Daniel Dubois has yet to even fight since suffering his second knockout loss to Ukrainian undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk this past July, but is already on course for a potential trilogy bout with Usyk if he makes it past Cuban hardhitter Frank Sanchez.
The IBF ordered a final eliminator bout between the two heavyweights (200+ lbs) in October to decide the organization’s mandatory challenger. The two fighters’ teams failed to reach an agreement before the deadline of October 22nd during the IBF-allotted negotiation period.
The IBF has now decided to initiate a purse bid hearing for Thursday, November 13, which will highly favor Dubois’ (22-3, 21 KO’s) promoter Queensberry Promotions who will be pitted against the less affluent Zanfer Promotions who represent Sanchez (25-1, 18 KO’s) ― setting up the possibility of the fight occurring in Dubois’ home country of England.
Moses Itauma and Richard Torrez Jr. had previously been up ahead to face Sanchez but declined, resulting in Dubois becoming the lucky candidate to potentially face current IBF titleholder Oleksandr Usyk (24-0, 15 KO’s) who further holds the WBA, WBC and WBO titles as the division’s undisputed champion.
Notably, the IBF’s mandate for Dubois and Sanchez to fight in a final eliminator will likely not interfere with the upcoming expected order from the WBO for Usyk to face WBO interim champion Fabio Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KO’s) following his recent October 25th win over previous interim titleholder Joseph Parker (36-4, 24 KO’s).
The WBO had previously ordered Usyk, then still a unified [WBA, WBO & IBF] champion, to face Parker but the mandate was overtaken by Usyk and then-IBF champion Dubois’ undisputed heavyweight fight.
In comparison to other sanctioning bodies, WBA has not ordered a fight between a WBA heavyweight champion and a mandatory since Dubois’ first fight against Usyk in 2022, while the WBC lists Tyson Fury (34-2-1, 24 KO’s) as Usyk’s last mandatory opponent ― referring to their second bout in December of 2024.
However, it should be noted that the rematch between Fury and Usyk had not been ordered by the WBC despite being depicted to count as fullfillment of Usyk’s obligation to face a WBC mandatory challenger. The WBC further failed to make mention of Fury being a mandatory challenger during their annual convention held in the same month of December as the Usyk-Fury II fight.
