Since then, both fighters have made significant strides. Usyk beat Tyson Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight champion but later vacated the IBF belt for this rematch. Dubois picked up that IBF title, marking his first world honours, and racked up impressive stoppage wins against Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and Anthony Joshua.
Joseph Parker, who was scheduled to fight Dubois in February before the latter pulled out due to illness, shared his thoughts on the upcoming bout. In an interview with BoxNation, Parker said:
"In the beginning I feel like Daniel's chance of winning the fight is the first half of the fight. If he gets past the first half of the fight I feel Usyk will be too much for him in terms of fitness, movement, angles, you know, just the way he can break someone down. I've seen that in the fights he's had against the top heavyweights … I expect a Usyk stoppage, late rounds. It is a different Daniel Dubois, but also Usyk could be different himself."
Parker believes Dubois must win early to have a chance, citing Usyk's fitness, movement, angles, and ability to break down opponents as key advantages. The New Zealander predicts Usyk will stop Dubois in the later rounds.
As the WBO mandatory challenger, Parker has his eyes set on facing the winner of Usyk-Dubois in the near future. He's made it clear he wants his shot at the undisputed title next, adding another layer of intrigue to this weekend's heavyweight clash.