Oleksandr Usyk is in no rush to move up to the heavyweight division to challenge Anthony Joshua.

The Ukrainian defended his WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO cruiserweight titles — as well as the prestigious Ring Magazine belt — with a devastating eighth-round knockout of Tony Bellew at the Manchester Arena on Saturday.

There have been rumours swirling for some time that Usyk is set to step up one weight class to the more lucrative heavyweight division having seemingly beaten all foes at 200lbs.

A bout against Joshua is particularly tantalising as both fighters won Olympic gold at London 2012 and made giant strides in unbeaten professional careers so far.

Usyk acknowledged he will eventually move up to heavyweight but when asked about a Joshua showdown, he said through a translator “It’s too early.

“You must be professional in taking those kinds of decisions. You need to take your time to think through everything properly.

“But becoming the heavyweight champion is not what I’m dreaming of, it’s my goal, it’s what I’m planning to do.”

Usyk defied a determined start from Bellew and a hostile reception in Manchester to close the show in spectacular fashion, following a rapier jab with a booming left hook that put Bellew on his back and forced referee Terry O’Connor to wave the count after two minutes of the eighth round.

Usyk now plans to take some time away from the ring after a hectic year in which he became undisputed cruiserweight champion after winning the World Boxing Super Series.

Usyk added: “Right now my biggest concern is my rest because I want to have a vacation with my family. “I had a really tough year, it was the most difficult year of my career. It was the most successful one but the most difficult as well.”

Bellew (30-3-1, 20KOs) ends his career with no regrets.

“I wasn’t good enough but I’ll be able to live with that forever.

“If I wouldn’t have taken this fight, that would have killed me because I’d have always been ‘was I good enough?’ The fact of the matter is I just wasn’t, he’s better than me.

“It’s boxing at the highest level so you’ve got to accept you can’t always win. If I’m being honest I got tired for the first time in my entire career. I don’t know why or how it happened but I just got tired. He’s brilliant, I have no bad words to say about Oleksandr, I only wish him well.”