Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois will fight for the IBF heavyweight world title in a huge boxing clash at Wembley tonight.
Dubois currently holds the belt, but this is his first bout as a world champion. He was elevated to the position in June after Oleksandr Usyk vacated his title as a “gift” to two British fighters he had already won against, so he chose to fight a rematch with Tyson Fury rather than fulfill his mandatory commitments.
However, Joshua, who will be fighting at Wembley for the first time in six years and is on track to become a three-time world champion, enters this highly anticipated clash as the favourite.
The 34-year-old appears to have regained his full confidence both in and out of the ring after being stunned by Andy Ruiz in 2019 and then losing twice to Usyk, and now Joshua has the opportunity to once again win the IBF world title and take a big step towards an undisputed title.
Usyk’s rebuilding process since those defeats has been impressive and increasingly convincing, starting with victories over Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius, followed by brutal dismantling of Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.
Joshua will face a Briton for the first time since beating Dillian Whyte in 2015, with Dubois on the other side of the ring. The fight is expected to be a packed crowd of 96,000 and a packed atmosphere.
Dubois also lost to Usyk in controversial circumstances last year, but bounced back with wins over Jarrell Miller and most recently Filip Hrgovic for the IBF interim title. Both were punishing encounters, but he answered any questions about his heart in those two tough performances.
The 27-year-old will defend his full title for the first time against Joshua, with the winner set to face either Usyk or Fury for all of the heavyweight belts next year.
Joshua vs Dubois date, start time, venue and ring walks
The Riyadh Season event will take place tonight, Saturday, September 21, 2024, at Wembley Stadium in London.
The card is scheduled to begin around 4:00 PM ET, with ring walks for the main event likely to occur around 11:00 PM, depending on the length of matches earlier in the night.
How to watch Joshua vs Dubois
TV channel and live broadcast: The fight between Joshua and Dubois will be broadcast live in the UK on DAZN’s pay-per-view service Sky Sports Box Office and TNT Sports Box Office.
DAZN has announced that the pass can be purchased for £19.99, which includes a seven-day free trial to the platform.
Sky Sports charges £19.95 where coverage starts at 4pm, while on TNT Sports coverage starts at 4pm which will cost £19.99.
Live blog: You will be able to follow the entire card live Standard Sports Fight Blog.
Joshua vs Dubois fight card/undercard in full
Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois
Tyler Denny and Hamzah Sheeraz
Anthony Cacace and Josh Warrington
Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson
Josh Kelly and Ishmael Davis
Mark Chamberlain and Josh Padley
Joshua vs Dubois fight reward
No official announcement has been made yet regarding the fight reward.
Dubois is said to receive a guaranteed salary of £3.5million, while Joshua is set to earn £6million.
These numbers are likely to increase significantly for both fighters depending on pay-per-view sales.
Joshua vs Dubois prediction
Joshua has won four straight fights since his two defeats against Usyk and has looked impressive doing so, with trainer Ben Davison having a positive influence on his return to a more aggressive style.
While Francis Ngannou and Otto Wallin may have been sidelined, this is a step forward and Dubois’s power will test Joshua’s renewed confidence and how much he is willing to risk to assert himself and take charge.
Dubois, meanwhile, will have to deal with what could be the biggest fight of his career. He performed well against Usyk but failed to capitalise on the below-the-belt punch controversy, and he performed well against Hrgovic but took a lot of punishment in both matches and he certainly can’t afford that here.
The history books say an explosive fight is on the cards, with Dubois having won just one of his professional bouts on points and Joshua having won just one 12-rounder since 2019. He has shown recently that he is at his best when he uses his natural strength to finish the job early.
It makes for an intriguing fight, but Joshua has the edge in experience and looks like a new man under Davison. He could get the job done here and pave the way for a mega-fight with Fury or even a third fight against Usyk in 2025.
Joshua won by knockout in the eighth round.
Joshua and Dubois weigh in
The fighters weighed the scales in Trafalgar Square on Friday evening.
Dubois weighed in at the heaviest weight of his career at 248.6 pounds, while Joshua was a slightly bigger man at 252.5 pounds.
Joshua vs Dubois betting odds
Joshua to win: 3/10
Dubois to win: 3/1
Draw: 20/1
Joshua to win by knockout or TKO: 1/2
Joshua to win on points: 11/2
Dubois to win by knockout or TKO: 9/2
Dubois to win on points: 12/1
Odds are from Betfred (subject to change).