Daniel Dubois gets ready to defend his IBF World Heavyweight Title against Joseph Parker on February 22. The bout pits the current champion against a former titleholder in what promises to be a compelling clash.
Dubois, the 27-year-old British boxer, has had an impressive run lately. He beat Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic to become the interim champion. When Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt, Dubois got elevated to full titlist. He then made a statement in his first title defense with a fifth-round knockout of Anthony Joshua.
Parker, on the other hand, comes into this fight with momentum of his own. The former champion has notched up victories against big names like Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.
'Big Bang' Zhang, who lost on points to Parker despite putting him down twice, will feature on the undercard. He's set to face Agit Kabayel in another high-stakes heavyweight bout.
Dubois has made waves by calling out Oleksandr Usyk for an undisputed contest and rematch. Many in the sport think Dubois jumped the gun by mentioning the fight before facing Parker.
Zhilei Zhang shared his thoughts on the upcoming title fight with Box Nation:
"I like both fighters. I respect both fighters. But somewhere in my gut feeling is telling me that Dubois is doing to win this one. I admire his style. I like how he approaches fights. I like Parker as well but subconsciously I believe Dubois is going to win it."
Zhang also told Seconds Out:
"My personal opinion is Dubois, I think he will get the victory."
The winner of this fight will likely have their sights set on Oleksandr Usyk, who recently beat Tyson Fury for the second time to keep his unified titles. The heavyweight division continues to heat up, and this fight between Dubois and Parker will play a big part in shaping its future.
