Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois meet in their highly-anticipated rematch this summer.
They face each other at Wembley Stadium on July 19 for the undisputed heavyweight title, with Usyk the reigning WBC, WBA and WBO champion, while Dubois holds the IBF belt that was once in the possession of the Ukrainian.
Usyk vacated that belt in order to honour the rematch against Tyson Fury in December, after originally beating ‘The Gypsy King’ in their first meeting last May to become undisputed heavyweight champion for the first time.
The Ukrainian gets the chance to repeat that accomplishment when he turns his attention to another rematch against a British fighter, having first defeated Dubois back in August 2023 by ninth round stoppage.
It was a fight full of controversy though, as Dubois thought he had initially dropped his rival in the fifth round with a body shot, only for it to be ruled as a low blow.
One interested spectator in the rematch will be heavyweight contender Martin Bakole, who has previously claimed that he has stopped both Usyk and Dubois in sparring.
Bakole thinks it will be a repeat of when the rivals first met in July, as he told Seconds Out that Usyk will be victorious again.
“Everyone knows Usyk is going to win….Everyone knows that Dubois is going to lose. He is trying his chance so let’s see, but in my opinion Dubois is going to lose again. He can try but it’s too late to change something.
“It’s only me that can stop Usyk. I know how to stop him. I did it already in sparring. I know how to do it in a fight. I have a boxing brain, I don’t think Dubois has that boxing brain. Usyk is going to play with him.”
Bakole was recently in action against Efe Ajagba, being held to a majority decision draw in a performance that was heavily criticised due to the condition of the Congo fighter.
