Joseph Parker Predicts Daniel Dubois Will Quit in IBF Clash
Joseph Parker did say he believed he could make Daniel Dubois “look for a way out” if their scheduled February 22, 2025, fight became difficult. The IBF heavyweight title bout did not happen: Dubois withdrew two days before the event after falling ill. Parker defended his WBO interim heavyweight title against late replacement Martin Bakole and won by second-round stoppage; the planned IBF challenge against Dubois did not happen.
Parker’s comments were reported by Sky Sports on February 7, when the title fight was still scheduled. In the interview, Parker framed quitting as a possibility if the contest became too hard, while also acknowledging that Dubois had shown improvement. It was a prediction and psychological jab, not evidence about how a future fight would unfold. The scheduled matchup was later cancelled before either boxer entered the ring against the other.
Video context: The embedded clip is a pre-fight face-off featuring Parker and Dubois. See also Sky Sports’ Parker vs. Bakole highlights.
Dubois withdraws before fight night
Reuters reported that Dubois withdrew on February 20 after falling ill and undergoing a medical examination in Saudi Arabia. His team did not release details about his health. Parker said he hoped Dubois would recover and confirmed that he was ready to continue on the card against a replacement. Martin Bakole, a heavyweight from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, accepted the fight on short notice. The planned IBF title contest became a non-title bout against Bakole instead.
That change matters when revisiting Parker’s prediction. He had prepared for Dubois and discussed how he might test the champion’s resolve. He did not get the chance to test that claim in the ring. The result cannot be treated as proof that Parker was right about Dubois, or that Dubois quit: Dubois was absent because of illness before the bout, and the two men did not fight that night.
Parker beats Bakole in two rounds
On February 22, Parker met Bakole in Riyadh. Sky Sports reported that Parker used his jab in the opening round, then landed a right hand high on Bakole’s head in the second. Bakole fell and tried to rise using the ropes, but the referee stopped the contest at 2:17 of round two. Parker therefore left the event with a knockout win over Bakole, not a victory over Dubois or the IBF heavyweight title.
The late opponent also changed the stakes and preparation. Bakole arrived on short notice, while Parker had spent camp preparing for a different style and title challenge. Parker thanked Bakole for accepting the assignment after the bout and said he had stayed composed. Sky Sports reported the win as a second-round knockout and noted that Parker retained his interim WBO status.
For the original prediction, Sky Sports’ February 7 interview records Parker’s words and the fight as scheduled at that time. Reuters reported Dubois’ subsequent withdrawal and replacement. Sky Sports’ fight report and highlights document Parker’s second-round stoppage of Bakole. Together, those sources separate the pre-fight boast from the events that followed.
Sources
Tags: Boxing, Combat Sports
