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Frazer Clarke: I have sparred with Usyk and Dubois and one man hits twice as hard as the other
Frazer Clarke has revealed Daniel Dubois hits “twice as hard” as Oleksandr Usyk as the rivals prepare to meet for a second time on Saturday night with the undisputed heavyweight title now at stake.
The contest, which will take place at Wembley Stadium and broadcast live on DAZN PPV , will pit a pound-for-pound great in Usyk, who last year had back-to-back wins against Tyson Fury , against a Dubois who is at the peak of his boxing powers.
Clarke knows from first-hand experience about their qualities, having sparred with them both, and he gave an insight into their strengths ahead of this weekend’s clash.
Clarke sparred with Dubois during their Team GB days and when Dubois fought – and beat – Anthony Joshua last year.
In recent weeks, Clarke has sparred with Usyk in Spain, and he spoke exclusively to DAZN ahead of this weekend’s eagerly anticipated showdown.
Usyk vs Dubois: What happened in the first fight?
The 33-year-old British heavyweight said: “My relationship with Daniel stems from sparring with him for Team GB and then more recently for his AJ camp.
“He was a big puncher back then in our Team GB days, and he’s still a big puncher now.
“How did Usyk compare? Well, Daniel Dubois hits twice as hard as Oleksandr Usyk – that goes without saying.
“But Usyk has so many more qualities than just being able to hit hard.
“He was very good to spar with; he was calm, he was gritty, and he’s a hard fighter to work out.
“Yes, he’s a bit older but he’s a complete athlete – fit as a fiddle and really sharp with a very good boxing brain.”
Clarke enjoyed his recent experience with the Ukrainian but revealed it was cut short due to a family matter.
“I didn’t have as many rounds with Usyk as I would have liked,” explained the Burton fighter, who beat Ebenezer Tetteh in his last fight in April.
“I travelled over to his training camp and had one day of sparring, but then had to come back because my missus is pregnant with our third child and we thought she was going to have the baby early.
“That was frustrating, but obviously, these things happen in life.
“But I did manage to get some rounds with Usyk, and he was fantastic – very welcoming with a really nice team.
“They put us up in digs with food and in a nice location, but it was very much business.
“The other sparring partners and myself were there to make him work, and I believe we did that.
“He’s a consummate professional, and it was a relaxed atmosphere, but very much a work environment.”
Clarke said there had been mutual benefits from his time sparring with Dubois and Usyk.
The 33-year-old explained: “A lot of fighters like to spar these champions – probably for the wrong reasons.
“We’re in the day and age when people love to get a picture and post it on Instagram.
“But I’m a lot different, and I did it to give both of these guys good rounds and to help them.
“Secondly, I went there as a sponge and to soak up what I could. The experiences let you know where you’re at.
“You’ve got to look at what they do, how they do it, and why they do it.
“It allows you to compare yourself to them, and it makes you realise what you need to do to reach their levels. There’s nothing wrong with being a copycat and copying people who are at the top of their field.
“It’s helped immensely and allowed me to learn that Daniel Dubois punches very hard every time you get in the ring with him.
"And it makes you realise that, wow, Oleksandr Usyk really is an elite-level boxer.”
Frazer Clarke was speaking on behalf of BetMGM . You could win over £30million today with MGM Millions. BeGambleAware 18+
Usyk vs Dubois 2 only on DAZN
Watch Usyk versus Dubois 2 live and exclusive on DAZN PPV this Saturday - July 19 - for £24.99 UK; $59.99 US; $19.99/equivalent ROW . Buy the PPV now here .
