British Trainer on Usyk-Dubois 2: "He Might End Up on the Canvas Again"

British trainer Barry McGuigan believes that in a potential rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois, the unified champion could once again find himself on the canvas.

– I think Dubois needs to be more active, more aggressive, and work the jab more against Usyk. Because Oleksandr neutralizes your jab, then feints, makes you second-guess yourself, and eventually, you stop using it. He should aim the jab straight at the center of the chest, a few inches below the chin—that way, he'll always land on something. He needs to keep jabbing and then follow up with the straight right and left hook. Dubois has to throw more punches, be persistent, and fight with aggression.

– What about the updated version of Daniel Dubois after his loss to Oleksandr Usyk? Do you think he has a chance to stop the Ukrainian?

– Look, if Daniel lands clean, he can knock out anyone. That’s absolutely true. He’s incredibly dangerous, a phenomenal puncher—no doubt about that. But the key is landing on Usyk. He’s a real trickster. You couldn’t hit him even with a handful of stones—his head movement is constant, plus he’s a southpaw.

So I believe this fight will be much more competitive this time, and maybe Usyk ends up on the canvas again. Dubois must also target the body more this time, seriously work on that, commit to body shots, and then switch upstairs. It’s going to be a fantastic fight. But still, Usyk has the edge—he’s vastly experienced, extremely versatile, and simply an excellent boxer. He won the first fight. I think Dubois will put up a much tougher fight this time, but again, I’d still favor Usyk, – said McGuigan.

In their first fight, Usyk won by knockout in the 9th round.