Daniel Dubois has vowed to “make a fool” out of Anthony Joshua in their all-British showdown on Saturday night.
After Oleksandr Usyk vacated the IBF title in June in order to purse a rematch with Tyson Fury, Dubois was elevated to world champion and makes his first defence of that strap at Wembley Stadium against Joshua.
A crowd of 96,000 is expected in London, with the winner potentially in line for a shot at either Fury or Usyk next year for the full set of heavyweight belts.
Dubois enjoyed the best win of his career in June when stopping the previously unbeaten Filip Hrgovic, extending his record to 20-2. Only one of those wins has come on points, back in 2018 against Kevin Johnson, and the 27-year-old is targeting another early night.
“I aim to knock him out, I aim to knock out anyone I get in the ring with,” Dubois said.
“Go out there, not put too many words out there. Not make a fool of myself, saying what I’m going to do. I don’t want to make a fool [of myself] like that.
“I’m going to go out there and make a fool out of him by knocking him out. This is the game, this is the sport. It really tests you as a person, as a man.”
Dubois’ victory over Hrgovic came after he beat Jarrell Miller in dramatic fashion at the end of last year, stopping the American in the final seconds of that bout in Riyadh.
That followed a controversial defeat to Usyk in August 2023, in which the Ukrainian was dropped with a shot that was deemed to be a low blow, though Dubois’ team argued it should have been ruled a legitimate body shot.
It has been a successful year since then, though, for Dubois, with the Briton now in possession of a world title and confident there is plenty more to come ahead of the first defence of that belt.
“The last 12 months have been definitely the best of my career,” Dubois said.
“The best turnaround, the best improvement in fights. Some of the best training camps I’ve had, getting it right in the gym, getting it right on all levels. Definitely improving all round.”
