Daniel Dubois Dreaming Of Defending Title Against Anthony Joshua

Daniel Dubois is excited to get the chance to fight Anthony Joshua, as he looks to defend the IBF title for the first time.

Dubois won the IBF interim title with a stoppage win over Filip Hrgovic and after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt, he was promoted to the champ. His first title defense will be against Anthony Joshua which will be a tough fight, but one Dubois is looking forward to.

“I would have wanted to win it in the ring and get the crowd involved but here we are,” Dubois said. “I wasn’t really worried [about Usyk retaining the title]. I’m glad I’ve got it but I wasn’t sweating over it. It’s a formality – if you keep winning you’ll get these titles. For me the belts and all that are great but these fights themselves are like world-title fights.

“‘AJ’ doesn’t need a belt to be the top draw – it’s all about how you perform in the ring in front of a crowd,” Dubois added. “I have just flown back from Brazil – a 12-hour flight back. I am shattered. It was a holiday – a little break but we were still training. It was planned before my last fight so I had to cut it short to get back for this. I saw the news this morning online – it’s all good positive vibes. I will thank Usyk with a rematch.”

Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua will fight at Wembley Stadium on September 21 and Dubois knows it’s a key fight for both of their careers.

“My career has been resurrected so I am on the road to redemption. I want everything kept positive and I want to keep these good things going. I believe there is a higher power at work and he is pushing me in the right direction. People said that [Joshua would be retired before I reached his level] – he is still making big money and he is still here, so if I have to knock him off the perch I will do it. He has been through many wars and that will tell on him. But I am still going to prepare 100 per cent and be ready for a war,” Dubois added.

Daniel Dubois is 21-2 as a pro and coming off back-to-back wins over Hrgovic and Jarrell Miller.