Daniel Dubois world title fight: Joseph Parker is preferred opponent to face heavyweight champion

Joseph Parker is the preferred opponent to challenge Daniel Dubois for the IBF world heavyweight title in February.

Dubois retained his world title with a stunning fifth-round knockout win over Anthony Joshua at Wembley in September and a number of opponents are being considered for a title defence in early 2025.

Joshua will not pursue an immediate rematch as the scheduled date does not fit into his plans for next year, but WBO interim champion Parker has emerged as the leading candidate to share the ring with Dubois.

The New Zealander has propelled himself back into world title contention with impressive wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang after a stoppage loss to Joe Joyce.

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Parker is not listed in the IBF top 15 and the governing body would still need to give the 32-year-old the green light to become a challenger for their champion Dubois.

When asked about Parker, Dubois' promoter Frank Warren told Sky Sports last month: "It's got to be sensible and certainly for him fighting Daniel he fits the criteria. He's re-established himself after Joe Joyce in a big way."

Zhang and Martin Bakole have also welcomed the opportunity to fight Dubois, while Fabio Wardley had been linked with a world title shot after his first-round knockout of Frazer Clarke.

(c) Sky Sports 2024: Daniel Dubois world title fight: Joseph Parker is preferred opponent to face heavyweight champion