Daniel Dubois is plotting his ring return after a knockout loss, but one heavyweight contender has questioned his desire to face the best.
Dubois was last out in August when he fought Oleksandr Usyk for the second time in his career. He lost the first fight by stoppage, but not before having Usyk down, albeit off a controversial low blow. The second fight had no question marks – Usyk finish ‘DDD’ inside five rounds to relieve him of his IBF belt and become a two-time undisputed heavyweight ruler.
The loss brought Dubois’ fine run to an end following stoppage wins over Anthony Joshua, Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic, but now he will be looking to get back into that sort of form in 2026.
Speaking to Box Nation, Agit Kabayel questioned Dubois calling him out publicly before going in a different direction, even saying he would have cancelled his upcoming fight to make it happen.
“I say to [Dubois’s team] guys, we cancel our homecoming event and I will come over to the UK. But I heard from their team, from Daniel, first of all Daniel will make a match in he UK, a stay busy fight. He lose a fight with Usyk and now he will make a fight for motivation.
“But I don’t understand – on the stage, Daniel talk like, ‘Kabayel let’s go, let’s go for the fight,’ and then I hear nothing from them. For me it’s bad news but it is what it is. I fight Damian Knyba and after the fight we can talk maybe with Daniel.”
Dubois vs Frank Sanchez has now been ordered to purse bids on November 13, while Kabayel – who has most recently beaten Sanchez, Arslanbek Makhmudov and Zhilei Zhang to remain undefeated – faces Knyba on January 10 in Düsseldorf. The brutal body puncher is currently WBC Interim champion and so close at the front of the queue to face Usyk for the full belt.
