Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois are set to meet again on July 19 at Wembley Stadium in a fight that will finally crown the undisputed heavyweight champion.
This bout marks the climax of a rivalry that began in August 2023 in Poland, where Usyk stopped Dubois in the ninth round to retain his unified heavyweight titles, the WBA (Super), WBO, and WBC belts. This time, however, Dubois will be entering the fight with a belt of his own.
The first meeting was marked with controversy. Dubois landed a powerful body shot in the fifth round that dropped Usyk, but the referee ruled it a low blow, granting Usyk extra recovery time. Usyk then rallied to force Dubois to take a knee twice more before the stoppage.
Since that first fight, both men have taken different paths. Usyk, 38, made history by defeating Tyson Fury in May 2024 to become the first heavyweight to hold all four major belts simultaneously. He then vacated the IBF title, which Dubois claimed. Dubois, also, has been on an impressive run, stopping top contenders Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and Anthony Joshua in a span of nine months.
The 27-year-old is eager for redemption on home turf. “This is the fight I wanted and demanded and now I get my chance for revenge against Oleksandr Usyk,” he said. “I should have won the first fight and was denied by the judgment of the referee, so I will make no mistake this time around in front of my people at the national stadium in my home city. I am a superior and more dangerous fighter now, and Usyk will find this out for himself on July 19”.
Usyk, meanwhile, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to fight again for the undisputed championship: “Thank you, Daniel, for taking care of my IBF belt – now I want it back.”
No British boxer has held the undisputed heavyweight championship in the four-belt era, and the last British undisputed heavyweight champion was Lennox Lewis in 1999. For Dubois, it is a chance to rewrite history and overcome the shadow of his previous defeat. For Usyk, it is an opportunity to reaffirm his status as the undisputed king of the heavyweight division.
The New York Knicks refused to bow out quietly, turning Madison Square Garden into a… Read More
Brazilian football icon Zico has thrown his full support behind Carlo Ancelotti, calling the Italian… Read More
Once labeled one of football's most expensive flops, Ousmane Dembele is now on the brink… Read More
Max Verstappen has delivered an unflattering assessment of his 2025 season, openly stating that he… Read More
Chelsea crowned their European campaign with a commanding 4-1 victory over Real Betis in the… Read More
Germany defender Jonathan Tah has completed a free transfer to Bayern Munich after leaving Bayer… Read More
