Daniel Dubois has now been upgraded to become IBF heavyweight world champion and will defend his belt against Anthony Joshua.

The division’s undisputed king Oleksandr Usyk announced that he has vacated his IBF belt after defeating Tyson Fury in May to unite all four of them.

Dubois now holds the full IBF world titleCredit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom

Dubois won the IBF ‘interim’ heavyweight world title when he beat Filip Hrgovic at the start of this month, and was awaiting news to see if Usyk would be stripped of his belt or successfully win an ‘exemption’.

It was expected the IBF strap would be on the line in his planned September 21 showdown with Anthony Joshua, given the pair are the two leading contenders with the organisation.

But Dubois will be ‘upgraded’ to world champion by the IBF without laying a glove on AJ at Wembley Stadium later this year.

This is because Usyk is unable to defend his belt against him after signing a contract to rematch Fury on December 21.

The organisation’s guidelines state: “If the champion is unable to defend the title against the interim champion by the end of the time permitted, then the interim champion shall become the champion.”

This measure has seen Dubois become a legitimate world champion for the first time in his career, but this time without throwing a punch.

The Briton did hold a WBA ‘regular’ belt in the past which earned him a shot at the ‘super’ belt held by Usyk.

But despite threatening to stop the Ukrainian in a shot that was deemed to be a low blow, Dubois ultimately came up short.

Joshua is eyeing a rise to the heavyweight summit, starting with DuboisCredit: Getty

Now he will get the opportunity of a lifetime on the big stage to make a maiden defence of the belt, in an all-British showdown with Joshua.

The former Olympic medallist himself has now been presented a golden opportunity to become a three-time heavyweight world champion.

Boxing promoter Frank Warren reveals plans are in the works for Daniel Dubois to fight Anthony Joshua

Ex world champion Tony Bellew believes Joshua will get the job done in two rounds.

He said: “AJ’s a freak. AJ’s the best athlete the heavyweight division’s probably ever had as an athletic specimen.

“If you put AJ in a 100m race [against the other heavyweights], lifting weights, how far he can jump, how high he can jump – I promise you he’d win the lot.

“It’s just getting all that package put into one. As for AJ vs Dubois, I think it’s over inside two rounds.

“I think he won’t miss him. As long as Joshua goes in with the same attitude that he went in with against Francis Ngannou, it’s over in two rounds.

“I don’t see any other outcome.”

It will see him as the challenger, but will be a prospect that he will relish knowing the current heavyweight road map.

A win for Joshua or Dubois will likely see them thrust into a new potential undisputed bout with the winner of Fury and Usyk’s December rematch.

That is providing no other mandatory defences are called by the governing bodies prior to the planned 2025 clash.

The showdown is being eyed for April or May next year, with Saudi boxing chief HE Turki Alalshikh leading the heavyweight format.