Body Shots And 'dirty' Tactics - How Does Dubois Beat Usyk?

Oleksandr Usyk v Daniel Dubois 2

Venue: Wembley Stadium, London Date: Saturday, 19 July

Coverage: Listen connected BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds, travel unrecorded matter commentary from 20:00 BST connected Saturday, 19 July connected BBC Sport website and app.

Confidence, maturity and chaos.

Those 3 words person been uttered much than immoderate different by Daniel Dubois and those who situation him during conflict week.

Dubois is gearing up for what he hopes will beryllium his crowning infinitesimal erstwhile he faces Oleksandr Usyk successful a rematch astatine Wembley Stadium connected Saturday.

Just awkward of 2 years ago, IBF champion Dubois dared to dream erstwhile he travelled to Poland, but came up short successful a ninth-round conclusion against Usyk.

Dubois has gone backmost to nan drafting board, rebuilding his profession pinch 3 successive victories, including a stunning knockout win against Anthony Joshua.

Should Dubois find a measurement past undefeated WBA (Super), WBO and WBC champion Usyk, he will go nan first Briton to unify nan heavyweight section successful nan four-belt era and nan first to go undisputed connected location soil.

Many - 21 to beryllium nonstop - person tried to ace nan codification that is Usyk but each person travel up short.

BBC Sport look astatine what Londoner Dubois needs to do to guarantee a amended result erstwhile he welcomes Usyk to his backyard.

Simply put, Usyk was excessively good.

The Ukrainian came retired connected apical successful almost each metric.

Of nan 359 punches thrown by Usyk until nan conflict ended 1 infinitesimal and 48 seconds into information nine, he landed pinch 24.5% accuracy. Dubois threw 290 punches pinch conscionable 16.2% of those uncovering nan target.

Despite losing nan contest, Dubois and his squad near Poland emotion a consciousness of injustice.

Usyk was floored successful nan 5th information but it was deemed to beryllium a debased rustle and nan 38-year-old was fixed almost 4 minutes to recover.

That punch landed conscionable 22 seconds into nan information and erstwhile nan action resumed Usyk came connected strong, pinch 2 of nan 3 judges scoring it successful his favour.

It was nan first assemblage changeable landed by Dubois successful nan bout and he went connected to effort and target Usyk's torso for what remained - landing a further nine.

Dubois' trainer Don Charles made reference to nan debased rustle erstwhile nan fighters met astatine a news convention earlier their rematch successful April.

Charles accused Usyk of "conning nan referee" and said he "should beryllium fixed an Oscar for that performance".

Usyk told BBC Sport: "It's conscionable blah, blah, blah - quiet words."

Usyk's squad insists location is nary vulnerability to beryllium exploited by Dubois going to nan body, pinch his physiologist Jakub Chycki saying nan fighter's halfway is "very strong".

Usyk moreover made ray of it during his unfastened workout astatine BoxPark Wembley connected Wednesday - allowing his training partners to many times deed him successful nan tummy pinch foam sticks.

But attacking nan assemblage is apt to beryllium portion of nan masterplan for Dubois and his past 3 fights connection an penetration into his imaginable approach.

Just 4 months aft losing to Usyk, Dubois landed a career-high 208 punches and 50 of those were to nan assemblage erstwhile stopping Jarrell Miller successful information 10.

Next up was Filip Hrgovic erstwhile nan wide output dropped but he still went to nan assemblage regularly, landing 17 shots crossed 8 rounds.

Dubois outclassed two-time heavyweight champion Joshua, pinch 10 shots to nan assemblage helping him unafraid a fifth-round knockout.

Dubois linked up pinch trainer Charles for nan first gathering pinch Usyk and they've forged a beardown enslaved successful nan past 2 years.

They person worked together crossed 4 fights and six camps - Dubois was owed to look Joseph Parker successful February but withdrew connected 2 days' notice because of illness.

"The narration isn't conscionable what happens successful nan corner," BBC Radio 5 Live boxing expert Steve Bunce said.

"It's nan magnitude of clip you walk pinch a combatant successful mini moments, 10 aliases 15 minutes aft training conscionable sitting location aliases 20 minutes stepping done a section and feeding nan horses astatine their gym - that's wherever you bond."

Charles kept reminding Dubois astir "second phase" successful nan first title - meaning he wanted a follow-up to nan jab to extremity Usyk from escaping - and that building has cropped up again successful conflict week.

Across his 24-fight career, Dubois has thrown an mean of 44.3 punches per information but that dropped to conscionable 34.1 against Usyk.

"Dubois will beryllium facing Usyk astatine nan commencement of nan manoeuvre and past each of a abrupt he's 4 ft to nan near and erstwhile Dubois turns Usyk has moved different 4 ft and deed him 3 times," Bunce added.

"Dubois' scheme will beryllium not beryllium to propulsion more, but to get into scope more.

"He's going to get warned for utilizing his enarthrosis and forearm to push Usyk back. It's going to beryllium a soiled fight."

In 2023, Dubois was met by 40,000 boisterous, mostly Ukrainian fans erstwhile he walked retired astatine Tarczynski Arena successful Wroclaw.

It was nan biggest shape and biggest conflict of Dubois' profession but he froze.

Dubois allowed Usyk to return nan centre of nan ring, found his jab and settee into a hit - and that's a perilous game.

There is an statement Dubois' first opportunity to look Usyk came excessively soon. His CV lacked large names but he was moving retired of opponents beneath nan elite successful nan division.

The consequent victories complete Miller, Hrgovic and Joshua person done wonders for nan Londoner's assurance and made him judge much than ever that his clip is now.

"As soon arsenic nan first doorbell rings my full attack is conscionable to activity and destruct and bring chaos and get nan triumph - prehend nan moment," Dubois told BBC Sport.

Dubois has looked astatine location successful conflict week, smiling and taking everything successful his stride - but tin he "seize nan moment" successful beforehand of a afloat location astatine Wembley connected Saturday?