Daniel Dubois, the new IBF Heavyweight Champion, has set his sights on three big names for his upcoming fights. The young British boxer wants to take on Joseph Parker, Oleksandr Usyk, and Martin Bakole.
Dubois has come a long way since he was accused of quitting in his fight against Joe Joyce. He's now one of the most confident and dangerous fighters in the heavyweight division. Last August, he tried to take Oleksandr Usyk's unified heavyweight world titles but fell short. That didn't stop him, though. He bounced back with impressive stoppage wins over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic.
After these wins, Dubois became the IBF Interim World Champion. When Usyk gave up the belt, Dubois got promoted to full titlist. But some people still doubted if he was a real champion.
Dubois silenced those doubters in a big way. He took on Anthony Joshua at a packed Wembley Stadium and knocked him out in just five rounds. It was a record-breaking crowd, and Dubois showed everyone he's the real deal.
Now, Dubois is looking ahead. According to Ade Oladipo from DAZN, Dubois plans to fight Joseph Parker on February 22. After that, he wants to face Oleksandr Usyk to try and become the undisputed champion. His third pick is Martin Bakole, who's seen as a bit of a bogeyman in the heavyweight division.
Usyk seems keen on fighting the winner of Dubois vs Parker. He's got the backing of Riyadh Season and Turki Alalshikh, so if Dubois keeps his belt, that fight will likely happen.
As for Bakole, he's been making some noise. He claims he made Dubois 'quit' in sparring after breaking his nose. Right now, Bakole has been ordered to face Efe Ajagba in a final eliminator. If he wins, he'll get a shot at the IBF title. That fight hasn't been made official yet, but we should hear an announcement soon.
Dubois has certainly turned things around. From being criticized for quitting to knocking out Anthony Joshua and planning fights with the division's top names, he's shown he's here to stay at the top of the heavyweight division.
