The World Boxing Organization has ordered Oleksandr Usyk to negotiate a fight against Joseph Parker within a month.

The instruction could dash British fighter Daniel Dubois’s hopes of facing Usyk again.

The WBO announced on Thursday that Usyk, also the holder of the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) titles, has 30 days to “negotiate terms” for a mandatory title defense against New Zealand’s Parker; otherwise, the governing body will proceed with purse bids.

Parker recently defended his WBO interim title in Riyadh by stopping Martin Bakole in the second round, after Dubois had to withdraw due to illness.

Instead of rescheduling the bout with Parker, International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion Dubois had hoped to secure a rematch with Usyk, who had previously defeated the British fighter by a ninth-round knockout in August 2023.

Dubois, 27, had reportedly been in discussions for a fight that would have put all four major world heavyweight titles on the line, but the WBO’s announcement complicates proceedings in a sport where the absence of a unified global governing body often results in multiple world champions within the same weight category.

Usyk, 38, achieved the status of the first undisputed world heavyweight champion in almost 25 years when he beat Britain’s Tyson Fury in May 2024. However, he relinquished his IBF belt before the rematch, which led to Dubois being elevated to full champion status.

Usyk, a former undisputed world cruiserweight champion, now boasts a flawless professional record of 23 wins, including 14 stoppages, after securing a victory over Fury in a rematch, which allowed him to retain the unified WBC, WBA, and WBO championships.

Immediately after his win by unanimous decision, Usyk faced Dubois, who entered the ring and demanded a fight.

However, it seems Parker—who held the WBO title from 2016 to 2018 and is on a winning streak since losing to Joe Joyce in 2022—has now become the priority contender for Usyk.

Back in February, Usyk announced plans to have two more fights before retiring.