Why Dubois Could Beat Usyk

Oleksandr Usyk will rematch Daniel Dubois on July 19 from Wembley Stadium in an undisputed heavyweight fight. 

Usyk is considered one of the best P4P fighters in the world, having become the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion. He defeated Tyson Fury in their first fight, following in the footsteps of Lennox Lewis, who was the last man to have become undisputed at the weight class in 1999. He later vacated his IBF Heavyweight Title, which was picked up by Dubois, who knocked out Anthony Joshua in his first defense.

Usyk remained the Unified Heavyweight Champion by defeating Tyson Fury in the second fight, as The Gypsy King announced his retirement from the sport. Dubois was on course to face Joseph Parker in the second defense of his belt. However, he pulled out of the fight with an illness, as he now faces Usyk in a rematch of their 2023 clash. 

Encouragement

Dubois will take a lot of positives from that first fight, where he dropped Usyk in the fifth round with a body shot. The referee deemed it a low blow as Usyk was given up to five minutes to recover. The Ukrainian eventually bounced back stronger as he stopped Dubois in the ninth round. However, there are some factors that could play into Dubois’ hands in the rematch.

He is arguably in the best form of his career, having racked up three consecutive wins since the loss. He has stopped Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Joshua. The Miller fight was a confidence boost, showing that Dubois could compete once again. Meanwhile, the Hrgovic win was as a breakthrough since the Croatian was seen as a future champion in the division. While Joshua is no longer considered in his peak, Dubois showed he could perform at an elite level.

Prior Experience

There is also an argument that Dubois has now shared 12 rounds with Usyk. Much has been said about Uysk’s weakness to his body. That was something Tyson Fury showed during the first fight. However, it is very difficult to sustain that pressure over 12 rounds, as The Gypsy King discovered when he was almost knocked out in the ninth round. 

However, there is also the argument that Usyk may have lost his hunger. He has already become undisputed at a second weight class, meaning he has enough of a reason to walk away from the sport. There is also the added factor of age, as he is reaching the tail end of his career at 38.

Usyk’s team has also spoken about other ventures, such as a fight with the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira and a BKFC fight with Conor McGregor. Dubois also has the advantage of the home crowd this time around. He was fighting in Poland for the first fight, as the country is known for having a strong Ukrainian fan base. If Dubois makes it a close fight, there is an argument that he could get a decision. Either way, it will take something special to beat Usyk.