Usyk vs. Dubois: Will the Undisputed showdown take place in July? | BOXSPORT
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Usyk vs. Dubois: Will the Undisputed showdown take place in July?

25. April 2025
Redaktion

According to a media report, Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois are to fight for the undisputed heavyweight world championship at Wembley Stadium on July 19.

Oleksandr Usyk (r.) and Daniel Dubois (l.) already fought in the ring on August 27, 2023. Back then, the Ukrainian won by knockout in the ninth. (Photo: Getty Images)

As the trade magazine “The Ring” reports, the showdown between WBA, WBC and WBO world champion Oleksandr Usyk and IBF champion Daniel Dubois will now take place on July 19 at London’s Wembley Stadium. Initially it was said that the undisputed heavyweight fight would take place on July 12.

World associations clear the way

The “Bible of Boxing” has now corrected the date, citing unspecified “sources”. These sources are generally considered reliable, as “The Ring” has been owned by Saudi boxing impresario Turki Al-Sheikh, who is also pulling the strings for Usyk vs.

IBF champ Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua last fought in front of 96,000 fans at London’s Wembley Stadium on September 21, 2024 – a British attendance record. (Photo: Getty Images)

So it seems that all the stumbling blocks on the way to the fight for the undisputed heavyweight world championship have now been cleared out of the way.

The situation with the associations:

  • WBO: The WBO had ordered a duel between its title holder Usyk and mandatory challenger Joseph Parker. Shortly afterwards, however, the world governing body complied with a request to bring forward the unification fight in the premier class.
  • IBF: The IBF also recently announced that a title unification would take precedence over a duel between Dubois and IBF contender Dereck Chisora.
  • WBA: The WBA also clears the way. On June 7, Fabio Wardley will meet US fighter Jarrell Miller in Ipswich, with the WBA interim title at stake. The winner can hope for a world championship fight. It is unclear what role the “regular” world champion Kubrat Pulev will still play.
  • WBC: Germany’s boxing hopeful Agit Kabayel, interim champion of the WBC, is looking down the tubes for the time being. The “Leberking” secured this title in February with a knockout victory over Zhilei Zhang. The 32-year-old from Bochum is therefore entitled to a fight against the reigning WBC world champion. However, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman signaled early on that his association would not stand in the way of a fight between Usyk and Dubois.

Dubois seeks revenge

Daniel Dubois, meanwhile, is eager for revenge. In the summer of 2023, the Englishman lost to Usyk by knockout in round nine in Wroclaw, Poland, but was thoroughly convincing against the WBA, WBO and IBF champion. In round five, Dubois even sent the Ukrainian to the floor with a supposed body shot.

Text: Frank Schwantes