- Dubois to defend heavyweight title against Parker
- Fight to take place in Saudi Arabia on February 22
- Parker seeks to regain world title after four-fight win streak
Daniel Dubois will put his world heavyweight title on the line against former champion Joseph Parker in Saudi Arabia on February 22. The 27-year-old Briton made a spectacular first defense of his IBF belt by beating Anthony Joshua in September.
Parker, 32, from New Zealand, held the WBO title between 2016 and 2018 before losing it to Joshua. The former champion has earned a title shot after a four-fight winning streak, including impressive wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang in his past two fights.
The card in Riyadh will also feature Artur Beterbiev defending his undisputed light-heavyweight crown in a rematch with fellow Russian Dmitry Bivol. Undefeated Londoner Hamzah Sheeraz will challenge for his maiden world title against WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames, while British light-heavyweights Joshua Buatsi and Callum Smith will meet for Buatsi’s WBO interim title.
Shakur Stevenson will put his WBC lightweight belt on the line against Floyd Schofield, and Zhilei Zhang faces Agit Kabayel for the interim WBC heavyweight title. Dubois captured the interim title with an impressive win over Filip Hrgovic last year and was elevated to world champion when Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt.
The Londoner legitimized himself as a world champion when he upset the odds by dismantling two-time champion Joshua inside five rounds at Wembley Stadium. Parker’s link-up with trainer Andy Lee has reinvigorated his career, making him a live challenger for Dubois’ title.
According to BBC Sport’s Kal Sajad, “Dubois is still riding the high of his destructive win over Joshua. He has become a confident, fearless puncher… and will fancy his chances to finish Parker inside the distance.” However, Sajad also notes that Parker is a live opponent, deserving of another crack at world honors.
