Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois traded words at a press conference on Thursday, ahead of their undisputed title clash on Saturday.
Two years after Usyk beat Dubois in Poland, the heavyweights will square off again – this time at Wembley Stadium, with the Ukrainian’s unified belts on the line, while the Briton defends his IBF title.
In their first bout, Usyk climbed off the canvas to stop Dubois after suffering a controversial low blow, which the latter’s team still insists was a legal body shot. Since then, Dubois has been in the form of his life, stopping Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and most recently Anthony Joshua, whom the 27-year-old knocked out at Wembley in September.
Usyk, meanwhile, is still unbeaten, having recorded back-to-back decision wins over Tyson Fury in 2024. The first win made Usyk, 38, the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years, before he retained the unified belts in their rematch after giving up the IBF strap. In the meantime, Dubois was elevated from interim IBF champion to regular champion,
And all the gold will be up for grabs on Saturday, but first, the heavyweights took to the stage for a press conference. Re-live updates from Thursday’s press conference below. Purchase the fight on DAZN pay-per-view here.
Read More
Usyk vs Dubois 2 press conference live
- Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois shared stage ahead of rematch at Wembley on Saturday
- Undisputed heavyweight titles will be on the line; Usyk holds unified belts, Dubois is IBF champion
- Usyk, 38, stopped 27-year-old Dubois in 2023 after climbing off canvas from controversial low blow
- Read all about how Thursday’s press conference went down | Piece by Alex Pattle
Usyk offers cryptic warning and Dubois reacts to huge Canelo bet
17:06
,
Alex Pattle
Usyk vs Dubois 2 is a contest that Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, arguably the face of boxing, believes will go Usyk’s way again.
So confident is the undisputed super-middleweight champion, he has placed a $500,000 bet on the southpaw.
“It doesn’t mean nothing to me, it don’t mean s*** to me,” said Dubois. “He’s gonna lose his money.”
If Dubois has his way, Canelo will lose his money, and Usyk will lose his unified belts.
Piece from Wembley:
Usyk vs Dubois 2 press conference live
15:14
,
Alex Pattle
That’s all from us, thanks for following!
We’ll be back tomorrow with live coverage of the weigh-in...
Usyk vs Dubois 2 press conference live
15:06
,
Alex Pattle
Usyk vs Dubois 2 press conference live
14:57
,
Alex Pattle
Usyk vs Dubois 2 press conference live
14:52
,
Alex Pattle
Usyk vs Dubois 2 press conference live
14:47
,
Alex Pattle
Usyk vs Dubois 2 press conference live
14:42
,
Alex Pattle
Usyk vs Dubois 2 press conference live
14:35
,
Alex Pattle
Usyk and Dubois on the age aspect
14:30
,
Alex Pattle
Dubois is 27; Usyk is 38. Is Usyk old, in boxing terms?
Dubois: “It’s facts. I’m a young lion and I’ve just got to take over, be the man.”
Usyk: “I respect this guy, this young guy. He’s motivated, but I am, too. I’m not an old guy; 38 is not old.”
Dubois on Canelo's huge bet on Usyk
14:25
,
Alex Pattle
Host Dev Sahni says Canelo Alvarez has placed a $500,000 bet on Usyk.
Dubois: “It doesn’t mean nothing to me, it don’t mean s*** to me. He’s gonna lose his money.”
Dubois' manager says Usyk's team are rattled
14:21
,
Alex Pattle
Riz Khan: “I think they are rattled, solely because they are using the same line: ‘Daniel’s not changed.’”
Dubois on his training
14:18
,
Alex Pattle
“Right now, I just want to get it on. I’ve got to write my own script now. They’ve got a script, I’ve got to write my own.
“I’ve been getting a lot of... just confidence from my training, the shots I’ve been landing on the people I’ve been sparring. All of that’s just been building up, and I’m ready to let it out now.”
Charles and Usyk's manager in back and forth
14:14
,
Alex Pattle
Charles dismisses criticism of Dubois from Usyk’s manager, Egis Klimas.
“We know what we’ve been witnessing,” says Charles. “He [Klimas] must’ve been sleeping for the last three fights.
“He must’ve been fast asleep. Can somebody wake him up?”
Klimas: “While I was sleeping, Oleksandr beat Tyson Fury two times.”
Dubois' trainer Don Charles speaks
14:10
,
Alex Pattle
“If you really think about what this young man has experienced to be where he is today, the sacrifices he’s always made and is still making... he’s a prime example for any young person who wants to come into the industry.
“I’m a very spiritual man, in the sense that I believe in the universe.
“In my opinion, he’s been destined to be here today, and on Saturday to do what has almost been deemed impossible.
“I’ve normally got a lot to say,” he’s not wrong, “but I’m gonna keep it short.”
Warren on this match-up
14:05
,
Alex Pattle
On Usyk: “He is different. He’s a fabulous and great champion, but this [Dubois] is the new kid on the block.
“He’s got the power, but everybody underestimates his boxing ability. He has one of the best jabs in boxing.
“We’ll see on Saturday night, the fans are gonna get something special.”
He says he knows that Usyk won’t box on the back foot, so he expects fireworks.
Team Usyk's 'Crazy Professor' speaks
14:04
,
Alex Pattle
A member of Team Usyk, Kuda “The Crazy Professor”, says: “I know he [Usyk] is ageing.
“But don’t worry. He’s more than ready.”
Frank Warren on ticket sales
14:02
,
Alex Pattle
Dubois’s promoter Warren says the fight is “nigh-on a sell-out”. He promises a phenomenal atmosphere.
He also backs Dubois, saying the 27-year-old is coming into his prime and knows how to hurt Usyk.
Usyk speaks next
13:59
,
Alex Pattle
“Hello, London, I’m happy to be here again. Why’s it my night? Because I believe in this, because I hope in Jesus Christ.
“But I’ve prepared for this fight. [For] Ukraine.
"Listen, every one of my fights is important for me and my team.”
He dedicates the fight to the “soldiers who protect my country” amid Ukraine’s war with Russia.
“It's motivation for my people. It’s very important to me.”
Dubois is first to speak
13:57
,
Alex Pattle
Dubois on why he’ll win this time: “Because I’ve prepared right, I’m just on a different level now.
“I’m ready to come through whatever I need to on Saturday.
“I’m chasing glory, and I’m chasing greatness.”
What’s more important, revenge or undisputed status?
“All of it, the whole thing. This is history-making, and I’ve just got to do a real demolition job. I’m hungry, I’m ready for it.”
Usyk’s team address ‘conflict’ rumours after split from promoter
13:49
,
Alex Pattle
Someone who is not on stage is Alex Krassyuk, Usyk’s longtime promoter until very recently...
Press conference under way
13:47
,
Alex Pattle
The key players are on stage, except for the boxers themselves.
Frank Warren and Don Charles – Dubois’s promoter and trainer – are there.
And here we go!
Press conference imminent!
13:35
,
Alex Pattle
“Bear with us, ladies and gentlemen, we will start very, very soon,” is the message from host Dev Sahni!
Buzzy atmosphere at Wembley
13:20
,
Alex Pattle
Today’s press conference is due to take place in the Great Hall in Wembley Stadium, and although the start of the event has been delayed, the room is packed out and there’s a buzzy atmosphere.
What's at stake?
13:11
,
Lawrence Ostlere
So much. There is Usyk's undefeated record. The Ukrainian turns 39 in January so he's at the point of his career where every fight could be his last. Going out on top must be at least a little appealing.
Plus, even though he clearly feasts on British opponents, he might not be as enthusiastic to face the likes of rising star Moses Itauma, a 20-year-old Slovakia-born British southpaw who has drawn comparisons to a young Mike Tyson. None of Itauma's past eight opponents have lasted two rounds.
For the 27-year-old Dubois, history awaits. He'd be the first British fighter since Lennox Lewis in 1999 to be the undisputed world heavyweight champion. Fury and Joshua have been much more heralded in their careers, but neither has been able to beat Usyk. They both fought him twice and lost.
Dubois also wants to prove that his stunning knockout of Joshua last September in an IBF title defense was no fluke.
Who have Usyk and Dubois fought recently?
13:04
,
Lawrence Ostlere
Since beating Dubois, Usyk secured back-to-back victories over Tyson Fury. Both fights took place in Riyadh and both went the full 12 rounds. The first was a split decision. The rematch last December was a unanimous decision.
Dubois rebounded from his loss to Usyk with three wins, all by stoppages: Jarrell Miller in the 10th round; Filip Hrgovic in the eighth round; and Anthony Joshua in the fifth at Wembley.
Dubois was scheduled to make a title defense against Joseph Parker in February but he backed out at the last minute citing an illness.
Usyk-Dubois press conference delayed
12:57
,
Lawrence Ostlere
There is a little a bit of a delay, it seems, but the press conference will be on its way shortly this lunchtime.
T-minus 10 minutes until the press conference begins!
12:50
,
Alex Pattle
There’s often a bit of a delay with these things, but there should be just 10 minutes until the press conference begins!
I tried Daniel Dubois’ sprint routine - and it’s not for the fainthearted
12:45
,
Harry Bullmore
“I’ve worked with World Cup winners, and Daniel Dubois has the best physique I’ve ever seen,” his team doctor Ravi Gill tells me as we stand ringside, watching the would-be undisputed world champion train.
It is not just his hulking frame or knockout power that impresses Gill either – it is Dubois’ ability to work hard and recover fast, which is vital if he is to go 12 rounds with Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday.
His regular 20-round training sessions play a significant role in forging this fight-ready fitness, but there is another training method he uses to supercharge his heart and lungs: running.
Most mornings, the newly-signed Brooks Running athlete covers between 5km and 8km at a fairly easy pace, and three times per week his strength and conditioning coach takes him to an athletics track for taxing interval sessions. But one of Dubois’ regular fitness tests stands above all others – his Saturday hill sprints.
His trainer Don Charles runs me through the weekly workout, and the session could strike fear into even the most-seasoned athletes. But in the interests of entertainment and providing a point of comparison for Dubois’ pre-fight fitness, I resolved to give it a go.
The awkward truth behind the biggest moment of Dubois’ career
12:35
,
Alex Pattle
In many ways, Oleksandr Usyk’s rematch with Daniel Dubois this weekend is the natural next step through a heavyweight landscape that has been as scenic over the last two years as it has in decades. The simplest sell for this bout is that Usyk is the unified champion and Dubois is the IBF title holder; all of the belts, as ever, ‘must’ be unified (even though they never stay that way), with the winner at Wembley Stadium set to be crowned undisputed champion.
Undisputed status eluded all heavyweights for 24 years until Usyk outpointed Tyson Fury 14 months ago, yet the unbeaten Ukrainian only held that status for a matter of weeks before he gave up the IBF belt; in honouring a rematch with Fury, Usyk allowed interim IBF champion Dubois to be elevated, and the young Briton retained the official version of the belt with a demolition of Anthony Joshua in September.
These are the basic facts, which position Usyk, 38, and Dubois, 27, as opponents in London this weekend. There is also their history: a unified-title fight two years ago, when Usyk climbed off the canvas to stop Dubois in Poland, with the latter’s camp swearing that the low blow against the southpaw had in fact been a legal body shot.
But to dive deeper is to realise that Usyk vs Dubois 2 is actually a somewhat awkward match-up.
Dubois is dangerous and a familiar weakness could be Usyk’s undoing
12:20
,
Alex Pattle
Daniel Dubois was a long way from finished at the end of his world title fight against Oleksandr Usyk in Poland two years ago.
Dubois had been dropped twice and stopped when he narrowly failed to beat the count in round nine. It was not a happy night for Dubois and in the midnight aftermath, harsh questions were asked about his desire to fight.
Dubois, it turns out, did want to fight, and he went on an impressive three-fight streak, winning all by stoppage and arguably starting all three as the underdog. It salvaged his reputation in a sport where lines are crossed too often by people pumping an agenda.
Steve Bunce previews this weekend’s main event:
Odds for Usyk vs Dubois 2 this weekend
12:05
,
Alex Pattle
Usyk – 2/7
Dubois – 3/1
Draw – 16/1
Via Betway. Get all the latest boxing betting sites’ offers.
The Independent vets betting sites for usability, security and responsible gambling tools. You can claim free bets here to use across a range of sports. Please read the terms.
How to watch Usyk vs Dubois 2 this weekend
11:45
,
Alex Pattle
The fight will stream live exclusively on DAZN in over 200 countries worldwide, priced at £24.99 in the UK, $59.99 in the US, and $19.99/equivalent ROW (rest of world).
Purchase a subscription to DAZN here, with plans starting at £14.99 a month and allowing access to over 185 fights a year – across boxing, bare-knuckle boxing, MMA and kickboxing.
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
How much will Usyk and Dubois earn this weekend?
11:25
,
Alex Pattle
It is unknown exactly how much each boxer will earn, but a report from RBC Ukraine claims the total purse will be just over $200m, with a split of 65 per cent to Usyk and 35 per cent to Dubois. So, it is believed Usyk will make $132m (approximately £97.5m), while Dubois will make $71m (approximately £52.5m).
Those sums would be career highs for each boxer; Usyk reportedly earned $114m in his rematch with Fury, and Dubois allegedly made $4.6m for his bout with Joshua – before his pay-per-view cut took that number to $13m.
Who is fighting on the Usyk vs Dubois 2 undercard?
11:05
,
Alex Pattle
Oleksandr Usyk (WBC, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion) vs Daniel Dubois (IBF champion) [undisputed heavyweight titles]
Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena (heavyweight)
Daniel Lapin vs Lewis Edmondson (light-heavyweight)
Vladyslav Sirenko vs Solomon Dacres (heavyweight)
Aadam Hamed vs Ezequiel Gregores (super-lightweight)
Lasha Guruli vs James Francis (super-lightweight)
Subject to change
What time does Usyk vs Dubois 2 start this weekend?
10:45
,
Alex Pattle
Usyk vs Dubois 2 will take place on Saturday 19 July at Wembley Stadium in London.
Usyk vs Dubois 2 will take place on Saturday 19 July at Wembley Stadium in London. The first fight of the night is due to begin at 5.40pm BST (9.40am PT / 11.40am CT / 12.40pm ET), with main-event ring walks following at roughly 9.45pm BST (1.45pm PT / 3.45pm CT / 4.45pm ET).
Usyk vs Dubois 2 press conference live
10:19
,
Alex Pattle
The press conference is due to start at around 1pm BST today in Wembley, and we’ll be on the ground to keep you covered with live updates!
Usyk vs Dubois 2 press conference live
10:00
,
Alex Pattle
Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois will trade words at a press conference today, ahead of their undisputed title clash on Saturday.
Two years after Usyk beat Dubois in Poland, the heavyweights will square off again – this time at Wembley Stadium, with the Ukrainian’s unified belts on the line, while the Briton defends his IBF title.
In their first bout, Usyk climbed off the canvas to stop Dubois after suffering a controversial low blow, which the latter’s team still insists was a legal body shot. Since then, Dubois has been in the form of his life, stopping Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and most recently Anthony Joshua, whom the 27-year-old knocked out at Wembley in September.
Usyk, meanwhile, is still unbeaten, having recorded back-to-back decision wins over Tyson Fury in 2024. The first win made Usyk, 38, the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years, before he retained the unified belts in their rematch after giving up the IBF strap. In the meantime, Dubois was elevated from interim IBF champion to regular champion,
And all the gold will be up for grabs on Saturday, but first, the heavyweights take to the stage for a press conference.
Follow live updates from Thursday’s press conference right here.