Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua is poised to seize the opportunity to reclaim the heavyweight championship for the third time, following Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to vacate his IBF title. Usyk received an exemption from defending his belt to face Tyson Fury last month, ultimately becoming the undisputed champion with a split decision victory over Fury in Saudi Arabia.
Usyk has now agreed to a rematch with Fury on December 21 but will not defend the IBF title in that bout. He confirmed his decision to vacate the IBF belt via social media on Tuesday night, paving the way for Joshua to potentially face fellow Brit Daniel Dubois for it at Wembley Stadium on September 21.
Joshua, who initially won a world title in 2016 and held onto it for three years before a surprising loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. at Madison Square Garden, regained his titles six months later. However, he suffered a defeat to Usyk in 2021 and lost their rematch the following year.