Daniel Dubois determined to dazzle on his date with destiny

Daniel Dubois is determined to join Britain’s boxing pantheon when he faces Oleksandr Usyk in their world heavyweight title unification clash at Wembley on Saturday night.

The 27-year-old has landed the IBF title and subsequently defended it in style by flattening Anthony Joshua in five rounds last September.

However, he knows avenging his stoppage loss to Usyk in their first meeting in August 2023 will fulfil an early prophecy made by his father and make him one of the most recognisable domestic stars.

Dubois told The Guardian: “I’m setting out to do what my dad talked about in the beginning, before I even was a real fighter.

“He always said I would win a world heavyweight championship and then I’d win it outright and become a legend like Frank Bruno, Lennox Lewis and Nigel Benn (from) that era of fighters where there were real fighting men.”

Dubois bounced back from his first career loss to Joe Joyce in 2020 by racking up four straight wins before running into Usyk, who handed him a one-sided beating before the Ukrainian went on to cement his own name at the top of his sport with two wins over Tyson Fury.

But Dubois responded by seizing his chance to pick up the vacant IBF belt with victory over Filip Hrgovic and underscored his improvement with his four-knockdown triumph over former champion Joshua.

Despite going into the fight as a significant underdog, Dubois is convinced he is a different fighter to the one whom Usyk picked off with relative ease in their first meeting.

“I’m a different fighter now,” added Dubois. “There have been real improvements. I’m doing things I’ve always done but I’m doing them better. Maybe I just want it more now.”