Tony Bellew thinks Oleksandr Usyk will stop Daniel Dubois in their upcoming rematch. The former cruiserweight world champion predicts the fight will end between rounds 8 and 12.
Usyk and Dubois are set to face off again on July 19 at Wembley Stadium. The undisputed heavyweight championship will be on the line. Their first bout in 2023 ended in controversy when Dubois lost by stoppage in the ninth round after a debated low blow incident.
Bellew believes Dubois might struggle mentally in the rematch. He shared his thoughts with talkSPORT:
"The first time you say 'no mas' or 'I can't fight no more' is the hardest thing in your life. When you're in that ring and you quit, it's the hardest. Once you've done it once, it only gets easier from there on in. He [Usyk] is the man who can take you back to that place."
Bellew points out that Dubois has quit before and thinks Usyk can push fighters to their mental limits. He feels this could lead to another stoppage loss for Dubois.
Frank Warren, Dubois' promoter, didn't take kindly to Bellew's comments. He fired back:
"I don't particularly care about responding to what he says about anything about Daniel Dubois, considering when Daniel challenged Anthony Joshua he talked about him going on a stretcher in an ambulance. I won't even dignify anything he says about Daniel Dubois ... I think he's just a nasty bas***d at times. That's it."
Warren dismisses Bellew's opinions, calling him "nasty" towards Dubois. He brings up past comments Bellew made about Dubois to support his point.
Despite two stoppage losses in his career, Dubois has shown resilience by bouncing back from setbacks. The rematch gives him a chance to prove himself against Usyk once again. The boxing world will watch closely as these heavyweights clash at Wembley Stadium on July 19.
