Daniel Dubois successfully defended his IBF heavyweight title by delivering a knockout to former two-time world champion Anthony Joshua in the fifth round during a commanding first title defense on Saturday.

Joshua had already been knocked down in both the first and third rounds of what turned out to be a surprisingly lopsided contest at Wembley Stadium, before succumbing face-first to a straight right from Dubois. The referee halted the all-British bout just as Joshua's corner signaled their withdrawal.

Following the fight, Dubois exclaimed, “Are you not entertained?” to a record crowd of 96,000 fans in post-war Britain, marking his first comments after the match.

“This is my time, my redemption story,” Dubois stated, having claimed the IBF title after Oleksandr Usyk vacated it in June. “I won’t stop until I achieve my full potential.”

Entering the ring as the favorite, Joshua aimed to join the ranks of boxing legends like Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis as a three-time heavyweight champion. However, he was outperformed by Dubois, who successfully validated his position as a heavyweight titleholder.

Dubois has now positioned himself to potentially face the winner of the upcoming rematch between WBA, WBC, and WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.

“I’m a gladiator. I’m a warrior to the bitter end,” Dubois said. “I want to go to the top level of this game.”

Despite suffering his fourth defeat in five years, Joshua expressed his determination to continue boxing, with his promoter, Eddie Hearn, indicating a desire to activate the rematch clause.

This defeat was particularly significant, as Joshua was saved by the bell in both the first and third rounds following the knockdowns.

“I had a sharp opponent, a fast opponent,” Joshua said. “A lot of the mistakes were mine.”

From the outset, Dubois displayed confidence, effectively utilizing his right hand and maintaining control until he first knocked Joshua down with an overhead right. 



Although Joshua attempted to show bravado by sticking out his tongue at Dubois as he returned to his corner, it was evident he was hurt as he entered the second round.

His legs gave way after two left punches from Dubois, who held back until the third round to deliver his next powerful strikes.

Once Dubois unleashed his punches, Joshua was sent into the ropes after absorbing a left hook. His legs were unsteady as the referee initiated an eight-count, but he managed to continue.

Joshua seemed confused, swinging erratically and hitting the canvas twice in the fourth round, although both instances were deemed slips.

The fight concluded 59 seconds into the fifth round when Joshua tried to gain the upper hand on Dubois. The champion stunned his opponent with a left hook, followed by a right that knocked Joshua down.

“Credit to him and his team; we fell short,” Joshua remarked.