Anthony Joshua will take on Daniel Dubois in an all-British bout for the vacant IBF heavyweight belt at Wembley Stadium on September 21 in the second of two ‘Riyadh Season’ cards to be held outside of Saudi Arabia.
Oleksandr Usyk was crowned the first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era five weeks ago when he defeated Tyson Fury via a split decision after a thrilling encounter at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
But the Ukranian has been forced to relinquish the IBF belt as he is set for a rematch against Fury in December. “Anthony and Daniel, I know the IBF title is important to you. It is my present to you on 21 September,” Usyk said in a video message on X.
Usyk's mandatory IBF title defence against challenger Filip Hrgovic was left pending and 26-year-old Dubois became the new interim IBF heavyweight champion by stopping the Croatian in the eighth round in the Saudi capital earlier this month.
Joshua is on a four-fight winning streak – the last of which a brutal second-round knockout of MMA star Francis Ngannou – and is looking to become a three-time heavyweight champion which would see him join an elite group of fighters in Muhammad Ali, Michael Moorer, Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko.
The 34-year-old has a 28-3 career record having lost against Andy Ruiz Jr and twice to Usyk. “Congratulations to Daniel for winning his last fight, but we’re here now,” Joshua said in Wednesday's press conference.
“I went out to watch his last fight, it was a good fight between the two of them and I picked Dubois to win as well. He came through, we’re here and Dubois has been on my mind for a while, and he will be for the next 12 weeks.
“[Dubois' name] isn't like the way they mention Fury or [Deontay] Wilder, but I’m not silly either. I know the game, we’re in the wild, we’re a pack of lions, I can’t just focus on them two I’ve got to keep my eyes peeled. Whoever it was I’d be ready to fight but obviously it’s Daniel now.
“I feel fresh. But I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, that’s my only advice. Thank god I don’t get into antics outside of boxing. I use boxing to keep me on the straight and narrow. It doesn’t matter [the ages] we’re in peak condition, age is just a number.”
When asked if he was still interested in taking on Fury in the future, Joshua told BBC Sport: “It’s a fight that’s been brewing for a long time. I can’t wait until I’m 50 to fight Fury, because I would have had so many wars. I’m not going to sit around and wait.
“This is my 13th world title fight, probably my seventh or sixth world champion fighter I am fighting. I am ready, I would love to fight Fury, but I am not waiting around much longer. I’ve been waiting around. I’ve been chasing it.
“I’ve signed to fight Fury, I’ve signed to fight Wilder before. Now I’m having to go down the path of fighting other good fighters. Let’s just get the fight on while we’re fresh. How many wars do I have to have before I get to Fury?”
Dubois has won 21 of his 23 fights having lost in controversial fashion to Usyk last August in Poland in what was his first bid to win a world title with his last two fights seeing him stop Jarrell Miller in December and then Hrgovic.
“I would have loved to win [the IBF belt] on the night in my last fight but here we are, I’m blessed, we keep going,” Dubois said.
“I’m learning more about myself, a fighter, a person, coming through the darkness, going into the light and going into the future. I’m really up for this, I'm ready to go.
“I’m aiming to be the best. AJ has been the king for a long time but on the night I need to be the king slayer. That’s the goal, the mission I have, so let’s go. I’m ready to let my fists do the talking. I’m 100 per cent ready to go, focused to train like a beast.”
The first of the 'Riyadh Season’ cards will take place in Los Angeles on August 3 and will be headlined by Terence Crawford’s fight with WBA light-middleweight champion Israil Madrimov.
