IBF heavyweight boxing champion Daniel Dubois will put the Anthony Joshua on the shelf in favor of another surging contender.
Daniel Dubois earned arguably the biggest win of his career when he knocked out Anthony Joshua in September. He retained the IBF heavyweight championship after winning the then-vacant interim belt in June.
Dubois is on top of the world after earning the victory over Joshua. Many potential matchups have been tossed around in recent weeks for Dubois, including a possible clash with Jake Paul.
Dubois’ 2025 return was favored to come against Joshua, but the rematch is indefinitely delayed. Dubois will instead face a new, fresh challenge in the form of the WBO interim heavyweight titleholder.
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Report: Daniel Dubois vs. Joseph Parker headlines Riyadh Season event on February 22nd
As longtime boxing journalist Dan Rafael reported Tuesday, Dubois will face Joseph Parker on the February 22nd Riyadh Season card. In another headliner-worthy bout, the rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol is also reportedly set for the event.
Dubois and Parker are two of the top heavyweights in boxing and are both in the middle of their physical primes. Parker earned the WBO interim heavyweight championship by defeating Zhilei Zhang by majority decision in March.
Parker has won five consecutive fights since a knockout loss to Joe Joyce in 2022. He’s defeated the likes of Deontay Wilder, Simon Kean, and Jack Massey during his ongoing streak.
Before knocking out Joshua, Dubois defeated Filip Hrgović and Jarrell Miller. A win over Parker could potentially set him up for a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, who faces Tyson Fury next month in Riyadh.
Artur Beterviev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 adds to the intriguing February 22nd event
The Beterviev vs. Bivol championship rematch will take place just four months after their first matchup in October. In a ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate, Beterbiev defeated Bivol by majority decision, earning Bivol’s WBA and IBO light heavyweight belts.
The loss to Beterbiev was the first of Bivol’s career, after recent wins over Canelo Alvarez and Malik Zinad. He began his career with a 23-0 professional record.
Beterbiev is in the discussion for boxing’s pound-for-pound king after recent wins over Callum Smith, Joe Smith Jr., and Bivol. He retained his WBC, IBF, and WBO light heavyweight titles with his prior victory over Bivol.
A WBO middleweight title clash between Carlos Adames and Hamzah Sheeraz is also rumored for the event but isn’t confirmed, as of this writing. Jaron Ennis will also reportedly face Vergil Ortiz Jr. in a clash of two undefeated stars.
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