Usyk v Dubois: Brit 6/1 for heavyweight upset

Britain’s Daniel Dubois will fight world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in Poland in August.

Ukrainian Usyk, 36, will put all his WBA (Super), IBF and WBO titles on the line against mandatory WBA challenger Dubois, 26, at the Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw on August 26.

In the Usyk v Dubois betting odds, Usyk is 1/10 to retain his belts while Dubois is 6/1 to cause an upset.

Coral spokesman John Hill said: “This is a huge opportunity for Daniel Dubois. The British boxer is a big underdog, but we have seen far bigger upsets in the betting than a 6/1 shot prevailing, particularly in the heavyweight division.”

Former undisputed cruiserweight champion Usyk snatched the titles off Anthony Joshua in London in September 2021 and won the rematch in August last year in Saudi Arabia.

Dubois will be Usyk’s second defence of his world heavyweight belts with the match-up announced on Twitter by Frank Warren’s Queensbury Promotions.

Usyk, whose scheduled showdown with WBC champion Tyson Fury at Wembley in April fell through due to contractual disputes, said simply on Instagram: “See you 26 august”.

Londoner Dubois, nicknamed ‘Dynamite’, has won 19 of his 20 fights since turning professional in 2017, 18 by knockout, with one defeat, against fellow British heavyweight Joe Joyce in 2020.

Dubois suffered a fractured orbital bone and nerve damage to his left eye when stopped in the 10th round by Joyce, but has beaten four opponents since.

In his latest triumph, on the undercard of Fury’s third fight against Derek Chisora at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September, Dubois recovered from three first-round knockdowns to defeat South Africa’s Kevin Lerena.