On August 26, in Wroclaw, Poland, HEAVYWEIGHT champion Oleksandr Usyk will battle Daniel Dubois.
The event had originally been scheduled for August 12, but has been postponed to be closer to Ukraine’s Independence Day on August 24, as explained by Usyk’s manager, Oleksandr Krasiuk, in an interview with TVP Sport.
“There are many Ukrainians living in Wroclaw,” Krasiuk said. “The fight will take place at a 24,000-seat stadium. We had to change the date of the fight from Aug. 12 to Aug. 26, because it is closer to Ukraine’s Independence Day. This is the perfect date to organize a fight with Dubois. We could not waste [this opportunity].”
K2 Promotions, Usyk’s promoters, won the rights to host the fight, with Usyk receiving $6 million and Dubois earning $2 million.
Wroclaw has become a refuge for many Ukrainians since Russia’s invasion of the country began in February 2022. According to a report in the New York Times, “A quarter of Wroclaw’s population speaks Ukrainian or Russian, and around 20 per cent of school students are from Ukraine.”
Dubois, with a record of 19-1 (18), will enter the ring with a new trainer, veteran Don Charles, for the biggest fight of his career. McGuigan & Dubois had won four fights together since 2021.
Usyk, with an unbeaten record of 20-0 (13), had hoped to face his bitter rival Tyson Fury, but long and complicated negotiations earlier this year ultimately fell through. Although Fury is still without a fight, rumors continue to link the two in a potential showdown in Saudi Arabia later this year.