Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois are just weeks away from their highly anticipated rematch.
The heavyweight rivals will lock horns for the second time on Saturday July 19 at Wembley Stadium in London, with the undisputed heavyweight championship set to be at stake for both men in what will be one of the most historic boxing events to ever take place on British soil.
Their first encounter, which took place in August 2023, saw Usyk hit the canvas during the fifth round from a powerful body shot, though it was later ruled as a low blow by referee Luis Pabon. The Ukrainian icon went on to stop Dubois in the ninth round to keep a hold of his WBA, WBO and IBF titles.
Speaking to Froch On Fighting, retired two-division world champion Amir Khan gave an honest assessment of Usyk and Dubois’ second battle.
“Dubois especially with the last couple of wins he’s had and the knockout against Anthony Joshua, his confidence is going to be there, he’s gonna start believing, he’s younger, he’s fresher, he’s gonna have a lot more to give and show, and because he’s a good fighter now, you know why? Because when he fought the first time, he really wasn’t a name when he fought Usyk, and caught him with that body shot, he knows he can hurt him, he thinks it was a legit body shot that put him down.
But then again, you know fighters like that, who might have more confidence and they’ll go into that fight against someone like Usyk and say you know what I’m gonna do this more now, I’m gonna try this more, I’m more confident, I’m more of a better fighter, they’re the ones that might get outclassed even easier, maybe because when he was fighting him the first time he was careful, he was smarter, he was very cagey. He migh tbe over confident and open up a bit more and end up getting caught more and get hurt more, it might be an easier fight for him.”
Dubois could become the first British undisputed heavyweight champion of the four belt era should he be victorious this time around, writing his name into the boxing history books and creating his own legacy.
