Dubois: "This is the best stage of my career and I'm fighting the best"

Daniel Dubois. Getty Images

"I'm doing really good training and I'll be ready for the fight," states Daniel Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), the IBF heavyweight champion of the world who will face Anthony Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) in his ...

As part of his training, DDD spars with, among others, the big and strong Frazier Clark (8-0-1, 6 KOs), the Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist who has sparred with AJ many times in the past, and he knows the champion's opponent well. But Dubois also knows a lot about his opponent, because as a member of the British national team, he sparred with him during the national team training camp, which Joshua often attended when he was already a professional.

Some accuse the champion of becoming him at the table. The London-based puncher disagrees with that opinion, because although he was renamed from interim champion to full champion without a fight, he had to defeat the dangerous Filip Hrgovic to do so, and he did so by technical knockout.

"This title I won by defeating Hrgovic. It was a championship fight and I won it. So no matter what others say, I'm a legitimate world champion and I deserve respect. Check out the tape of my fight. Within thirteen months I faced Usyk, then Miller and Hrgovic, and now I'm going to face Joshua. All in thirteen months. I'm entering the best period of my career, I've gained momentum, and all the great champions at the peak of their careers have performed very often, thus improving their skills and constantly evolving. For me, the best thing is to keep it up. If I have to fight often, it's better to do it now than when I get old and can't train to my full potential all the time. This is my best period and that's why I have to fight the best often now," Dubois stated.