At the event to witness the classic match between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev, Daniel Dubois was also on the list of fighters. He was scheduled to protect the Heavyweight IBF belt against Joseph Parker. However, Dubois was sick right before the competition and forced to withdraw.
According to British media, Dubois lost about 7 million pounds because the match against Parker did not take place. The above amount includes funding for coaches at the training camp, as well as some compensation. However, Dubois is not too sad, because he is facing a bigger opportunity.
In the context that Dubois could soon return to play, he suddenly became the No. 1 candidate against Oleksandr Usyk in the near future. The competition can take place in October 2025 in Ryadh, Saudi Arabia. Dubois's boss also implicitly confirmed that the two parties were agreed upon the match.
Previously, Dubois played with USYK once in September 2023. At that time, Dubois once punched Usyk but the referee caught him. Dubois was identified to make a fist under the opponent's waist, even though he asserted his blow valid and deserved to receive a knock-out victory.
After a few minutes of rest in the middle of the match, Usyk returned and defeated the Dubois Knock-out in the 9th half. Although Dubois lost that match, he was still highly appreciated for his professional qualifications. This gives Dubois the opportunity to fight Anthony Joshua in September 2024, and Mr. Ha Knock-out former champion in the 5th half.