After travelling stateside to beat Trevor Bryan and win the WBA Regular heavyweight title in June, Daniel Dubois is set for a return to action in the United Kingdom. Names such as Dillian Whyte and Michael Hunter were rumoured, but instead the 25-year-old will take on a familiar face from ‘down under’.
In an interview with Seconds Out, trainer Shane McGuigan has confirmed that Dubois will face Australian Lucas Browne in November, a former holder of the same belt that Dubois recently won.
The 43-year-old veteran has shared the ring with the likes of Dillian Whyte and Dave Allen and this will be his ninth fight in the UK.
McGuigan admitted that Browne is perhaps past his best and recognised that Dubois may not get the necessary rounds that he is looking for, but did point out that Browne is still dangerous, having just knocked out Junior Fa in round one of his last fight.
“He’s had a couple of bad losses but he also just knocked out Junior Fa in a round and he’s coming in off of that. It’s a tough one with the heavyweight division, you’ve got to try and get credible names and stuff, but everyone wants to wait out on the big fights.”
“He is ranked number #9 by the WBA, he’s a known name over here and he is coming off a good win. When they have to look down the rankings of the WBA, you have to fight someone in the top fifteen, normally they like you to fight someone in the top ten. Browne was probably the most well-known name for the UK fans to get behind.”
“He [Dubois] needs some tests and some challenges, he’s a big puncher Lucas Browne but in terms of durability and actually holding a shot and going rounds, I’m not sure we will get that, but it’ll be a shootout, nonetheless.”
The fight with Browne may come as a disappointment to fans of Dubois who were expecting a bigger fight, possibly against Dillian Whyte and McGuigan seemed to be of the same mindset. However, for one reason or another the deal to fight Whyte has collapsed, meaning Dubois will have to wait once more for a big-name fight in the U.K.
“We thought it was happening, I don’t know what happened there, maybe he wants to wait out on the ‘AJ’ fight.”
“There’s more money in the ‘AJ’ fight and unfortunately that’s what it all boils down to is money. It would have been a great name for Daniel [Dubois], especially at this stage in his career.”