Daniel Dubois (19-1, 18 KOs) says he can’t wait to face unbeaten IBF, IBO, WBA & WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (20-0, 13 KO) this Saturday night so that he can “snatch” his titles away from him at the Tarczyński Arena Wrocław in Wroclaw, Poland.
Dubois shows a lot of movement and body punching in the video clips of his training for Saturday’s fight with Oleksandr.
Daniel’s training team is trying to make him less slow & robotic than he’s been in the past, as he was a sitting duck in his last fight against Kevin Lerena.
After that performance, there was obviously concern that Dubois is too flawed in the present form ever to win a world title and that his time as a top-ten contender could soon expire.
It’s taken the 25-year-old Dubois four fight and three years to rebuild since quitting on one knee in his tenth round KO loss to Joe Joyce in 2020.
Dubois hasn’t beaten anyone remarkable unless you view Trevor Bryan as an elite-level fighter, yet the 6’5″ Queensberry promoted heavyweight is getting a chance to challenge Usyk for his three titles this Saturday, August 26th.
The Usyk-Dubois card starts at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT on ESPN+.
Dubois ready for upset
“It’s been good. It’s been a different experience I needed, though. I needed to make drastic changes for this fight, and we made the changes, and I feel better for it,” said Daniel Dubois to Fight Hub TV, taking the training camp to Spain to prepare for the Oleksandr Usyk contest.
“It’s an opportunity of a lifetime. Right now, I’m in fight mode, but when it was done, it was just me and my dad, and we just went for it. Let’s do it, and I believe I can do it. I’m ready to go out and shock the world.
“Let them talk. People got a lot of things to say,” said Dubois when told that boxing fans believe he’s not ready for Usyk. “Boxing is made up of opinions, but I’m ready to go out there and show that I’m ready.
“I’m not bothered about that. They can’t fight for him,” said Dubois about the crowd in Poland likely to be hostile towards him on Saturday night. “I’m in there with him, and I’m going to snatch them belts away and go on and live as a champion for the rest of my life.
“No hesitation. As much as England and all the comforts, it wouldn’t make much difference. It’s bigger in Poland. It’s better to do it in Poland. So off we go.
“Like I say, people have got a lot to say. I’ve got to shut them all up with a win. Shut them all up with an explosive fight. He’s [Usyk] not a proper heavyweight, but he’s come up and nicked the titles. I feel like Joshua could have done better, but it’s up to me now,” said Dubois.
Shutting down Usyk’s movement
“I need to go in and take it a step further,” said Dubois. “Yeah, let’s get it on. It’s all about fighting them, getting in there. I just need to shut him down. He’s a good mover, so cutting off the ring and all of that. We’ve got it covered.”
It’s going to be difficult for Dubois to shut Usyk down because he’s not going to be facing a stationary target like most of the 19 fighters he’s faced during his six-year professional career.
Usyk is going to move around the ring, and if he hurts Dubois, he won’t suddenly stop punching the way that his last opponent Kevin Lerena did last December.
That was the oddest thing. Lerena dropped Dubois three times in the first round, and had him right here he wanted. However, instead of going for the finish in the second round, Lerena stopped throwing and let Dubois recover and come storming back to score a third round knockout.
“We’ve got something for him back now. We’re ready,” said Dubois about Usyk rapping during their press conference in London. “It’s going to be something special.
“That’s the route, that’s part of it, but there’s a lot more to come. A few more days of work and put in the tank,” said Dubois about his focusing on throwing body shots during his pad work with trainer Don Charles.
Dereck Chisora had some success targeting Usyk’s body in their fight in 2020, but that was a long time ago, and it’s unclear whether Oleksandr was worried too much about the slow punches from the journeyman.
Dubois is a different story. Usyk knows he can’t stand still to allow a big puncher like him to tee off on his body shots, so undoubtedly he’ll stay on the move to prevent the big 6’5″ British heavyweight to tee off.
“It’s all on me now. It’s about going out and giving hope. Doing it for all the fallen soldiers,” said Dubois. “It’s exciting times in the heavyweight division. I’m next
“Look at him. He’s in excellent shape. Mentally he’s good, and it’s just a matter of ticking over until the 26th now,” said promoter Frank Warren about Dubois. “He travels next week, and then the fights on. This is his big opportunity.
“I’ve been confident since day one when we made the fight. I believe he’s going to win this fight. We’ll see on the 26th,” whether it’s too early for Dubois to be fighting Usyk.
“I think his power, he can box, he’s got speed, and I think he’s got the temperament for it. I believe he’ll give him a lot of problems. That’s how you win titles. You go out there, and you’ve got to show them what it’s all about.
“A lot of good fighters have done that in the past. Tyson went to Germany and beat [Wladimir] Klitschko. The Ukrainians were based in Germany and went to the States and beat Wilder three times. He got robbed on the first one and then beat him twice.
“I’ve seen it over the years, and many people have done it. I believe he’s one of those fighters that is capable of pulling it off. Just stay focused. It’s all about temperament,” said Warren about Dubois going to Poland to fight in front of a pro-Usyk crowd.
