Daniel Dubois retained his IBF world heavyweight championship on Saturday at Wembley Stadium in London with a dominant win over former unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs), who turned 27 earlier this month, sent Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) to the canvas in the first, third, and fourth rounds before ending the fight in the fifth with a powerful right. If Joshua, who turns 35 next month, wants a rematch, then that fight is probably too lucrative for Dubois to turn down. Still, Dubois and his promoter Frank Warren have another matchup in mind to avenge a loss 13 months ago.
“They are my targets,” Dubois said about the rematch of undisputed world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs), who will defend his titles against Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) on December 21. Usyk became undisputed heavyweight champion with a split-decision victory over Fury in May. “I want to get my rematch and put the wrong right.” Dubois lost to Usyk last year, but a controversial punch that appeared to be on the belt was ruled a low blow.
“We will see what happens on the 21st of December in Riyadh,” Warren said. “See … the outcome of that fight — Tyson, I believe, will win it. I would love to see Daniel lace it up against Usyk again, because I believe that he should have won that fight and I still believe it wasn’t a low blow.”
Tomorrow, Puerto Rican fighter Xander Zayas (19-0, 12 KOs) returns to the Theater at Madison Square Garden to face Mexican Damian Sosa (25-2, 12 KOs) in a 10-round junior middleweight bout. Brownsville, Brooklyn, product Bruce Carrington (12-0, 8 KOs) will face Sulaiman Segawa of Uganda (17-4-1, 6 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight match. In the main event, Sandy Ryan (7-1-1, 3 KOs) will defend her WBO women’s welterweight title against former unified junior lightweight champion Mikaela Mayer (19-2, 5 KOs) in a 10-round fight.
“Damian Sosa is a Mexican warrior who brings that work ethic, hunger, and drive to snatch this win from me,” Zayas said about his opponent. “He’s coming off a solid victory in his last fight against another Puerto Rican. I know he’ll come well-prepared, and that’s exactly what we want. We want the best version of Damian Sosa that night, and I think we’ll get it.”
The Puerto Rican pugilist is looking for his sixth win at Madison Square Garden.
“It’s exciting to be heading back to New York,” he said. “Every time, I can feel more of the love and support from the people who want to see me in the city that never sleeps. It’s something special.”
The fight will air live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time.
