Tony Bellew: "Usyk will hit the canvas. But then he'll get up!" - renowned British boxer shares his fight prediction

Tony Bellew knows first-hand the endurance and spirit of Oleksandr Usyk

Details: Next week promises a blockbuster showdown for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world, as Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk faces off against Britain’s Daniel Dubois.

Amid the mounting excitement, journalists caught up with Usyk’s former rival, British boxer Tony Bellew, who weighed in with his thoughts on how the fight might unfold:

"Daniel is on top of his game right now. That victory over AJ took him to a whole new level. It’s given him a huge boost in confidence. He’s incredibly determined. He won’t dwell on his last fight with Usyk—it won’t even register in his memory. He’ll be focused on one thing, thinking: ‘I knocked out AJ at Wembley—I’ll return to Wembley to knock out Oleksandr Usyk.’

Usyk will have to shake that confidence out of him again. He’ll need to break Dubois’ will and self-belief. Can he do it? Yes, I think he can. Will it be as easy as last time? Maybe not.

This could be the first time Oleksandr Usyk has to pick himself up off the canvas after taking a real shot to the head. I think he’ll have to rise from the floor. I believe he’ll weather the storm, but in my view, he’ll get the job done. I think Usyk stops Daniel, probably somewhere between the eighth and twelfth rounds.

I see Dubois at the most confident he’s ever been. He’s a very dangerous fighter. But I think that confidence will fade after the sixth round. From then on, he’ll become a target between rounds six and nine. And if Daniel makes it to the twelfth, fair play to him. But I don’t think he will. It’ll be too much," Tony declared.

Recall, Usyk and Dubois have already met in the ring—their first bout took place on August 26, 2023, in Wrocław, ending with a knockout win for the Ukrainian in the ninth round.

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