Daniel Dubois has shifted his focus from Oleksandr Usyk to Joseph Parker for his next fight. The IBF heavyweight champion wants to settle unfinished business with Parker after their February bout got cancelled.
Dubois, also known as DDD, has had a rollercoaster year in the ring. He lost to Usyk in August 2023, getting stopped in nine rounds despite putting the Ukrainian down on the canvas in a moment ruled as a low blow. But he bounced back in a big way.
In June 2023, Dubois knocked out Filip Hrgovic and got elevated to IBF heavyweight champion. He followed that up with an impressive defense against Anthony Joshua in September, stopping AJ inside five rounds after knocking him down in the first.
These wins came on the back of another solid performance. Six months before the Hrgovic fight, Dubois put on an impressive display against Jarrell Miller.
Dubois was set to make a voluntary defense against former WBO champion Joseph Parker in February. But that fight fell through when Dubois got sick. He had to pull out of the contest, leaving some unfinished business between the two heavyweights.
Now, instead of chasing Usyk for undisputed honors, Dubois wants to make things right with Parker. He told Podlounge UK:
"I want to run it back [with Parker]. If they can get that fight on, that's the fight I want next. It's unfinished business and it's left a bitter taste in my mouth."
Dubois didn't stop there. He laid out his plans for the future, mentioning some big names in the heavyweight division:
"I want to fight them all. I want to fight Parker definitely. Hopefully Turki might hear this and make it happen in England at Wembley or something. I want to fight Parker, that's unfinished business for me. If not Parker, Usyk or AJ, these are the guys I want next."
Parker's been on a tear lately, racking up wins against Zhilei Zhang, Deontay Wilder, and Martin Bakole. A fight between these two in-form heavyweights could be just what the division needs.
