Oleksandr Usyk's next challenge will come in the shape of British heavyweight Daniel Dubois, despite persistent links with Tyson Fury.
The Ukrainian star hasn't stepped in the boxing ring since defeating British star Anthony Joshua in their lucrative Saudi Arabia rematch last year.
He stole the unified crown away from his rival and was expected to move on to an undisputed fight with Fury, but talks have collapsed with Usyk electing instead to complete his mandatory defence.
This will be Usyk's final fight before taking up a promotional deal with Middle East promotion Skills Challenge, where he could be thrust into even bigger tests next year.
Below we take a look at all the details you need to know ahead of the clash...
The story behind Oleksandr Usyk v Daniel Dubois
Usyk recently solidified his status as champion with a second superb win over 'AJ', which sees him ranked as perhaps the leading fighter in the division.
It has been a difficult spell for the Ukrainian given events in his home country, but he has managed to tie down a fight as he looks to remain active to maintain his pursuit of an undisputed title shot.
A win for Usyk against his WBA mandatory challenger Dubois will see him wait for a shot at Fury who is set to negotiate a separate deal with Saudi representatives, but he could face next challenge Filip Hrgovic should the bout collapse on their super-card in December.
Meanwhile, Dubois recently defended his title in an extremely tough bout against Kevin Lerena where he was floored on several occasions, and was forced to bounce back against the underdog to secure his own KO.
It was uncertain whether he would elect to take this fight, given concerns that he had suffered a serious knee injury, but scans allayed those fears.
A win for Dubois could see him thrust into an easy-to-make undisputed fight with British rival Fury, given the pair fight under the same promotional banner.
Oleksandr Usyk v Daniel Dubois announced with details
Usyk's fight with Dubois has now been confirmed after his manager Eigis Klimas and Alex Krassyuk of K2 Promotions won the purse bids.
Dubois will be the B-side fighter so will receive a smaller chunk of the purse, with Usyk unlucky to miss out on a mega payday for a fight at Wembley Stadium against Fury.
Date and venue
The heavyweight world title clash will take place on Saturday, August 26 at the Tarcyznski Arena in Wroclaw, Poland.
Unfortunately the event could not be staged in Usyk's home country in the city of Kiev, due to the ongoing acts of war from Russia.
TV/ How to Watch
Usyk's contest against Dubois will be the first boxing pay-per-view broadcast on British broadcaster TNT Sports in the UK which has been rebranded from BT Sport.
Worldwide TV details are yet to be confirmed, but the fight will likely land on ESPN in the US given both fighter's positive relationship with ESPN and Top Rank.
A win for either fighter will be huge for their heavyweight careers, but victory for Dubois will spell a monumental comeback since losing to Joe Joyce.