England-based Nigerian-born heavyweight boxer, Lawrence Okolie has expressed optimism that he will get an opportunity to fight for the world title later this year, as he believes current champion, Oleksandr Usyk will dump his belt.
READ ALSO: Kenneth Anigboro, Patricia Mbata Lead Nigerian Boxers To Pre-Commonwealth Games’ Camp
Sports247 reports that Okolie, who is currently World Boxing Council (WBC) number one ranked contender openly predicted that Usyk will vacate the title after his upcoming bout with kickboxer, Rico Verhoeven.
Okolie further revealed that looking forward to Usyk’s exit is part of his three-point plan that would see him fight fellow-Nigerian heavyweight and former champ, Daniel Dubois in a world title unification.
Before all of that, though, Okolie will first have to beat 2016 Olympic Games gold medalist, Tony Yoka when they exchange knuckles in the roped square on April 25 in Paris, France.
Should he win that fight, Okolie would become the WBC’s number-one ranked heavyweight contender, behind the division’s current interim titlist, Agit Kabayel, who also happens to be Usyk’s mandatory challenger.
Incidentally, Usyk didn’t defend his WBO belt against mandatory challenger, Fabio Wardley, who now holds it, and if the Ukrainian doesn’t defend the WBC title against Kabayel, Okolie expects to tango the German for the championship.
Okolie reckoned that Dubois will beat Wardley in May to win the WBO title and he would get the opportunity of battling the former champion as well down the line, while also keeping his eyes on the WBC version with Kabayel.
He emphatically told Sky Sports, “Usyk has to fight (Kabayel) and if he doesn’t box him in a timely fashion and agree, strip him and then let him box whoever he wants to box at the end of the year.
“Everyone’s going to have to force the issue, Agit’s team, my team, we’re all going to have to force the position and hope that the WBC does the right thing, and then we’ll box in the autumn for the full world title.”
