Daniel Dubois could face Joseph Parker in February, with the IBF world heavyweight title on the line. Dubois successfully defended his title last month at Wembley, delivering a stunning knockout of Anthony Joshua, who has confirmed he will not pursue an immediate rematch in early 2025.
Dubois successfully retained his world title with a spectacular fifth-round knockout of Anthony Joshua at Wembley in September, and several opponents are being considered for a title defense in early 2025.
Joshua has ruled out an immediate rematch, as the scheduled date doesn’t align with his plans for next year. However, WBO interim champion Joseph Parker has emerged as the frontrunner to face Dubois in the ring.
The New Zealander has put himself back in the world title picture with impressive victories over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang, following a stoppage loss to Joe Joyce.
Parker is not currently ranked in the IBF’s top 15, meaning the governing body would still need to grant the 32-year-old approval to challenge Dubois for the title.
When asked about Parker, Dubois’ promoter, Frank Warren, told Sky Sports last month: “It has to make sense, and for a fight with Daniel, he certainly fits the criteria. He’s re-established himself in a big way since the Joe Joyce fight.”
Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole have also expressed interest in facing Dubois, while Fabio Wardley had been linked with a world title shot following his impressive first-round knockout of Frazer Clarke.
