Usyk vs. Dubois: Preliminary date and location announced
Photo: Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois (collage RBC-Ukraine)
The teams of Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk and British Daniel Dubois are in the process of finalizing a deal for a rematch for the undisputed heavyweight champion title, The Ring reports.
According to The Ring insider Mike Coppinger, the rematch is set to take place on July 12 at Wembley Stadium in London.
Possible Usyk-Dubois fight: Details
The Ukrainian and the British have collected championship titles from all the most prestigious versions. Usyk holds the WBC, WBO, and WBA belts, while Dubois holds the IBF. A rematch between them could determine a new undisputed world champion.
Dubois received his belt after Usyk voluntarily relinquished it. After his first victory over Fury in May of last year, Usyk became the undisputed world champion. However, he was forced to give up the IBF title. The organization required him to defend the championship, but the Ukrainian could not do so due to his obligation to have a rematch with Fury. As a result, in the second fight between Usyk and Fury, three titles - WBC, WBA, and WBO - were at stake.
Dubois, for his part, won the IBF title by defeating fellow British Anthony Joshua in a fight for the vacant belt. In his first title defense, Dubois was supposed to fight New Zealand's Joseph Parker on February 22, but he withdrew due to illness. At that time, conspiracy theories arose suggesting that Dubois might not have been ill and had decided not to take risks in the ring to avoid losing the belt, without which he would be of little interest to Usyk.
While the representatives of the boxers are preparing for the unification fight, international organizations are presenting their conditions. For example, the WBO ruled that Usyk must defend his title against the interim champion in that version, Parker. Meanwhile, the IBF is demanding a fight between Dubois and fellow British Derek Chisora. However, both organizations are ready to make concessions if the parties agree on a fight for the undisputed world champion title.
Usyk and Dubois have already met in the ring. In August 2023, the Ukrainian knocked out his opponent in the ninth round. However, the British considers that loss to be unfair.
