WBA Orders Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois To Purse Bid

With unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and his WBA mandatory challanger and WBA secondary title holder Daniel Dubois unable to reach an agreement on a fight for later this year, the WBA has ordered the two sides and all promoters interested to a purse bid.

Our insider Dan Rafael had more on Monday night about the WBA taking official action for the Usyk-Dubois fight to be scheduled,

Breaking: With no deal made, WBA on Monday scheduled #UsykDubois purse bid for May 25 in Houston & notified its registered promoters. Min d: $1 mllion. Split is 75-25 Usyk favor. Also scheduled for same time bid is Hector Garcia-Lamont Roach 130 mandatory. $120k min. 75-25 Garcia

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) May 15, 2023

As Rafael reported, with the sides having been given over two weeks of extension to work out a deal before the ordering of the purse bid, they now will have to be ready for it to happen next Thursday in Houston, TX.

Dan had previously reported that the Ukrainian Usyk was looking to defend his title against Englishman Dubois potentially in Poland. Poland being a suitable location as it’s a northern neighbor to war torn Ukraine and has had hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians flee to the country since the Russian attacks and partial invasion of the country began over a year ago. Obviously, that could not be worked out yet, without the purse bid process.

The WBA/IBF/WBO champ Usyk had been in discussions with WBC champion Tyson Fury for a potential four belt undisputed showdown in late April. However, those talks after a preliminary agreement ended,  when Fury apparently insisted on one sided, potential rematch terms for him.

As for Dubois, there is still a legitimate question about his recovery from an ACL injury to his right knee suffered last December in his KO win over Kevin Lerena. Dubois and his doctors/management team satisfied the WBA with medical reports that he would be recovered to fight this Summer. However, it’s unknown whether Dubois has been able to resume serious training or not?

The 36-year-old southpaw Usyk, 20-0, 13 KOs, is the former undisputed cruiserweight champion and has been idle since winning a second consecutive convincing decision over former two-time unified champ Anthony Joshua in their rematch last August in Saudi Arabia.

Dubois is 19-1, 18 KOs, winning his “regular” WBA title by fourth round KO of Trevor Bryan in last June in Miami and made his first defense against Lerena in December on the Fury-Derek Chisora II undercard in London’s famed Wembley Stadium.

Dan further reports that if Dubois cannot fight this summer that the WBA is poised to order Usyk to fight former WBC heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder, as their #2 challenger. Wilder lost his title in his first defeat to Fury on a TKO in February 2020 and again, in a rematch to Fury in a wild battle in October 2022. Wilder has fought once since, demolishing Robert Helenius with a single right hand in October last year.

That fight would certainly have massive interest for fight fans in the U.S. vs. a Dubois fight that would have little to no intrigue stateside.