Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk hasn’t just fought (and defeated) the very best of his era, when it comes to former champions Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, he has done so twice.
So, it’s only natural that when Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs), the dynamic southpaw from Ukraine, looks to become the division’s undisputed champion for a second time that he would do so by looking to gain a second victory over current IBF titleholder Daniel Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) when the two meet on Saturday in front of an expected crowd of more than 90,000 inside London’s Wembley Stadium (12:30 p.m. ET, DAZN PPV — buy now).
Previously, Usyk’s double victories over Joshua and Fury came in back-to-back fights with each one due to rematch clauses that were instilled within the contract well in advance. But what makes this weekend’s rematch against Dubois so different is that Usyk will be fighting a much more dangerous version of the explosive puncher than when the two first met in 2023.
Dubois, the 27-year-old from London, had already drawn criticism when he lost a 2020 showdown to fellow unbeaten Joe Joyce by refusing to continue after voluntarily taking a knee when he was struck in the eye by a jab. Even though it was later found that Dubois had suffered a fractured eye socket, he was seen by critics as an underachieving quitter.
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Brent Brookhouse
That reputation somewhat followed him through the first Usyk when a fatigued Dubois was dropped by a jab in Round 9 and appeared to wait until the referee’s count of 10 before attempting to rise in yet another stoppage defeat.
The weight of the two high-profile defeats appeared to wake something up in Dubois. Four months later, he knocked out unbeaten Jarrell Miller in the 10th and final round. Then, in 2024, Dubois completely transformed his reputation by evolving into something more akin to a cyborg destroyer.
Dubois knocked out unbeaten Filip Hrgovic to claim the IBF title that was stripped from Usyk after he chose to enter a rematch with Fury rather than defend his title against a mandatory challenger. And one fight later, in the same stadium he will rematch Usyk on Saturday, Dubois capped off a bid for fighter of the year honors when he brutally finished Joshua in Round 5 of their slugfest.
The combination of Dubois’ resurgence and the fact that Usyk is now 38, and fresh off of a pair of grueling wins over Fury, has many questioning whether a different outcome could be in order for their rematch.
“I prepared right and I’m just on a different level now,” Dubois said at Wednesday’s final press conference. “I’m ready to go through whatever I need to on Saturday to get all of them belts. I am chasing glory and I am chasing greatness.
“I’m switched on and focused. I’m ready to cause chaos in that ring, I’m ready to go.”
The only bit of controversy remaining from their first fight was a right uppercut to the body from Dubois in Round 5 that appeared to strike just slightly below the belt line that dropped Usyk. The punch was instantly ruled low by referee Luis Pabon, but it led to a fallout of hullabaloo as Dubois claimed, due to Usyk being down for a long time wincing in pain, that it should’ve been ruled a knockout.
Either way, Usyk has remained as stoic, confident and succinct as ever before throughout the buildup to the rematch. Donning a white cape attached to his white suit with a furry black hat at this week’s press conference, the only emotion Usyk displayed was when he was asked whether his age might leave him vulnerable to Dubois’ concussive power.
“Listen, I respect this guy, this young guy who is motivated,” Usyk said. “But I am, too. I am not an old guy, 38 is not old. We will see on Saturday if it’s God’s will.”
Asked whether a second straight stoppage of Dubois was in order, Usyk was even more short and direct.
“Yes, I believe this,” Usyk said.
In order to do so, however, he will need to deal with Dubois’ newfound sense of invincibility.
“This is history making and I’m ready to do a real demolition job,” Dubois said. “I’m going to write my own script now. I’m going to win these belts and I’m going to be the man.
“I’m going to make it a great fight. I’m up for it. I feel, at the moment, that I’m at the peak of my powers and it’s going to be a great performance.”
The undercard features a distinct English flair with many from England represented on Saturday. Most interesting may be another heavyweight showdown between Lawrence Okolie and Kevin Lerena. Okolie made the move up to heavyweight after previously holding the WBO cruiserweight title and three successful title defenses. But a loss to Chris Billam-Smith spurred a move up in weight. First, to the recently formed bridgerweight, where he defeated Lukasz Rozanski. One fight later, he earned a secondary title at heavyweight against Hussein Muhamed last December. He takes on Lerena, who has bounced between bridgerweight and heavyweight in his last five fights, scoring a knockout of Serihy Radchenko in May to retain his title.
“I’ve looked at it [Dubois vs Lerena], but I’m not looking to make a statement in that way, I just want to put on the best performance I can on Saturday,” Okolie said ahead of the Lerena fight. “I’ve had a lot more experience with southpaws than Dan. I plan on delivering another first-round knockout.”
Let’s take a closer look at the rest of the undercard with the latest odds before getting to a prediction and expert pick on the main event below.
Usyk vs. Dubois 2 fight card, odds
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
- Oleksandr Usyk (c) -300 vs. Daniel Dubois (c) +235, undisputed heavyweight title
- Lawrence Okolie -230 vs. Kevin Lerena +180, heavyweights
- Daniel Lapin -450 vs. Lewis Edmondson +320, light heavyweights
- Lasha Guruli -1800 vs. James Francis +900, junior welterweights
- Vladyslav Sirenko -650 vs. Solomon Dacres +425, heavyweights
- Aadam Hamed -10000 vs. Ezequiel Gregores +1800, junior welterweights
Where to watch Usyk vs. Dubois 2
- Date: July 19 | Location: Wembley Stadium — London
- Start time: 12:30 p.m. ET
- How to watch: DAZN PPV — buy now | Price: $59.99
Prediction
For as much as Dubois’ recent run of terror has been impressive, one does have to take into account the limitations of his opponents, even if one of them was the accomplished former champion Joshua.
Usyk, even at 38, is simply too skilled, too calculated and too tough to succumb to Dubois’ pressure attack. In fact, outside of the controversial low blow that left Usyk down and hurt, their first fight was almost completely controlled by Usyk as he systematically wore Dubois down with power shots to set up the finish via stiff jab.
From his footwork to his efficient and accurate punching, Usyk is the kind of generational talent who hasn’t yet received the full critical respect and fanfare worldwide that he deserves. Some of that is due to his humble, reserved nature but his game has spoke volumes ever since he first broke onto the scene as a professional by becoming the first four-belt champion in cruiserweight history.
Will his defense need to be on point as ever, especially considering how much Dubois has talked about walking through whatever comes his way? Of course. But Usyk’s single lefthanded shots were strong enough to discipline both Joshua and Fury, and they should be enough to score a second win over Dubois.
Pick: Usyk via UD12
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