JOSEPH PARKER has seemingly revealed his doubts over the illness that scuppered his showdown with Daniel Dubois. The Kiwi was set to challenge Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title last Saturday on a stacked Saudi Arabia show. But Parker's bid to become a two-time heavyweight champion was derailed just days before the Riyadh rumble when defending champion Dubois was struck down by a viral infection.
![[Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker face off at a press conference.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/l-goes-head-head-joseph-963534577_163161.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Dubois has yet to break his silence on his withdrawal from the fight, which Parker still can't quite fathom. During an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, he said: ''It feels weird because [Daniel Dubois] was at the public workout and then, just like that, he got real ill.
![[Daniel Dubois training for his IBF World Heavyweight Title fight.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/daniel-dubois-trains-ahead-ibf-973366403.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
"And there was no real statement. There's no real proof or doctors. There's nothing. "It feels a bit weird. It feels a bit strange that during that time that [Oleksandr] Usyk started calling out Dubois saying he wants him next.". Congolese clubber Martin Bakole was drafted in on just a few days' notice to take on former WBO titleholder Parker.
![[Joseph Parker defeated Martin Bakole via 2nd-round TKO. Bakole replaced Daniel Dubois on Thursday.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/x-com-arielhelwani-status-1894850072938193123-975601696.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Parker made light work of his short-notice opponent, keeping his title hopes of straightener with Dubois alive with a second-round stoppage. Dubois is still dealing with the effects of the infection, with his dad Stanley telling talkSPORT: "He's on the mend, his glands are still very swollen.
![[Daniel Dubois posing for cameras.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/britains-daniel-dubois-poses-cameras-973622911_87f0e5.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS. "And as a result, he has a fever and is very tired, so he is just going through that at the moment. "It was the doctors that made the decision for him not to fight. Even though he felt well and wanted to do the fight. "The doctors said he would do three rounds and get tired. Daniel wanted to fight, he was really upset.
"The journey home was a bit sad, I felt sad for the team. It's not a good feeling, it is out of your control really.". When pressed about his son's next opponent, Stanley said: That is down to Frank Warren really. "We will have a sit down with him and see where we will go from there really.
