Just one day after the Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn spectacle, British boxing has another stadium blockbuster to look forward to.
Oleksandr Usyk will look to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight world champion when he clashes with Daniel Dubois in a high-stakes rematch July 19 at Wembley Stadium in London. Queensberry Promotions confirmed the event as official Sunday following previous reports that Usyk vs. Dubois 2 was being targeted for July. The fight will be televised on DAZN worldwide.
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WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight champion Usyk and IBF titlist Dubois are set to meet for the first time for their rematch at a launch press conference scheduled for Tuesday in London.
Usyk, Uncrowned’s No. 1 male pound-for-pound boxer, knocked out Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) in the ninth round in their first meeting to retain his unified heavyweight title in Poland in August 2023. But the drama began long before Dubois sat out the count from a heavy Usyk jab.
In the fifth round, Dubois floored Usyk with a right hand that was controversially ruled a low blow. Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs) was given several minutes to recover, much to the disappointment of Dubois and Queensberry’s Frank Warren, who unsuccessfully filed an official appeal with the WBA, contesting the referee’s decision.
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Dubois has found a new form since the loss to Usyk, going on a three-fight knockout run against Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgović and Anthony Joshua — even starting as an underdog in the latter two fights.
Usyk became boxing’s first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era when he won a split decision over Tyson Fury in May in Riyadh. Usyk was forced to give up the IBF title shortly afterward so he could follow through with a contracted Fury rematch, which allowed Dubois to be upgraded to full IBF titleholder.
Now Usyk, who is already a two-weight undisputed champion, will look to once again own all four belts at heavyweight in what could be the penultimate time we see him in a boxing ring after the Ukrainian revealed earlier this year he could have just two fights left in the sport.
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