Usyk vs Dubois TONIGHT at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT Exclusively LIVE on ESPN+
By Matt Lieberman: Underdog Daniel Dubois (19-1, 18 KOs) will try to do the impossible tonight when he takes on IBF, WBA & WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) in a once-in-a-lifetime shot live on ESPN+ at the Tarczyński Arena Wrocław in Wroclaw, Poland
Tonight is the 25-year-old Dubois’ Rocky Balboa moment in going up against the heavy favorite Usyk in front of 40,000 fans, very few of which will be rooting for Daniel.
He’s pretty much on his own, just him, his training team, and a handful of diehard Brits that have made the trek, hoping that Dubois can do the job against the three-belt champion.
U.S. boxing fn can tune in to watch the card on ESPN+ at 5:00 ET/2:00 PT.
Usyk vs. Dubois prediction
Dubois has a real chance of winning tonight by walking through the southpaw Usyk’s shots and continuing to march forward all night. He’s got the superior hand speed, size, power, and youth going for him. What more do you need?
We saw Anthony Joshua hurt Usyk in the ninth round, and he would have finished the job if he’d had the courage to walk through fire. Dubois has got to land wherever he can and not focus on throwing headshots as usual.
Prediction: Dubois wins twelve round by unanimous decision.
“They both have got a lot of self-belief, and they believe they’re going to win the fight,” said Frank Warren to Boxing King Media about Daniel Dubois and Oleksandr Usyk.
“So, for me, that shows me that we’re going to see something a little bit special. Daniel is a physical specimen. He’s a big guy. We know he’s got power, but I don’t think people consider that he’s got a fabulous jab.
“He’s got good footwork, and when he gets his man in trouble, he’s a brilliant finisher. Usyk is a great fighter. He’s the best cruiserweight of this century. There’s no doubt about that, and at heavyweight, he’s done everything he’s had to do.
“This is the first time he’s [Usyk] not fought somebody that’s not in their 30s, in their mid-30s. He’s fighting a guy [Dubois] who’s 25 years of age, and he’s really hungry to win this fight,” said Warren.
Mega-fight possible for Dubois
“It would be brilliant for Daniel to win. It would be fantastic,” said Warren when asked what a victory for Dubois over Usyk would mean. “If he wins, it would make it easy to do a unification fight early next year. We’d love that to happen.
“How would he lose out on money? Then it becomes a mega, mega fight with Daniel,” said Warren when asked if he’d lose out on money if Usyk were to lose to Dubois, which would ruin a fight against Tyson Fury involving the Ukrainian fighter.
“It would be the new kid on the block, the young guy and British too. Two British fighters. Mega, mega fight,” said Warren.
