Oleksandr Usyk ordered to defend WBO title against Joseph Parker

Oleksandr Usyk has been ordered to start negotiations to defend his WBO heavyweight title against Joseph Parker – potentially scuppering Daniel Dubois’ hopes of a rematch with the Ukrainian.

The WBO announced Usyk, who also holds the WBC and WBA crowns, has 30 days to “reach terms” for a mandatory title defence against New Zealand’s Parker or the sanctioning body will call for purse bids.

Parker defended his WBO interim title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last month with a second-round stoppage victory over Martin Bakole, a late replacement after Dubois withdrew because of illness.

Rather than reschedule his bout against Parker, IBF champion Dubois had hoped for a return meeting against Usyk, who defeated the Briton by ninth-round knockout in August 2023.

The heavy-handed Dubois rebounded with impressive stoppage wins over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic before most recently knocking out compatriot Anthony Joshua at Wembley last September.

The 27-year-old Londoner (22-2, 21KOs) was in talks to face Usyk in a fight that would see all four major world heavyweight titles put on the line but the WBO’s announcement puts a spanner in the works.

Former undisputed world cruiserweight champion Usyk extended his perfect professional record to 23 wins in as many fights, with 14 stoppage victories, after overcoming Fury in a rematch in December.

As Usyk was speaking immediately after being declared the winner by unanimous decision, Dubois entered the ring and interrupted the London 2012 gold medallist’s interview to demand a bout.

But it seems Parker, who held the WBO title from 2016 to 2018 and is on a six-fight winning streak since losing to Joe Joyce in 2022, is now at the front of the queue.