At the WBA congress taking place these days in Orlando (USA), it was decided to appoint a mandatory heavyweight defense for the unified world champion Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) – he must fight with the owner of the WBA World belt Briton Daniel Dubois (19-1 , 18 KOs).
For Usyk, this news will be an unpleasant surprise. In the next fight, the Ukrainian plans to meet with the owner of the WBC belt Briton Tyson Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) to determine the first absolute heavyweight champion in the era of four belts.
A little earlier, the IBF ordered Usyk to fight with his challenger, Croat Filip Hrgovic. The WBA insists that first the Ukrainian must fight Dubois, and only then the turn of the Croat will come.
The last time the WBA mandatory defense took place was in 2018 when champion Anthony Joshua beat contender Alexander Povetkin.
The WBA does not hide the fact that they need the Usyk vs Dubois fight also for the reason that the organization finally abandons the practice of having two champions in one division.
If the IBF does not make the decision of colleagues, but insists on their applicant, then with a high degree of probability Usyk will have to choose. It seems that the fight between the Ukrainian and Fury is now in even greater danger.
Meanwhile, Fury invited a star ex-football player to sparring to help prepare for Usyk. The ex-rival of the Ukrainian believes that “the referee will not help Usyk.” And the unified light heavyweight champion even threatened his colleague: I can hit him at a meeting.