Exclusive: Frank Warren names surprise Plan B for Daniel Dubois if Oleksandr Usyk fight fails to materialise…See More

Daniel Dubois could end up fighting Derek Chisora next if an undisputed clash with Oleksandr Usyk fails to materialise.

Both parties are angling for the four-belt shootout, however, the WBO have thrown a spanner in the works by ordering Usyk to defend against interim champion Joseph Parker.

Usyk and Dubois’ teams can submit an exemption to the WBO for their fight to take precedence over Parker’s shot, although Warren insists nothing has been put forward from Queenberry’s end as of yet.

If, for whatever reason, the WBO doesn’t approve the request, then the IBF can order their highest-ranked contender to face Dubois instead.

In this case, that is No. 2-rated Chisora, who beat Otto Wallin in an IBF eliminator last February.

Well, Dubois’ mandatory with the IBF is Derek Chisora, so he may have to do that [if he doesn’t fight Usyk],” Dubois’ promoter Warren told talkSPORT.com.

But they will allow him to have a unification if we get it approved.”

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Warren is also the promoter of Parker, but insists they favour the Dubois fight to come first.

“We did ask them to order the fight between Joseph Parker and Oleksandr Usyk, the mandatory, which they have done,” Warren added.

So there are three choices. It is: do the unification [Usyk vs Dubois], defend the title against Joseph Parker or vacate the belt. So now the ball is in Usyk’s court…

Four belts is the priority for obvious reasons, and I think it’s a fight that will sell out Wembley or do massive business in Riyadh because of the controversy in the first fight.

“So I think that would be the number one choice, and Daniel has come on a bundle since that fight, so it would be interesting.

“It doesn’t affect Joseph Parker in any way, because he maintains his position as the interim champion, and that means he gets the winner.

“So we’d get him another fight in the meantime, maybe even on the undercard [of Usyk vs Dubois].

“If not Usyk, then he will fight someone in the [WBO] top 10 in a voluntary.”

Unified WBA, WBO and WBC heavyweight champion Usyk knocked out Dubois in August 2023, but is keen to run it back with ‘Triple D’ due to the controversy surrounding their inaugural encounter.

In the fifth round, Dubois dropped Usyk with a shot that divided fans.

Some claimed the punch had landed above the beltline and should have been counted, while others insisted it had strayed low.

The referee determined it was an illegal blow, and so Usyk was given four minutes to recover before rebounding to stop Dubois in the ninth round with a stiff jab.

Dubois has since been elevated from interim to full IBF world champion after Usyk was forced to relinquish the red and gold strap to pursue a rematch with Tyson Fury.