Reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois will defend his title against New Zealand’s Joseph Parker in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 22 February 2025, Afrosport reports.
Dubois was at his best in his first title defence when he knocked out fellow Brit and former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in September at Wembley.
The 27-year-old initially got his hands on the IBF heavyweight title by beating Filip Hrgovic in June after Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk was forced to vacate the belt due to his rematch clause with Tyson Fury.
Parker, however, is a former WBO (World Boxing Organisation) heavyweight champion, having defeated Mexico’s Andy Ruiz in 2016. He held the belt until 2018, when he lost it to Joshua.
The 32-year-old has been dominant in recent fights, including beating Deontay Wilder in December 2023. Parker has currently held the WBO interim heavyweight title since claiming a win over Zhilei Zhang in March.
WHAT. A. CARD. 🤯 @Turki_alalshikh @bivol_d @ShakurStevenson @IsrailMadrimov @CallumSmith23 #RiyadhSeason #BeterbievBivol2 #StevensonSchofield #BuatsiSmith #OrtizMadrimov pic.twitter.com/hOcms2vUdh
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) December 2, 2024
The Dubois v Parker fight card, however, is stacked, as Artur Beterbiev will defend his undisputed light-heavyweight title in a rematch with fellow Russian Dmitry Bivol.
Beterbiev beat Bivol by claiming a major decision victory in Riyadh in October to become the first undisputed light-heavyweight champion of the four-belt era and the first since Roy Jones in 1999.
WBC (World Boxing Council) middleweight champion Carlos Adames will defend his belt against undefeated Hamzah Sheeraz, who is challenging for his maiden world title, while Brits Joshua Buatsi and Callum Smith will lock horns for the former’s WBO light-heavyweights interim title.
Shakur Stevenson will put his WBC lightweight belt on the line against Floyd Schofield, and Zhang faces Agit Kabayel for the interim WBC heavyweight title.
