In the summer, Oleksandr Usyk knocked the IBF crown from the head of Brit Daniel Dubois in London with a left hammer. Not much has been heard from Dubois since then. Now the former champion is planning his comeback – and could face Germany’s heavyweight star Agit Kabayel in a very special stadium fight next year.
Daniel Dubois didn’t fall too far after his knockout defeat against Oleksandr Usyk on July 19th – at least in the rankings of the world association IBF. The 28-year-old is in fifth place there, and Dubois’ path to another World Cup opportunity seems to be predetermined.
The IBF has already ordered a elimination bout between Cuban Frank Sanchez (ranked third) and Dubois to determine Usyk’s next IBF mandatory challenger.
According to Sky Sports, negotiations regarding the venue, fight date and financial conditions are imminent. “We will sit down and of course it (the Dubois vs. Sanchez fight, editor) will happen,” Dubois’ promoter Frank Warren told the TV station.
The former world champion will come back in 2026 and “fight a big fight”.
Boxing: Plans for a big Anglo-German boxing show
Does the 73-year-old veteran promoter mean the duel against Sanchez? Questionable, because the Cuban is unlikely to attract the crowds in England either to a stadium or to the home pay-per-view.
But: If Dubois wins against Sanchez, he could face Germany’s heavyweight ace Agit Kabayel (knocked out Sanchez in 2024) over the next year – possibly in a world championship fight with one of the major WBC or IBF associations.
After sport.de-Information is that plans are underway behind the scenes for 2026 for a big boxing show under the motto “England vs. Germany” with several Anglo-German duels and Kabayel versus Dubois as the main fight.
Like Dubois, Kabayel is under contract with Warren’s boxing stable Queensberry Promotions. The 33-year-old from Bochum is the WBC interim world champion and the association’s mandatory challenger to world champion Usyk.
Video: Exclusive: Kabayel challenges Usyk
They maintain a good relationship with the heavyweight king’s camp, said Queensberry manager Ben Murphy in Kabayel’s YouTube vlog. Everything depends on what Usyk (who holds the titles of all associations) plans to do.
If the Ukrainian does not compete against the German in 2026, “he would give up the belt and allow Agit to get the upgrade to full world champion. And then we would have to talk about who Agit’s number 1 challenger is,” explained Murphy, mentioning Lawrence Okolie (number 1 in the WBC rankings) and Dubois.
Heavyweight World Championship in the VfL Bochum stadium?
Dubois is looking for a “big fight,” “maybe a stadium fight here (in Germany, editor),” the Queensberry man also hinted at a German-English fight evening. Murphy even named the Ruhr Stadium in Bochum as a possible venue.
“Daniel Dubois has now sold out Wembley Stadium twice (in 2024 against Anthony Joshua, in 2025 against Usyk, editor) – to bring him here now, a big fight in the Bochum Stadium or in Düsseldorf would be huge,” said Murphy. The Brit announced that he would take a look at the venue of VfL Bochum ‘anne Castroper’ together with Kabayel’s manager Lasse Krüger.
Kabayel fights his next fight on January 10th in Oberhausen. It is not yet clear who the “Leberking” will step into the ring against in the Rudolf Weber Arena.