Oleksandr Usyk is just a few weeks away from his return to the ring.
The Ukrainian great has become one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, having first become undisputed cruiserweight champion before then stepping up to the banner division looking to repeat the accomplishment at heavyweight.
After becoming unified world champion with two victories over Anthony Joshua, Usyk claimed back-to-back wins against Tyson Fury to become undisputed champion and solidify himself as the best heavyweight on the planet.
Between his fights with Joshua and Fury, Usyk picked up a stoppage victory over Daniel Dubois, and the two men will now meet again at Wembley Stadium in London on July 19.
Dubois now holds the IBF title after Usyk had to vacate it in order to honour the rematch with Fury, meaning the winner of this summer’s clash will once again be undisputed champion.
Many boxing fans believe that Dubois will now possess a much bigger threat to Usyk than when the pair originally met, and former two-weight world champion Ricky Hatton agrees with that assessment.
Speaking to Boxing News, Hatton described the fight as the best in the division, and feels Dubois could become the first man to get a win over Usyk due to his new-found confidence.
“I think it’s the best fight, they’re the best two heavyweights in the world. Bit of controversy last time, which goes with the game in boxing, doesn’t it, a bit of controversy. I think Daniel has a better chance than the first time, what with a win off Joshua.
“His confidence is massively up. When he fought Usyk first time, he come off the defeat from Joyce, but now he’s absolutely flying, he’s got a better chance than the first time round, I think.”
Though he hasn’t made an official prediction, Hatton has said that the result is absolutely not ‘a foregone conclusion.’
Dubois has picked up wins against Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Joshua since his first meeting with Usyk, and Hatton isn’t the only former super-lightweight world champion to like the Brit’s chances in the rematch, with his countryman Amir Khan also doing so.
