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Daniel Dubois will defend his IBF heavyweight world title against New Zealander Joseph Parker on February 22 in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). The Briton with 22 victories (for two defeats) will return to the ring, five months after his spectacular victory against Anthony Joshua in London. He had knocked out. his compatriot at the start of the fifth round.
Before Dubois’ victory, Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk became, in May, the first unified champion of the premier category since 1999, having won all four belts (WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO). But Usyk then left his IBF title vacant, due to the contract linking him to a rematch against the Briton Tyson Fury.
Parker ancien champion WBO
Dubois’ next opponent, Joseph Parker, won the WBO title in 2016, before being beaten on points, unanimously by the judges, by Joshua in 2018. In December 2023, he surprised the former WBC champion, Deontay Wilder, before beating the Chinese Zhilei Zhang and thus winning the WBO interim heavyweight title last March.
At the same meeting on February 22, Canadian Artur Beterbiev, who is undefeated, will defend the WBA, WBC IBF and WBO light heavyweight belts against Russian Dmitry Bivol. In October, he inflicted his first defeat on the latter.