World Champion Usyk Prepares for Big-Punching Brit

It may have flown under the radar for most casual followers of sport and professional boxing, but world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk is nearing a return to the ring. The towering Ukrainian enjoys as close to a homecoming fight as possible when meeting Britain's Daniel Dubois in Poland this summer. Boxing in Ukraine remains an unnecessary risk while war rages in the region. Hence the fight is happening in Wroclaw.

Do you expect Daniel to continue his winning ways by shocking the world and leaving Poland with the belts? Perhaps you prefer to stick with the unbeaten champion and back the form fighter at the top online betting sites. Usyk is the early favorite, with traders offering odds that suggest the Ukrainian need only turn up to get the job done.

Usyk faces another Brit

Usyk won the world heavyweight title convincingly over Britain's Anthony Joshua at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before franking the form with victory in the rematch in Saudi Arabia. But could an up-and-coming fighter from London be the man to take the belts back to Britain? 

Dubois and his team hope so, but nothing will come easy for the man boxing out of the away corner. Many respected pundits believe Dynamite Dubois has one hope: to knock out the champion.

As any follower of professional boxing knows, anything can happen in this game. That's especially true of heavyweight boxing, where one punch can change the course of a bout. 

Usyk v Dubois info

Four versions of the world heavyweight title are on the line in Poland, with the IBF, IBO, WBA, and WBO belts awarded to the winner. Usyk is the reigning champion, and Dubois is the challenger. A rematch clause in the contract says that if Dynamite does the unthinkable, he must make his first defense against Usyk in a rematch before seeking a potential UK super-fight with Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua next year.

The Stadion Wroclaw hosts the event on Saturday, 26th August, with the main event due for a 22:00 GMT start. The bout will play out before a capacity crowd of thousands while millions more watch on TV and live-streaming apps. View Usyk v Dubois live on TV from home or on the move using your smartphone.

Usyk is an unbeaten fighter with 20 wins from as many contests. Dubois has lost just one of his previous 20 bouts but has more experience in the heavyweight division and carries a fearsome 90% knockout ratio

Can he turn the tables on the champion, using his incredible power to shock the world and bring the belts to the UK?