference.
We need:
- an exact December date
- a confirmed venue
- confirmation from Gassiev’s side
- clarification on the WBA belt
- official broadcast details
- the undercard
If those pieces fall into place, Chisora will enter professional fight number 51 chasing something he has never managed in the previous 50. A world title.
Whether the WBA situation ultimately gives the fight that status is still uncertain, but the comeback itself is very real from Chisora’s point of view.
After losing to Wilder in April, retirement looked like the obvious ending. Apparently Chisora disagrees.
For every confirmed major fight still to come in 2026, visit our boxing schedule.
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