In order to advance to heavyweight, Lawrence Okolie has now relinquished his title.

Earlier this year, the former WBO cruiserweight world champion took home the WBC bridgerweight title.

Okolie has suffered just one defeat – to Chris Billam-Smith.

While not everybody recognises this relatively new 224lbs division between cruiserweight and heavyweight as a true world title, others viewed Okolie as a ‘two-weight world champion’ once he stopped Lukasz Rozanski to win it.

Regardless, he has since been ordered to defend against ‘interim’ bridgerweight belt holder Kevin Lerena.

But now, Okolie has vacated and decided to move up to heavyweight instead.

This means Lerena has become the full WBC bridgerweight world champion.

A WBC statement read: “The WBC has received official confirmation from bridgerweight champion Lawrence Okolie that he has decided to relinquish his world bridgerweight championship in order to pursue his dream of becoming heavyweight champion.

“Consequently Interim champion Kevin Lerena is hereby confirmed as WBC world bridgerweight champion.

“First I would like to state how proud and happy I was to compete for and win the WBC bridgerweight belt.

“After much consideration it is with a heavy heart that I have to unfortunately relinquish the WBC bridgerweight belt respectfully requesting to be rated in the top five in the heavyweight division.”

Okolie’s heavyweight debut is yet to be confirmed.

However, he does have plenty of experience mixing it with boxing’s big boys.

AJ and Okolie both fought for Team GB at the Olympics and sparred together many times.

He also joined Fury in camp

While training to win the cruiserweight crown, Okolie spent years sparring with heavyweights.

This includes some of the division’s top dogs.

For years in the Team GB set-up when they were both amateurs and young pros, Okolie sparred Anthony Joshua.

In 2018, he also travelled to America and sparred Tyson Fury before his first clash with Deontay Wilder.

More recently, when they were both trained by Shane McGuigan, Okolie sparred with Daniel Dubois.

Dubois is now the IBF heavyweight world champion having cemented his status by KOing Anthony Joshua last month, and so will be one of two champions Okolie will be targeting at heavyweight.

The other will of course by the true king of the division, Oleksandr Usyk.

Okolie previously told iFL TV of Usyk: “I fancy that, I feel like everyone else has had their shot [at Usyk] and I want to go and test it.

“It might sound crazy to other people and I look at him and he is sensational and very talented, but I have attributes that he hasn’t had to box against for a long time including speed and stuff like that.”

The heavyweight division now has a new player in town.