Daniel Dubois accepts next fight after Oleksandr Usyk knockout

Daniel Dubois is lining up another world title shot after accepting an IBF final eliminator showdown against Frank Sanchez.

'Triple D' suffered a brutal fifth round knockout defeat to the Ukrainian at Wembley Stadium in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in July. Just months after the defeat by Usyk, Dubois has agreed to negotiate a bout with Sanchez to become the mandatory challenger for Usyk's IBF belt.

The IBF had ordered Sanchez to take on Efe Ajagba in a rematch to fill the vacant No.1 position in their rankings. However, it has since been revealed that Ajagba has pulled out. According to reports, the Nigerian heavyweight was unhappy with the purse bid result.

Dubois has now jumped at the opportunity - with negotiations now set to take place between the Brit and Sanchez to agree terms for a deal by October 22. If the pair cannot reach an agreement, then a purse bid will be ordered by the IBF.

'Triple D' was promoted to IBF champion after Usyk vacated the title last June. In the first defence of his gold belt, Dubois famously knocked out Anthony Joshua in the fifth round at Wembley. The 28-year-old was due to return to the ring earlier this year against Joseph Parker, but was forced to pull out due to illness just 48 hours before fight night.

The Brit's only appearance in the ring so far this year came against Usyk. News emerged moments after the fight that Dubois' dad held a party at the family home hours before the first bell. Up to 70 people gathered at the house with footage emerging of Dubois mingling with guests. Just weeks after the loss, the heavyweight star decided he needed a fresh start and parted ways with trainer Don Charles. 'Triple D' began training with Charles two years ago after a stint with Shane McGuigan.

Following the news, the 28-year-old broke his silence, saying: “I want to take this moment to thank Don Charles and his team for all the time, effort, and hard work they’ve put into me over the past 18 months. I’m truly grateful for everything. That said, I feel it’s time for a change, a fresh approach for the next phase of my career, as I push forward to become a two-time heavyweight champion of the world, God bless. I’ll be making a further announcement regarding my new team structure very soon.”

There could be a scenario where the Brit returns to the ring before the end of the year. Back in August, Dubois' manager - Sam Jones - revealed that a December comeback fight is on the table. Jones confirmed he had a meeting scheduled with promoter Frank Warren to map out the boxer's future as he looks to become a world champion again.

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"I've been around Daniel for just over a week," Jones said of Dubois' split from Charles. "He's decided he needs a fresh team - a new voice, a new plan. But that's not to diminish anything Don Charles has done. He's done a fantastic job. They shared some incredible nights. The AJ fight at Wembley was iconic, and Don played a massive role in that. But this is life - Daniel felt he needed a change, and that's what's happened."

Jones added: "Daniel just wants to win boxing matches," Jones added. "He's a fighter through and through. He was upset with his performance against Usyk, he thought he could do a lot better. But there's no shame in losing to the greatest heavyweight of this era. He's undoubtedly the best of this generation.

"Daniel's lost to him a couple of times. He lost to Joe Joyce when he was very young. There's no shame in that. He's a former world champion, and now the sole focus is becoming a two-time heavyweight champion of the world." Dubois had been expected to sit out the remainder of 2025 and return in the new year.

When is the next boxing fight?

Dave Allen is set to return to the ring on Saturday night when he takes on Arslanbek Makhmudov in Sheffield. Coverage is expected to get underway at around 6pm UK time (1pm ET / 10am PT / 12pm CT). In the main event, Makhmudov will make the walk to the ring first at around 10pm UK time (5pm ET / 2pm PT / 4pm CT) with Allen set to follow immediately after.

The timings of all fights are subject to change and will depend on how long the undercard takes to complete. All of the action is set to be shown live on DAZN. The popular streaming platform can be found as an additional subscription on TVs. It can also be streamed live on the official website or the downloadable app. A DAZN subscription is £119.99 or £14.99 per month, or £24.99 on a flexible commitment that can be cancelled at any point.