Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois II Preview
DANIEL Dubois has the opportunity to become Britain’s first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis this weekend, but to do so, the Londoner must solve one of the most complex puzzles in world boxing. For all the latest fight odds, visit our sportsbook.
Over 90,000 fans will be in attendance to watch the battle between IBF titleholder Dubois and the brilliant, undefeated WBC, WBO, WBA and RING Magazine champion Oleksandr Usyk at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night.
The task in front of him may be complicated, but Dubois has a pretty straightforward plan.
“I’m going to cause chaos in the ring,” he has said time and time again throughout the build-up.
The idea may sound simplistic, but it may well prove to be extremely smart.
Back in August 2023, Dubois travelled to Poland to challenge Usyk. Although he performed well in the early stages of the fight, he was eventually outboxed and mentally broken down by the outstanding Ukrainian, and sank to his knee after absorbing a hard right hand in the ninth round.
Rather than allowing the loss to break him, Dubois used it as a learning experience. Since that disappointing night, the 27-year-old has been unstoppable.
In December 2023, he stopped Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller. Six months later, he walked through fire to beat up and break down the undefeated Filip Hrgovic in eight rounds. Then, last September, he produced the most devastating performance of his career, dropping two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua four times and knocking him out in the fifth round in a thrilling fight.
The wins have earned him a second shot at Usyk. Having already shared the ring with him, Dubois will be all too aware of the technical problems Usyk poses and seems to be set on making the rematch as physical as possible.
“This is history-making, and I’ve just got to do a real demolition job,” Dubois said at Thursday’s final press conference. “I’m hungry. I’m ready for him.
“I know what I’ve got to do. I’m a young lion, and I’ve just got to take over, be the man, and execute him.”
Usyk isn’t buying into the idea that Dubois is a new and improved fighter.
He and his team also believe he is putting too much stock in the controversial fourth round of the first fight, when Dubois landed a hard right hand to Usyk’s beltline. Although the referee ruled that the shot was an illegal low blow, Usyk was undoubtedly hurt and spent almost four minutes recovering.
Although he has rebuilt his career over the past two years, Team Usyk still seem to believe that – at his core – he is the same man and fighter who finished the first fight exhausted and broken-hearted. Dubois is intent on proving them wrong and scoring a famous victory.
“I just want to get it on,” Dubois said. “I’m going to write my own script. They’ve got a script, but I’m going to write my own script. I’m going to win these belts, and I’m going to be the man.”
