The current IBF Heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois is set to retain his title on February 22nd, but that hasn’t stopped him from considering future opponents.
When Dubois faces Joseph Parker in Saudi Arabia next month, he will be aiming to successfully retain his title for the second time. ‘DDD’ will be looking to extend his winning streak to four, having knocked out Anthony Joshua in Wembley Stadium in September 2024.
Parker comes into his title challenge off a victory over Zhilei Zhang, where he won the WBO Interim World Heavyweight title. However, Parker has been relieved of his belt going into the match with Dubois, meaning the pair will only compete for the IBF title.
Although Dubois’ focus will be solely on Parker, there has been much discussion regarding who he may face later in the year.
Daniel Dubois open to facing Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma
Speaking to TalkSport, Dubois has revealed what heavyweight fights intrigue him in the future, should he maintain his current good form.
Should Dubois wish to unify the division, it would be the current WBO, IBO, and WBC heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk that the British fighter would aim for.
The two have met before, with Usyk being the fighter who came out on top, stopping Dubois. However, there would be significant interest in a rematch thanks to the controversy that surrounded the first bout.
A dubious low shot would be a major talking point after the bout, with fans’ opinions divided.
Dubois described the rematch as a “good matchup” for him, as well as saying the same for heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma.
Dubois has shown interest in Itauma but feels it is a challenge for the future, as opposed to his next bout.
Daniel Dubois eyes the winner of Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua
News of Tyson Fury’s retirement shook the boxing world, and the announcement will seemingly impede a highly anticipated match with Joshua. However, Dubois does not believe Fury’s retirement and is aiming to fight the winner of the proposed bout.
“He has always been doing this throughout his whole career, the mind games and everything,” Dubois told TalkSport about Fury’s retirement. “So I think he will be back. He plays different characters. He will be back for sure.”
“Get them in the ring. I want to see them fight now… And then, maybe I’ll fight the winner.”
Although fans have widely questioned Fury’s retirement, Turki Alalshikh said that he is considering other options for Joshua should the ‘Gypsy King’ not return to fight. Among those options include former heavyweight title holder, Deontay Wilder.