The pair first fought back in 2023, with the Ukrainian going on to stop the Brit, but it now looks as if the two stars are set to go head-to-head for a second time this summer
Daniel Dubois and Oleksandr Usyk are reportedly close to finalising a deal for an undisputed heavyweight showdown this summer.
‘Triple D’ hasn’t fought since brutally knocking out Anthony Joshua last September in London. The British heavyweight champion was scheduled to fight Joseph Parker back in February in Riyadh, but was forced to pull out of the clash after falling ill just a few days before fight night.
As for Usyk, the Ukrainian was last seen in action back in December when he defeated long-time rival Tyson Fury for a second time in Saudi Arabia. After taking some time away from the ring, ‘The Cat’ recently revealed he wants two more fights before calling it a day.
The 38-year-old had one eye on Dubois’ showdown with Parker, but even after the Brit pulled out, the Ukrainian is still hoping to go head-to-head with ‘Triple D’ for a second time to well and truly settle the score. And according to Ring Magazine, the two teams are close to completing a deal for the showdown to take place on July 12 at Wembley Stadium.
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In an official post uploaded to X – formerly known as Twitter – Ring Magazine confirmed: “Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois are in the process of finalizing a deal for a Ring Magazine and undisputed heavyweight championship rematch July 12 at London’s Wembley Stadium, sources told The Ring’s Mike Coppinger.”
The pair first met back in 2023 in Poland – with Usyk going on to knock the Brit out in the ninth round. However, the clash wasn’t without drama after Dubois dropped the Ukrainian just before the midway point. But the shot in question was deemed a low blow, much to the frustration of ‘Triple D.’
A real spanner was recently thrown in the works after Usyk was due to make a mandatory defence of the WBO belt against Parker. However, Sky Sports confirmed that a title unification can take precedence over a mandatory contest, with the WBO revealing to the outlet that a petition to allow Usyk vs Dubois was lodged with its Championship Committee.
WBO president Gustavo Olivieri told Sky Sports: “There is a petition before the Championship Committee to consider a Usyk-Dubois unification to consolidate the heavyweight championships. Therefore, upon an official ruling regarding this matter, we will publicly announce the official decision, including Parker’s mandatory status, if that be the case.”
Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk told Sky Sports earlier this month that fighting Dubois remains their “priority” over a mandatory defence against Parker. “If undisputed makes itself possible – it will be the priority,” he said. “We will come to know it within the next couple of days.” The sequel with Dubois would offer ‘The Cat’ the opportunity to become a three-time, two-weight undisputed champion as the 38-year-old enters the twilight years of his professional boxing career.
