“The IBF has now allowed Tyson Fury and Usyk to do a unification first. The winner of that fight is mandated to fight me immediately after, with no other intervening fight, so I expect to fight for the heavyweight championship early next year.
“I’m disappointed at the delay, but I will stay ready, and I won’t let it distract me from my goal of winning the title. Whether against Usyk or Fury, my time is coming.”
Ukrainian Usyk, 36, retained his titles with a stoppage win over Dubois in August, after climbing off the canvas following a controversial low blow, which many viewers believed was a legal body shot by Dubois. Dubois’s promoter Frank Warren, who also promotes Fury, lobbied for a rematch but to no avail so far.
Meanwhile, Briton Fury has not fought since December, when he retained the WBC title against Derek Chisora, whom he had already beaten twice before. Fury, 35, is set to fight former UFC champion Francis Ngannou next, facing the mixed martial artist in a boxing match in Saudi Arabia on 28 October.
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