Why Did Daniel Dubois Withdraw From His Fight?
Daniel Dubois had to withdraw from his scheduled defence of the IBF Heavyweight title against Joseph Parker due to an unspecified illness. The Brit missed a scheduled press conference and was evaluated by a doctor on Thursday, forcing him out of the fight on just two days’ notice.
Who Will Replace Daniel Dubois?
Dubois will be replaced by heavyweight contender Martin Bakole. The Congolese fighter enters with a record of 21-1 and poses a different kind of threat to Parker. WBO president Gustavo Olivieri has confirmed that Parker’s interim WBO Heavyweight title will be on the line in this reconfirmed matchup.
Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker Preview
Daniel Dubois will attempt to defend his IBF Heavyweight title against Joseph Parker. The two men will face each other in the co-main event of Riyadh’s blockbuster card at the Kingdom Arena. They’ll clash on February 22nd and the result will have massive implications for the division.
Both fighters overcame adversity to reach this point. For Dubois, it’s a case of meeting his potential as he defeated Anthony Joshua in his last fight. Meanwhile, Parker is enjoying an astonishing career resurgence after many people wrote him off. Dubois is a big favourite, but Parker is out to prove the oddsmakers wrong.
Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker Key Stats and Head-to-Head
Daniel Dubois is one of the hardest hitters in combat sports today. He has an excellent 24-2 record with 22 knockout victories. ‘Dynamite’ suffered a surprise KO loss to Joe Joyce in 2020 which fueled his doubters. He rebounded with four KO/TKO wins before another knockout loss against Oleksandr Usyk.
Since then, Dubois has enjoyed an excellent three-fight KO/TKO streak with his most recent victory over Anthony Joshua. His fifth-round finish left Joshua’s career in smithereens as Dubois sealed heavyweight champion status for the first time. Dubois scored four knockdowns in a demolition job as he destroyed A.J. in front of 96,000 fans.
Meanwhile, Parker is a former WBO Heavyweight champion. The 33-year-old had a long career and fought the best of the best. He has a 35-3 record with 23 KO victories. The New Zealander lost back-to-back matches against Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte before a six-fight win streak. Then he suffered the only KO loss of his career against a mutual opponent in Joe Joyce.
https://twitter.com/KOJournals/status/1878200313288798521
Parker silenced his critics by putting together an astounding five-fight win streak, including victories over Zhilei Zhang and Deontay Wilder. His last victory over Zhang saw him survive two knockdowns to win by a decision. Parker’s speed was a key factor in that fight and will be important again against Dubois.
Both men fight out of orthodox stances, but Dubois has a three-centimetre height advantage. The Briton also enjoys a significant five-centimetre reach advantage. Meanwhile, the 27-year-old has fewer miles on the clock and is only entering his prime. However, he has taken more damage in his professional career than Parker.
Dubois has worked with his Biafran coach Don Charles for over a year. Charles was responsible for Dereck Chisora’s early rise and success. Parker’s trainer Andy Lee is a former WBO middleweight champion and one of the most respected minds in the sport.
Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker Predictions
Prediction: Joseph Parker By Majority Decision
Anyone betting on boxing will know Dubois is a significant favourite to win this match. However, it is easy to overlook Parker’s recent success and overestimate Dubois’ wins. It wouldn’t shock us if Dubois won, but we think the odds should be much closer. Our boxing prediction is that Parker will earn a majority decision and become a two-time heavyweight champion.
Many boxing fans are pointing out how Dubois demolished Anthony Joshua. He indeed enjoyed one of the most complete and destructive performances of his career. But the 35-year-old is also a fading force and is no longer the monster he was in his prime. It’s dangerous to put too much weight on this victory.
Arguably, Dubois has never beaten an elite opponent. His wins over Filip Hrgovic and Jarrell Miller are decent but they’re not world-beaters. Arguably, Parker’s victory over the in-form Zhang is the most impressive in their records. Also, Usyk dissected Dubois when they fought, which shows his size doesn’t guarantee a win.
Dubois is the bigger and stronger man, so we predict he will come forward with conviction. He believes he can knock Parker out, but he must take care not to expose himself. Parker is also extremely tough and has a solid chin. We saw how he survived two knockdowns against Zhang and still did enough to win a decision.
Joseph Parker is looking SHARP! ⚡#DuboisParker |#RiyadhSeason | Sky Sports Box Office pic.twitter.com/nNJfpc6xF0
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) February 19, 2025
Parker’s activity will be the difference in this match. He has exceptional cardio for a heavyweight and is very fast. His coach, Andy Lee, openly said their strategy was to beat Dubois to the punch. They also want to nullify Dubois’ jab, which they identified as the British boxer’s best weapon. Parker will be at a career heaviest weight in this match.
We think this will be a close fight and there won’t be much to separate them. Dubois may score a couple of early knockdowns, but we believe Parker will survive. The New Zealander will probably take the later rounds. This will be the riskiest period of the fight for Dubois.
Check out the live betting odds during this fight as there is potential for a large swing. Dubois is an early favourite, but one knockdown or fast start can change everything. You can react to live events and make winning wagers on our sports betting platform.
Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker Betting Tips
Daniel Dubois is the favourite to beat Joseph Parker in our online sportsbook. It’s currently 1/3 for the Englishman to secure an outright victory. A €10 stake could make a €3.33 profit. This isn’t very big, but it could be tempting with a bigger stake. Some players will struggle to look past Dubois because of his power.
However, betting on Parker is much more sensible, even as an underdog. It’s 2/1 for him to win so you could double your money. This is more lucrative and has very high odds for what we deem to be a close match-up. Parker has the tools to win this fight if Dubois doesn’t reach another level.
There are many other boxing markets for this bout. Punters can select the fight outcome. We think Dubois’ most likely method of victory is by KO/TKO. It’s 9/10 for him to achieve this, which is a better pick than betting on him to win outright. He may score enough knockdowns to win a decision, but we don’t see the fight going this way.
Meanwhile, our top tip is a Parker decision victory at 4/1. You will quadruple your original stake if this is successful. However, a Parker knockout victory isn’t impossible. Dubois has more KO losses on his record than his New Zealand opponent. This is heavyweight boxing and anything can happen.
Another option is selecting the exact winning method. It’s 18/1 for this fight to finish in a majority decision without selecting the victor. You could also choose a knockout at 18/5. This time, a €10 wager will return a sizeable €36 profit. This could be an excellent prop bet if you’re picking Dubois.
https://twitter.com/SkySportsBoxing/status/1892224921729745123
Players can make an over-under wager on the number of total rounds in this match. It’s 3/4 for there to be over 9.5 in this match. If you’re feeling brave, it’s even for this fight to finish under 9.5 rounds. Also, it’s 5/4 for this fight to go the distance. €10 could net a €12.50 profit if this is the result.
Grouped round betting is also another lucrative market. A Dubois victory in round 5-8 or round 9-12 is the most viable option for a finish. Both options are available at 10/3, with €10 potentially making €33.33.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of this amazing card. Artur Beterbiev faces Dmitry Bivol in a rematch in the main event. Unified champion Beterbiev is the early favourite, but many believe Bivol can rebound from a close decision loss. Why not create an accumulator with your favourite match-ups from this event?
Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker Outcome
This fight carries massive implications for the heavyweight division. The victor of this IBF title fight will push for a shot against the Usyk vs Fury rematch winner. On paper, this outcome makes sense because of the allure of becoming a unified champion. However, it may not be so simple.
Usyk has said that he only has a couple of fights left. Dubois would love to avenge his defeat, but does a rematch excite the Ukrainian? He’s already mentioned UFC champion Alex Pereira as a potential foe. Also, he was already the unified champion before the IBF stupidly stripped him.
Meanwhile, nobody can predict what Tyson Fury will do next if he wins. Parker and Dubois must focus on putting on the best performance possible to make fans want the unification fight. Right now, there are no guarantees.
