Derek Chisora Rejects Retirement and Targets December Return
Derek Chisora says he is not retiring and will box again in December. The 42-year-old heavyweight confirmed his plans on 7 October, six months after losing to Deontay Wilder in April. That fight in London had been billed as his 50th and final appearance, the so-called last dance, according to the BBC.
He rejects that farewell tag. He said he never announced a retirement and that the final-fight labelling came from organisers. His record stands at 36 wins from 50 professional bouts.
Wilder, a former world champion, won the April meeting by split decision. That is when judges disagree, with two scoring for one boxer and the third scoring for the other. The result in London closed what many assumed was Chisora's story, as reported by Sky Sports.
Chisora now expects a different next chapter. He said he expects to fight Murat Gassiev in December. He named London or Manchester as the possible host city, with no venue or exact date confirmed.
The update shifts the talk away from running it back with Wilder. In May, Chisora said his wife had given him the green light for a Wilder rematch later in 2026. That idea has now given way to the Gassiev plan.
Longevity is the point with Chisora. Tyson Fury stopped him in December 2022, when the referee ends the fight early, to complete their trilogy, according to the BBC. At the time that third Fury fight was confirmed, Chisora had lost three of his previous four bouts. He had also been knocked out by Dillian Whyte in their December rematch and later faced Kubrat Pulev after a December defeat by Joseph Parker.
Before the Wilder bout, Chisora had even suggested his opponent would retire alongside him. Fifty professional fights is a huge number for a modern heavyweight, where careers are often shorter because of injury, heavy training demands and tough negotiations over money and belts.
For fans, this means one more walk to the ring rather than a farewell wave. Chisora has built his following on pressure, noise and a willingness to take hard fights. He is 42. He has lost before. He wants to go again. If the Gassiev fight is made, London or Manchester will get a veteran name it knows well.
