Britain’s Dubois challenged Usyk in 2023, losing inside nine rounds but only after sending Usyk to the canvas with a blow that the referee ruled low, and the Londoner has received an opportunity to gain revenge.
Ukraine’s unified world titlist Usyk defeated Tyson Fury in May of last year to become boxing’s first undisputed heavyweight world champion in 25 years but his commitment to a rematch with Fury meant he could not make a mandatory defence of the IBF belt against Dubois.
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That saw him vacate the title and Dubois was upgraded from IBF interim to full world champion.
Dubois defended his belt when he knocked out former champion Anthony Joshua in front of a sold-out Wembley Stadium in September and while he was supposed to make a defence of his IBF title against Joseph Parker in February, an illness forced him to withdraw from that bout.
Usyk, the WBC, WBA and WBO title holder, was ordered to make a mandatory WBO title defence against Parker, while Derek Chisora has been named as a mandatory challenger for Dubois.
However an undisputed world heavyweight title fight takes priority over a mandatory title defence.
