British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua is poised to seize an opportunity to reclaim the heavyweight championship for the third time following Oleksandr Usyk's decision to vacate his IBF title.
Usyk, who was granted an exemption from defending his IBF belt to face Tyson Fury, recently confirmed his relinquishment of the title on social media. This move allows Joshua to potentially face fellow Brit Daniel Dubois for the vacant IBF title at Wembley Stadium on September 21.
In a message shared on social media, the undefeated Ukrainian expressed, "Anthony and Daniel, listen, I know the IBF title is important to you. It's my present to you on September 21."
Joshua initially claimed a world title in 2016 and held onto it for three years before a shocking defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr. at Madison Square Garden. He reclaimed his titles six months later but faced another setback in 2021 when he was defeated by Usyk, subsequently losing their rematch the following year.
Following Usyk's victory over Tyson Fury earlier this year, he unified the heavyweight world titles—WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF. However, pressure mounted on Usyk to defend his IBF belt against mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic. Dubois, securing the IBF 'interim' belt after defeating Hrgovic, now positions himself as a contender for the upcoming fight.
Joshua has been out of possession of a world title for nearly three years but appears determined to regain the championship in September.
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