Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois: Heavyweight champion to defend titles against British challenger
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Updated 06/07/2023 at 15:20 GMT+1
Oleksandr Usyk will defend his world heavyweight titles against British challenger Daniel Dubois on Saturday, 26 August, live on TNT Sports. It will be the unbeaten Ukrainian's first title defence since he beat Anthony Joshua to retain the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and Ring magazine belts back in Saudi Arabia last year.
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Oleksandr Usyk will defend his world heavyweight titles against Briton Daniel Dubois on Saturday, 26 August, live on TNT Sports.
Dubois, 25, became the mandatory challenger to Usyk back in June 2022, beating American Trevor Bryan by knockout to win the WBA 'regular' heavyweight title.
It will be Usyk's (20-0-0) first title defence since he beat Anthony Joshua to retain the WBA "super", IBF, WBO and Ring magazine belts back in Saudi Arabia last year.
Usyk first beat Joshua back in September 2021 to became world heavyweight champion.
The heavyweight showdown will be broadcast exclusively live on TNT Sports Box Office in the UK and Ireland. Broadcast details for other territories will be announced shortly.
The fight will take place in Poland, where Usyk won the WBO world cruiserweight title, beating Krzysztof Glowacki back in 2015.
Usyk paid tribute to Poland's role in offering a place of refuge for displaced Ukrainians during the war with Russia.
Usyk: “I am very glad that we have the opportunity to fight in Poland, where I won my first world title seven years ago.
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"I want to thank the Polish people who are helping Ukraine so much. Hundreds of thousands of my compatriots have been hosted by this wonderful country.
"Therefore, I hope that my fight will become one more opportunity for Ukrainians and people of Poland to unite and strengthen our friendship.”
WBA Regular champion Dubois (20-19-1) has vowed to "shock" the world as he makes the step up to face the unbeaten Usyk.
Dubois' one and only professional defeat came three years ago at the hands of heavyweight compatriot Joe Joyce.
“I’m looking forward to challenging Oleksandr Usyk and am confident that I will be returning to the UK with the belts," he said.
"He is a great fighter and I do respect him, but it’s my time now. I’m going to shock the world and show people how good Daniel Dubois really is.”
Meanwhile Dubois' promoter Frank Warren has backed the 25-year-old to "turn the heavyweight division on its head" as he faces the biggest test of his young career.
He said: “The date of August 26 is when Daniel Dubois will turn the heavyweight division on its head by becoming the WBO, WBA and IBF World Heavyweight Champion.
"To the outside world, Daniel is a big outsider, but here at Queensberry we are supremely confident in his ability to cause a major upset and achieve the status he set out to realise when he turned professional with us back in 2017.
“I knew back then that we were working with a future world champion, and he now has the opportunity to chase greatness against a fine champion in Oleksandr Usyk."
Warren was close to agreeing a world heavyweight unification bout between Usyk and WBA champion Tyson Fury but talks collapsed earlier this year.
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