Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois will meet again on July 19 at Wembley Stadium.
The heavyweight champions fought in Poland in August of 2023, with Usyk winning via a ninth-round stoppage following a controversial moment when, Usyk said, he was caught by a shot below the belt. Dubois' team maintained it was a legitimate bodyshot, but the decision stood.
Dubois has since gone on an impressive run, stopping Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and Anthony Joshua on a three-fight tear and looking better and more rounded each time. Joshua was down four times before he was stopped in the fifth last September.
Before that fight, the 27-year-old Dubois – 22-2 (21 KOs) – had been awarded the IBF title, vacated by Usyk, who had a rematch with Tyson Fury to tend to. Usyk holds two victories over both Joshua and Fury, and he will be aiming to make it a pair over Dubois.
Usyk is 23-0 (14 KOs), a former undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight champion who folds the WBA, WBC, and WBO belts. The gifted southpaw is 38, and last fought with that decision win over Fury in December. Should he defeat Dubois once more, he will once again be able to claim undisputed status.
It marks the first occasion an undisputed championship has been contested in the UK.
“I’m grateful to God for the opportunity to once again fight for the undisputed championship,” said Usyk. “Thank you, Daniel, for taking care of my IBF belt - now I want it back.”
“This is the fight I wanted and demanded and now I get my chance for revenge against Oleksandr Usyk,” said Dubois. “I should have won the first fight and was denied by the judgement 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. I would like to thank my promoter Frank for making this happen for me and I intend to repay him by becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.”
“I am thrilled to deliver this historic undisputed occasion for Daniel at Wembley Stadium,” said promoter Frank Warren. “It will be an honour to promote a sporting event of this magnitude and a privilege to bring over a champion of the stature of Oleksandr. I would like to thank Oleksandr and his team at Ready to Fight for their great cooperation in making this fight become a reality. I am certain that we will see the best of British both in and outside of the ring, from Daniel and the unrivalled fight fans who will pack out the biggest sporting venue in the country.”
“Both teams have done tremendous work to make this fight a reality. Even more work is waiting ahead, especially for Oleksandr and Daniel themselves. I’m confident no one will be left disappointed,” said Egis Klimas, Oleksandr Usyk’s manager.
“Thank you to Queensberry Promotions for the cooperation, as well as Riyadh Season and DAZN for their support,” said Sergey Lapin, the CEO of Ready To Fight and Usyk’s team director. “This will not only be a great bout, but also a unique event in terms of entertainment. We are ready to deliver the Undisputed Resolution to all boxing fans worldwide.”
