Lomachenko Retired, Then Planned a Comeback
Vasiliy Lomachenko’s future changed twice in a year. He announced his retirement on June 5, 2025, after his May 2024 victory over George Kambosos Jr. Then, in May 2026, his longtime manager Egis Klimas told ESPN that Lomachenko planned to return to boxing later in the year. As of October 17, 2026, no opponent, date or signed bout has been publicly announced. The possibility of a comeback is real, but a fight is not yet confirmed. ESPN’s report citing Klimas and The Ring’s May report describe the planned return.
A retirement after a final title win
Lomachenko’s last professional bout was against Kambosos in Perth on May 12, 2024. He stopped the Australian in the 11th round to win the vacant IBF lightweight title, finishing his competitive career at the top of the division. More than a year later, he announced that he was stepping away from boxing. Top Rank, which had promoted him throughout his professional career, described the June 2025 announcement as the end of an 11-year run. Top Rank’s retirement notice and Reuters’ report record the announcement and the Kambosos result.
What changed in 2026
The comeback news came from Klimas rather than a bout announcement. He told ESPN that the team was working toward a fall return, and The Ring reported that Lomachenko was ending his retirement. That was a material change from the 2025 decision, but it did not settle the practical questions a boxer must answer before returning: where he will train, which promoter will handle the fight, what weight he will make, and who will sign as an opponent. His contract with Top Rank had expired by May 2026, so the former partnership was no longer an automatic route to a new booking. Any promotion or opponent should be named only after a formal announcement.
A three-division champion’s record
Lomachenko retires—or returns—from a career built across featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight. He won Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012, then collected professional world titles in three divisions. Reuters reported a final professional record of 18 wins and three losses, with 12 victories by knockout. His last title win over Kambosos mattered because it added an IBF lightweight championship after the earlier defeats to Teófimo López and Devin Haney. The record therefore includes both title-winning peaks and the setbacks that shaped the later years; it is not accurately summarized as a simple comeback story.
The next step remains open
If Lomachenko does return, the most important update will be a confirmed opponent and date, followed by the weight limit and promotional arrangement. Until then, the reports establish intent from his manager, not a completed contract or booked event. The distinction is especially useful for a fighter whose career has often been linked to high-profile unification possibilities: interest from fans, negotiation reports and an actual signed bout are separate stages. For now, the verified timeline is clear: retirement in June 2025, a reported plan to return in May 2026, and no official fight announcement by October 17, 2026.
Sources: ESPN on the reported comeback plan; The Ring on Lomachenko’s return from retirement; Top Rank on his retirement announcement; Reuters on his career and final bout.
Sources
Tags: Boxing, Combat Sports
