Daniel Dubois takes on Joseph Parker in defence of his world title this weekend.
This heavyweight IBF showdown comes as part of a huge bill of action in Saudi Arabia on February 22. Light heavyweight stars Dmitry Bivol and undisputed king Artur Beterbiev top the bill in their much-anticipated rematch while Zhilei Zhang gets back to action against Agit Kabayel amongst many more great fights.
Dubois is looking to make a second straight defence of his belt having stopped Anthony Joshua inside five last time out in September. Parker meanwhile is looking to become a two-time world champion having previously held the WBO belt from 2016 to 2018, when he lost it to Joshua in a unification.
He is in fine form right now after beating Zhang and Deontay Wilder in his last two fights.
Speaking to DAZN, former world champion turned pundit Tony Bellew has made his prediction and is predicting Parker to make Dubois quit.
“If Joseph Parker comes through the first four rounds, he wins. Daniel is a bully. Daniel is a fighter who gains in confidence.
If you take his confidence away early, he’s not going to be very good. But if he gets confident, and you allow him to win rounds one to three, he’s going to keep going.
You have to take his confidence away immediately. Joseph Parker should have a game plan – I think he will – but it is whether he can keep Daniel off him in the first four rounds.
I edge towards Parker on points, or maybe even a late stoppage. I think if you can make Daniel question himself up here, he’ll quit.
Once you quit once, you’ll do it again. You’ve just got to get them back to that place.”
Dubois’ grit and heart have come into question in the past, particularly in his first attempt at the world title against Oleksandr Usyk. The Brit went down in the eighth and ninth rounds and stayed on his knee as the referee counted him out despite most feeling he had enough to fight on.
The prize for the winner of this fight could well be an undisputed contest with current three-belt champion and pound-for-pound great Oleksandr Usyk.
