Daniel Dubois vs. Joseph Parker Canceled Due to Illness; Martin Bakole Steps In
Heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois has withdrawn from his IBF title defense against Joseph Parker due to illness, just two days before the fight in Saudi Arabia. The nature of his condition remains undisclosed.
New Zealand’s Parker, 33, will now face Congolese fighter Martin Bakole as a late replacement. Bakole, based in Scotland, has a strong record with just one loss in 22 fights.
Dubois, 27, became IBF world champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt. He last defended it by stopping Anthony Joshua in September. Parker, a former WBO heavyweight champion, has 35 wins and three defeats.
The fight is the co-main event to the undisputed light-heavyweight clash between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. Also on the card, Hamzah Sheeraz challenges Carlos Adames for the WBC middleweight title.
While Bakole is a credible opponent, Dubois’ withdrawal is a major disappointment for British boxing fans. The card remains stacked, with Beterbiev vs. Bivol being the marquee matchup.
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Liverpool | 28 | 20 | 7 | 1 | 66 | 26 | 40 | 67 |
| 2 |  Arsenal | 27 | 15 | 9 | 3 | 51 | 23 | 38 | 54 |
| 3 |  Nottingham Forest | 27 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 44 | 33 | 11 | 48 |
| 4 |  Man City | 27 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 53 | 37 | 16 | 47 |
| 5 |  Chelsea | 27 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 52 | 36 | 16 | 46 |
| 6 |  Newcastle | 27 | 13 | 5 | 9 | 46 | 38 | 8 | 44 |
| 7 |  Bournemouth | 27 | 12 | 7 | 8 | 45 | 32 | 13 | 43 |
| 8 |  Brighton | 27 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 44 | 39 | 5 | 43 |
| 9 |  Fulham | 27 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 40 | 36 | 4 | 42 |
| 10 |  Aston Villa | 28 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 40 | 45 | -5 | 42 |
| 11 |  Brentford | 27 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 48 | 43 | 5 | 38 |
| 12 |  Crystal Palace | 27 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | 33 | 2 | 36 |
| 13 |  Tottenham | 27 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 53 | 39 | 14 | 33 |
| 14 |  Man United | 27 | 9 | 6 | 12 | 33 | 39 | -6 | 33 |
| 15 |  West Ham | 27 | 9 | 6 | 12 | 32 | 47 | -15 | 33 |
| 16 |  Everton | 27 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 30 | 34 | -4 | 32 |
| 17 |  Wolves | 27 | 6 | 4 | 17 | 37 | 56 | -19 | 22 |
| 18 |  Ipswich | 27 | 3 | 8 | 16 | 26 | 57 | -31 | 17 |
| 19 |  Leicester | 27 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 25 | 61 | -36 | 17 |
| 20 |  Southampton | 27 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 19 | 65 | -46 | 9 |