Daniel Dubois has been forced to pull out of his highly anticipated heavyweight clash with Joseph Parker due to an undisclosed illness. Dubois’ promoter, Frank Warren, confirmed that "Daniel’s being evaluated by a doctor". With Dubois unable to compete, the fast-rising Martin Bakole will step in against Parker at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Dubois had been set to defend a version of the heavyweight title he captured with a dramatic fifth-round stoppage of Anthony Joshua last September. Now, the 25-year-old Londoner finds himself on the sidelines, awaiting a medical evaluation to determine the next steps in his career. "If he is ill, I hope he gets better soon," said Parker, who also stressed he’s prepared to fight anyone on Saturday night.
Enter Bakole, a promising contender from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who has quietly pieced together a strong résumé, including notable victories over Jared Anderson and Carlos Takam. Though this fight won’t be for a title, it’s a huge platform for Bakole to make a statement. At 33, he’s eager to seize the moment and position himself for bigger opportunities in the star-studded heavyweight division.
Watch Anderson vs. Bakole highlights: Watch
Fans looking forward to the originally scheduled Dubois-Parker matchup might be disappointed, but there's still plenty of excitement in Riyadh - headlined by the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol rematch for the undisputed light heavyweight championship. Moreover, we will now be looking forward to get to know if Bakole will capitalize on this sudden opportunity and derail Parker’s momentum. The answers come Saturday night.
Get to know more about Bakole's career here.
Image Credit: DAZN