Oleksandr Usyk expected to face Tyson Fury in an immediate rematch which could mean the IBF belt is stripped away from the undisputed champion; Daniel Dubois is then set to fight Filip Hrgovic for vacant IBF title in June
Tuesday 21 May 2024 19:18, UK
Oleksandr Usyk's undisputed world heavyweight titles are set to fragment with Britain's Daniel Dubois poised to fight for the vacant IBF belt.
The Ukrainian defeated Fury to unify the WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight belts in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, but he will only reign supreme for a short spell as one of the sport's governing bodies is likely to strip away a title.
Usyk is expected to face Fury again in an immediate rematch, but the IBF mandatory title challenger Filip Hrgovic has been waiting for his own title fight and the Croat's upcoming bout against Dubois could be for the vacant IBF belt on June 1.
Frank Warren, who promotes Fury and Dubois, told Sky Sports: "He's [Usyk] done something no one else has done. He's unified the four belts.
"Four belts on the line is the start. I'm quite sure they'll fragment after that. And then it'll happen again.
"We're in such a good place as a sport and they're such good things happening you just can't see it ending, because there's so many good fights to be made.
"We've got the [Usyk vs Fury] rematch, provided AJ keeps winning [he can be in the mix], and then you've got all our youngsters coming through.
"Hrgovic and him [Dubois] is a great fight and the winner of that, I think everybody's going to be happy with who the winner fights."
Anthony Joshua was watching from ringside as his former conqueror Usyk delivered a first professional defeat to Fury.
But the two-time world champion could receive a quicker route to a world title against Hrgovic or Dubois.
"I'd love to see that happen [Joshua fight the Hrgovic vs Dubois winner]," said Warren.
"I'd like to see Daniel come through, I'd love to see an all-Brit affair, who knows? We'll see."
Agit Kabayel has also lined up a fight for the WBC belt that is held by Usyk after the German contender inflicted a seventh-round stoppage loss on Frank Sanchez in their WBC title eliminator.
"I don't know [about a world title fight], we will see. We are ready for the next," Kabayel told Sky Sports.
Kabayel had come within touching distance of a fight against Fury in the past, but now could be on a collision course with Usyk.
"The fight was close, the contract was finished but Corona[virus] you know," said Kabayel. "But no problem. Tyson, for me he's like my mentor, my big brother, he helped me a lot.
"I was sparring him in 2016 for the second fight with Wladmir Klitschko, this fight got cancelled.
"I was there with him for two weeks, he gave me very good hospitality, was very friendly. After this we are a little bit friends.
"If it's [title fight] coming, it's coming, I'm ready.
"We will see."
