Dubois Stops Joshua in Fifth-Round Wembley Upset

Daniel Dubois stopped Anthony Joshua in the fifth round at Wembley Stadium on September 21, 2024, retaining the IBF heavyweight title before 96,000 spectators. Dubois put Joshua down four times, finishing the fight with a right hand after controlling the bout from the opening round. The win marked Dubois’ first victory at Wembley and a major moment in his rise to world champion.

How Dubois took control

Dubois dropped Joshua in the opening round and kept pressing through the middle rounds. Joshua was knocked down again before the finish, but managed to beat the count each time. A sharp right hand in round five ended the contest, as the referee stopped the fight with Joshua unable to continue. The result was an emphatic defense of Dubois’ IBF belt, which he had been elevated to earlier that summer.

What followed

The two did not have an immediate rematch. Dubois later challenged Oleksandr Usyk at Wembley in July 2025, then stopped Fabio Wardley in the 11th round in May 2026 to win the WBO heavyweight title. In their October 17 rematch at London’s O2 Arena, Dubois stopped Wardley in the second round to retain the belt, according to the WBO champion record.

For Joshua, the loss was a fourth professional defeat and a sharp setback after a run of victories. His career continued, while Dubois’ Wembley performance became an early chapter in a second world-title reign. Read more about Anthony Joshua and the heavyweight division.

Tags: MMA, Combat Sports