LONDON (AP) — Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois have confirmed they’ll fight again for the undisputed heavyweight championship in July.
Both fighters posted details on the bout on Instagram on Sunday, confirming an earlier report that the fight will take place on July 19 at London’s Wembley Stadium.
“This is the fight I wanted and demanded and now I get my chance for revenge,” Dubois said.
The British fighter, who holds the IBF belt, had been pushing for a rematch since Usyk stopped him in the ninth round of a controversial first fight between the rivals in Poland in August 2023.
It was halted in the fifth round for what the referee ruled a low blow by Dubois that sent Usyk to the canvas, with replays showing the punch hitting around the Ukrainian’s belt. It was not given as a knockdown, no points were deducted from Dubois, and Usyk was given time to recover.
The 38-year-old Usyk holds the WBA, WBC and WBO belts and is undefeated as a pro.
“Thank you, Daniel, for taking care of my IBF belt – now I want it back,” Usyk said.
Usyk relinquished the IBF title when he chose to fight in a rematch against Tyson Fury in December. He won that bout in Saudi Arabia, like he did their first fight in May, the first fight for the undisputed championship since 2000.
Dubois defeated compatriot Anthony Joshua in his first fight as IBF champ in September, securing a fifth-round knockout in a dominant performance.
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AP boxing: https://apnews.com/hub/boxing
