The WBO have received an exemption request to allow Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois to come next.
Unified WBO, WBA and WBC heavyweight champion Usyk was ordered to defend his titles against WBO ‘interim’ title holder Joseph Parker last month by the major sanctioning body.
However, the WBO has since confirmed to Sky Sports that a petition to allow Usyk to box IBF champion Dubois next has been lodged with the Championship Committee.
WBO president Gustavo Olivieri said: “There is a petition before the Championship Committee to consider a Usyk-Dubois unification to consolidate the heavyweight championships.
“Therefore, upon an official ruling regarding this matter, we will publicly announce the official decision, including Parker’s mandatory status, if that be the case.”
Usyk previously unified the division but was forced to relinquish his IBF title in order to pursue a rematch with Tyson Fury at the back end of the year.
As a result, Dubois was elevated from interim to full IBF heavyweight champion and defended the red and gold strap last September by knocking out Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium.
Dubois was due to defend his belt against Parker in February, although the fight collapsed when ‘Triple D’ fell ill with a viral infection.
Bakole stepped in to replace Dubois on short notice and was subsequently knocked out in the second round, while the WBO made Parker Usyk’s official mandatory.
Soon after, the IBF confirmed that they would order Dubois to defend his belt against his mandatory Derek Chisora by April 22.
However, that won’t come into play if the WBO Championship Committee votes to allow the undisputed clash between Usyk and Dubois to take precedence over Usyk vs Parker.
Earlier this week, Usyk’s promoter revealed that fighting Dubois is their ‘priority’ over Parker, while the Ukrainian slickster has said the same at every opportunity.
Usyk knocked out Dubois when they squared off for the first time in August 2023.
En route to the eventual stoppage, Dubois dropped Usyk in the fifth round with a shot that divided fans.
Some claimed that the shot, which decked Usyk for several minutes, was a legal body shot.
Meanwhile, others insisted it had strayed low.
The referee ultimately determined that it was an illegal punch, and so Usyk was given four minutes to recover before rebounding to stop Dubois with a stiff jab in the ninth stanza.
