Interim champion Dubois will now be upgraded, ahead of a scheduled battle with ‘AJ’ in September.

Oleksandr Usyk has vacated the IBF heavyweight championship, thus Daniel Dubois will be promoted to official champion ahead of a match against Anthony Joshua.

Dubois and Joshua are scheduled to fight for the title on September 21, with an announcement coming on Wednesday (26 June). The fight is expected to take place at London’s Wembley Stadium.

“Anthony and Daniel, listen,” Usyk stated in a social media video. “I understand the IBF title is important to you.

“[Consider] it my present to you on 21 September.”

Usyk defeated Tyson Fury in May to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years, adding the WBC title to his IBF, WBA, and WBO crowns.

Usyk seized Joshua’s unified championships in 2021 and defended them against “AJ” in a rematch one year later.

The Ukrainian is scheduled to fight Fury again in Saudi Arabia in December, but undisputed status will not be at stake.

‼️ Oleksandr Usyk announcing that he is vacating his IBF heavyweight world title so his former opponents Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois can fight for it on Sept 21st at Wembley…

[🎥 @Usykaa]https://t.co/SR2uLiAP3z

— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) June 25, 2024

Dubois, 26, earned the interim IBF title after defeating Filip Hrgovic in June. Joshua, 34, last fought in March, knocking out former UFC champion Francis Ngannou.

Briton Dubois had previously fought Usyk, 37, and lost to the unbeaten southpaw in August. Usyk got off the canvas after delivering a disputed low blow to Dubois.

Joshua was defeated by Usyk twice in a row, in September 2021 and August 2022, both times by decision.