Boxing Mar 26, 2026

Lawrence Okolie predicts he will meet Daniel Dubois in a future world heavyweight championship unification

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
Lawrence Okolie predicts he will meet Daniel Dubois in a future world heavyweight championship unification

Lawrence Okolie has a three-point plan that would see him fight Daniel Dubois in a heavyweight world title unification.

First, Okolie must beat 2016 Olympic gold medallist Tony Yoka when they box in Paris on April 25.

Victory would leave Okolie as the WBC's No 1-ranked heavyweight contender, behind WBC Interim titlist and Oleksandr Usyk's mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel.

If Usyk doesn't defend the full WBC title against Kabayel, Okolie expects to box the German for that world championship.

Usyk didn't defend his WBO belt against mandatory challenger Fabio Wardley and is now taking on kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven in a crossover contest.

"Everyone's going to have to force the issue, Agit's team, my team, we're all going to have to force the position and hope that the WBC does the right thing," Okolie told Your Site.

"Usyk has to fight [Kabayel] and if he doesn't box him in a timely fashion and agree, strip him and then let him box whoever he wants to box at the end of the year and then we'll box in the autumn for the full world title.

"That's why I'm so eager to beat Yoka and beat him well because I know what comes off the back end of it. So I've just got to get it done."

He think Daniel Dubois will beat Fabio Wardley in May to win the WBO title and Okolie envisages boxing Dubois in a heavyweight world championship down the line.

"I sparred him loads, I've been sparring him since the Great Britain days, we've done countless rounds," Okolie said of Dubois. "My aim is to win in France, win in Germany, then win in England and be king of it all.

"I do think it probably will be me and Dan."

He added: "I think that Dubois is going to win because he's got a lot more experience at the level and he's beaten better guys. And I think that, stylistically as well, if they do start trading, unless Fabio's that much quicker than him, Dan definitely punches harder than him. So I think he'll probably hurt him.

"If they catch Dan early, hard then we could see a few repeats of some performances. But I'd be favouring Dan in that fight."

Okolie's Olympic team-mate Joe Joyce lost a controversial decision to Yoka in the super-heavyweight final at Rio 2016. He wants to exact some revenge.

"One hundred per cent," Okolie said. "Joe messaged me, actually, and said beat him up for me - and I will. I watched that fight live and I was so disappointed."

Even though Yoka will have home advantage, Okolie's confidence remains undimmed ahead of their contest.

"I'd like to see how he handles the pressure of the day, the fans cheering, the expectation and whatever else. When you've got all that and you've got someone like myself who you know at any point if I catch you properly is going to hurt you, it'll be interesting to see how that all boils together," Okolie said.

"I feel like in life there's winners and there's losers, and I think I'm more of a winner than he is. And that's why I expect to get this one done."

Watch the Caroline Dubois vs Terri Harper bill live on Your Site on Sunday April 5.

Tags:

boxing news

Share this article

Related Posts

Tyson Fury: Oleksandr Usyk will be begging me for trilogy by end of year! 'Without belts, I'm still the man'

Tyson Fury: Oleksandr Usyk will be begging me for trilogy by end of year! 'Without belts, I'm still the man'

Tyson Fury believes he will set a third fight with Oleksandr Usyk before the year is out.Fury and Usyk have met in two memorable heavyweight contests,...

Caroline Dubois has really got under Terri Harper's skin ahead of world title unification clash, says Natasha Jonas

Caroline Dubois has really got under Terri Harper's skin ahead of world title unification clash, says Natasha Jonas

Two-weight world champion Natasha Jonas considers whether Caroline Dubois has rattled Terri Harper ahead of their world lightweight title unification....

Efe Ajagba stops former heavyweight champion Charles Martin in fourth-round in statement victory in Las Vegas

Efe Ajagba stops former heavyweight champion Charles Martin in fourth-round in statement victory in Las Vegas

Efe Ajagba overpowered former world champion Charles Martin in a ruthless fourth-round stoppage win in Las Vegas.The Nigerian (21-1-1, 15 KOs), who pu...

Caroline Dubois has been provoked by Alycia Baumgardner who says a future fight would be 'lateral move' in her career

Caroline Dubois has been provoked by Alycia Baumgardner who says a future fight would be 'lateral move' in her career

Alycia Baumgardner has inflamed her rivalry with Caroline Dubois by insisting a future fight would only be a 'lateral move' for her career.Dubois face...

Tyson Fury: Anthony Joshua's tragic loss inspired my boxing comeback | 'Anything could happen, never put things off'

Tyson Fury: Anthony Joshua's tragic loss inspired my boxing comeback | 'Anything could happen, never put things off'

Tyson Fury was inspired to return to boxing by the tragic accident that saw Anthony Joshua lose two of his closest friends.Fury and Joshua, two of Bri...

Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua fight could still happen | 'That's all about timing,' says promoter Frank Warren

Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua fight could still happen | 'That's all about timing,' says promoter Frank Warren

There was a plan for Tyson Fury to fight Anthony Joshua later this year after both had warm-up bouts first.That of course was shelved after Joshua was...