Heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois has been forced to pull out of his world-title defence against Joseph Parker just two days before their fight on Saturday, after falling ill.
The British boxer was being assessed by doctors in Saudi Arabia and missed a key press conference on Thursday evening. Later that night, it was confirmed he would not be able to fight.
Dubois, 27, was set to defend his IBF title for the second time, but the nature of his illness has not been disclosed.
Instead, New Zealand’s Parker, 33, will face Martin Bakole, who has stepped in as a last-minute replacement.
“I hope Dubois gets better soon and I’m still looking forward to a great fight on Saturday,” Parker said before the change was confirmed.
Dubois has a professional record of 22 wins and 2 losses. He won the ‘interim’ IBF title in 2021 and was upgraded to world champion when Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt. His first title defence saw him stop Anthony Joshua in five rounds last September.
Parker, a former WBO world champion, has 35 wins and 3 losses on his record. Bakole, based in Scotland, has 16 knockouts from 22 wins and just one loss.
The fight was meant to be a key part of a major boxing event, with a highly anticipated undisputed light-heavyweight showdown between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol still set to headline the card. British boxer Hamzah Sheeraz will also challenge Carlos Adames for the WBC middleweight title on the undercard.
It’s a major blow for Dubois and fans, especially given how close the fight was to taking place. However, Bakole is still seen as a credible replacement, and the fight is expected to deliver an exciting spectacle.
