Oleksandr Usyk wants to settle the score with Daniel Dubois. The heavyweight champion arrived in Saudi Arabia on Friday, ready to watch Joseph Parker take on a last-minute replacement in Martin Bakole.
The fight card changed dramatically on Thursday when Dubois pulled out of his IBF heavyweight title defense against Parker. Dubois got sick, leaving the event's organizers scrambling. They found a solution in Bakole, who agreed to step in with just hours to go before fight night.
Bakole is a top heavyweight contender, making this a risky move for Parker. The fight will take place on the undercard of the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol rematch.
Usyk, who holds the WBC, WBA, and WBO heavyweight titles, didn't mince words about who he wants to face next. When asked about his prediction for Parker vs Bakole, he told DAZNBoxing/status/1892982619333177569" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DAZN
:"I don't know, we'll see."
But when it came to his next opponent, Usyk was clear:
"I want to fight next with Dubois."
The Ukrainian's interest in Dubois stems from their controversial bout last August. Usyk won by ninth-round stoppage, but a body shot ruled as a low blow left a sour taste in many mouths. The two fighters have had bad blood ever since.
Usyk's desire for a rematch with Dubois comes fresh off his second straight victory over Tyson Fury in December. Now, it looks like Dubois might go straight into an undisputed match-up with Usyk. If not, he'll likely face the winner of tonight's Parker vs. Bakole bout.
The heavyweight division keeps getting more interesting. We'll have to wait and see how it all shakes out.
