Oleksandr Usyk, Daniel Dubois Reportedly Finalizing Heavyweight Title Fight Rematch

Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk is reportedly close to solidifying his return to the ring against a familiar opponent.

Mike Coppinger of Ring Magazine reported on Tuesday that Usyk is in the process of finalizing a rematch against Daniel Dubois for his next title defense on July 12 at Wembley Stadium in London.

Usyk and Dubois first met in August 2023, with Usyk remaining undefeated with a ninth-round knockout victory. The 38-year-old has since earned back-to-back victories over the legendary Tyson Fury, the first of which made him the undisputed champion.

Dubois bounced back from his loss to Usyk by rattling off three straight wins. He won the interim IBF heavyweight title and was promoted to full champion in August 2024 when Usyk was forced to vacate the belt. The 27-year-old most recently scored an impressive fifth-round knockout over Anthony Joshua in September.

Dubois was previously expected to defend his IBF title against Joseph Parker in February, but he was forced to withdraw from the bout during fight week due to an illness. Parker went on to defeat Martin Bakole via second-round knockout and proceeded to call out both Dubois and Usyk.

Instead, it appears that Parker will be the odd man out while Usyk and Dubois meet for the second time this summer. Dubois is looking to become the first British undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999, as well as the first in the four-belt era. Per Coral Barry of BBC, Usyk has "suggested he will retire after two more fights."