Daniel Dubois has pulled out of his IBF title defence against Joseph Parker on Saturday after falling ill, leaving the world heavyweight champion without an opponent. the British fighter scheduled to appear in Saudi Arabia, failed to appear at a press conference and subsequently underwent medical checks before the decision was taken. The specific nature of his condition has not been revealed.
Parker will now face Congolese heavyweight Martin Bakole, who comes in as a late replacement. “If he’s sick, I hope he recovers soon,” Parker added, looking forward to the rescheduled match.
Dubois became the interim IBF champion in June when he beat Filip Hrgovic, and then he was elevated to champion after Oleksandr Usyk relinquished the belt. He retained his title in September by knocking out Anthony Joshua.
A former WBO champion, Parker won his title in 2016 with a victory over Andy Ruiz before losing it to Joshua in 2018. The updated heavyweight fight is still an intriguing matchup.
