What Oleksandr Usyk did before undisputed title fight compared to Daniel Dubois speaks volumes

Daniel Dubois sparked fears of a potential last-minute withdrawal on Saturday night after an "unusual" and "slightly concerning" situation ahead of his heavyweight bout against Oleksandr Usyk.

The 27-year-old Brit, who is the current IBF heavyweight champion, takes on unified champion Usyk at Wembley in what will see a new undisputed heavyweight champion crowned.

It is the second professional fight between the pair, with Usyk winning the first via ninth-round knockout in Warsaw in 2023 to retain his unified belts.

Ahead of the much-anticipated fight, Usyk turned up with plenty of time to spare. In fact, the Ukrainian arrived at Wembley just after 7pm to support some of his friends that were competing on the undercard.

Dubois, on the other hand, arrived much later, which sparked plenty of concern amongst the DAZN commentary team, who confirmed that he hadn't arrived with 90 minutes to go until the main event.

A report from World Boxing News claimed Dubois' no-show sent "shockwaves" through the event team and broadcasters clamoured to find out if he'd arrived. Security and officials also searched for updates amid growing concern.

In fact, as the clock hit 8:15 pm local time, murmurs of a potential withdrawal or last-minute issue began circulating as London traffic began to pick up.

Here's how fans reacted to the scenes.

One said: "Dubois hasn't arrived yet, while Usyk is having his hands wrapped? LOL,' while a second wrote: "Only Dubois would show up so late, meanwhile Usyk is already on the pads."

A third commented: "Daniel Dubois clearly thought rocking up late at Wembley worked so well for Anthony Joshua last year that he should give it a go."

A fourth said: "Dubois still hasn’t arrived at Wembley. He is probably getting his hands wrapped in the car and will walk straight down Wembley way and into the ring," and a fifth added: "Dubois not being at Wembley could have massive repercussions for him."

Thankfully, just before 8:20 pm, a cool, calm and collected Dubois entered the building alongside his sister Caroline, which must have brought a big sigh of relief from those in the crowd.

Dubois sparked concern as he turned up late. Image credit: @ringmagazine/X

Usyk could be seen reading a book ahead of the main event. Image credit: @ringmagazine/X

Shortly before Dubois' arrival, Usyk could be spotted reading a book as he relaxed backstage in his changing room.

Who do you think will come out on top? Let us know in the comments.