July 06, (THEWILL) – Ukrainian heavyweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk, is set to defend his world titles against British challenger, Daniel Dubois, on Saturday, August 26, in a highly anticipated bout.
Usyk, with an unblemished record of 20-0-0, will be making his first title defence since defeating Anthony Joshua last year to retain the WBA “super,” IBF, WBO, and Ring magazine belts. The fight will take place in Poland, where Usyk previously won the WBO world cruiserweight title in 2015. Usyk expressed gratitude to Poland for providing refuge to displaced Ukrainians during the war with Russia, aiming to further strengthen the friendship between the two nations.
Daniel Dubois, the 25-year-old mandatory challenger, earned his shot at Usyk by claiming the WBA ‘regular’ heavyweight title with a knockout victory over Trevor Bryan in June 2022. After suffering his only professional defeat against Joe Joyce three years ago, Dubois is determined to make a statement as he steps up to face the undefeated Usyk. Promoter Frank Warren is convinced that the young heavyweight pugilist has the potential to disrupt the division.
Warren had previously attempted to arrange a unification bout between Usyk and WBA champion Tyson Fury, but negotiations fell through earlier this year. The clash between Usyk and Dubois is highly anticipated in the boxing world, with fans eagerly awaiting the outcome of this intriguing matchup.
As the defending champion, Usyk seeks to solidify his reign and further cement his status as a formidable force in the heavyweight division. Meanwhile, Dubois aims to seize the opportunity and shock the world by dethroning Usyk. The stage is therefore set for an enthralling encounter that could potentially redefine the landscape of heavyweight boxing.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
