Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Daniel Dubois’ father details son’s illness and names Oleksandr Usyk as next opponent

Dubois pulled out of a planned title defence against Joseph Parker last week, citing illness

Alex Pattle
Combat Sports Editor
Friday 28 February 2025 14:35 GMT
Comments
Frank Warren insists that Daniel Dubois will have a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk

Details on Daniel Dubois’s recent illness have finally been shared, with his father discussing the heavyweight champion’s withdrawal from a fight with Joseph Parker – and his next move.

Dubois was due to defend the IBF belt against Parker in Saudi Arabia last Saturday, but the Briton withdrew on two days’ notice, citing illness. Martin Bakole stepped in for Dubois and suffered a second-round knockout by Parker.

The specifics of Dubois’s condition were not revealed, while his next move was left unclear, along with Parker’s. After stopping Bakole, Parker called out unified champion Oleksandr Usyk, while some felt that Dubois vs Parker should be rebooked.

However, it could be that neither match-up materialises: according to Stan Dubois, his son is eyeing his own fight with Usyk, two years after losing to the Ukrainian.

“Next, he wants Usyk,” the elder Dubois told The Ring magazine, which is owned by Saudi adviser Turki Alalshikh, the man behind the Gulf state’s aggressive entry into boxing. “It’s frustrating about the Parker fight, but he couldn’t fight with an infection. Usyk is who we’re going after next.

“Fight week was going well until he became ill. Everything was perfect, then he started feeling unwell a couple days before. He had a virus, he had swollen glands and an ear infection, so the doctor told him: ‘I wouldn’t fight, if I was you.’ He said: ‘You can fight, but after three rounds, you’ll be feeling it.’

IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois, before withdrawing from his fight with Joseph Parker
IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois, before withdrawing from his fight with Joseph Parker (Getty Images)
Joseph Parker knocked out Martin Bakole in round two on Saturday
Joseph Parker knocked out Martin Bakole in round two on Saturday (Getty Images)

“He’s had these problems before. Swollen glands, viral infection, it’s been happening for about eight years, and they usually last three or four days, but he’s been alright after that. With this, it was just bad timing that it happened two days before the fight. Obviously it was very frustrating for him and us.”

In 2023, Dubois dropped Usyk with a punch that was ruled a low blow, despite many believing it was a legal body shot. Usyk climbed off the canvas and ultimately stopped Dubois, staying unbeaten and retaining the unified titles. Dubois’s team launched an appeal to overturn the result, but it failed.

Dubois during his loss to Oleksandr Usyk in 2023
Dubois during his loss to Oleksandr Usyk in 2023 (REUTERS)

Dubois has gone 3-0 since, stopping Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua. Meanwhile, Usyk has fought twice since, outpointing Tyson Fury twice in 2024. The first fight saw Usyk become undisputed heavyweight champion, while he retained the unified belts in the rematch.

DAZN logo

Enjoy 185+ fights a year on DAZN, the Global Home of Boxing

Never miss a fight from top promoters. Watch on your devices anywhere, anytime.

See Schedule

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

DAZN logo

Enjoy 185+ fights a year on DAZN, the Global Home of Boxing

Never miss a fight from top promoters. Watch on your devices anywhere, anytime.

See Schedule

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Between those fights against Fury, Usyk vacated the IBF title. That meant Dubois was elevated to official IBF champion, after he won the interim strap with his victory over Hrgovic.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in