Daniel Dubois Knocks Out Anthony Joshua in Fifth Round to Retain IBF Heavyweight Title

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LONDON — Daniel Dubois retained his IBF heavyweight title in dominant fashion, knocking out former two-time world champion Anthony Joshua in the fifth round at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

In a one-sided bout, Dubois floored Joshua in the first and third rounds before delivering a decisive right hand that sent his opponent crashing face-first to the canvas, prompting the referee to wave off the fight as Joshua’s corner threw in the towel.

Dubois, ecstatic after his first title defense, addressed the crowd of 96,000 fans—Britain’s largest post-war boxing audience—shouting, “Are you not entertained?” He added, “This is my time, my redemption story. I’m not going to stop until I reach my full potential.”

Dubois claimed the IBF title in June after it was vacated by Oleksandr Usyk and has now solidified his status as a legitimate heavyweight champion. The 26-year-old’s victory sets him up for potential future showdowns, including a possible fight against the winner of the upcoming rematch between Usyk and WBC, WBO, and WBA champion Tyson Fury.

Joshua, who had hoped to join the ranks of boxing legends like Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis by becoming a three-time heavyweight champion, entered the bout as the favorite but was outclassed from the start. Dubois quickly established dominance, landing a series of powerful right hands that kept Joshua off balance. Joshua was knocked down in the first and third rounds and appeared dazed throughout the fight.

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

Despite the devastating loss, Joshua, who has now suffered four defeats in the past five years, vowed to continue his boxing career. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, confirmed that Joshua plans to exercise the rematch clause in his contract.

The fight was Dubois’ moment of redemption, as he continued to land powerful shots from the opening bell. His first major blow came in the opening round when he knocked Joshua down with an overhead right. Although Joshua tried to maintain composure, his legs buckled in the second round after two left hooks from Dubois.

The third round saw more punishment for Joshua, who was knocked into the ropes after another flurry of punches from Dubois. Despite his legs wobbling, he survived the round but struggled to regain his footing.

Joshua appeared disoriented in the fourth round, swinging wildly and falling to the canvas twice, though both incidents were ruled as slips. The fight came to a decisive end 59 seconds into the fifth round when Dubois caught Joshua with a left hook followed by a powerful right hand that ended the bout.

“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.”

Joshua graciously accepted defeat, saying, “Credit to him and his team, we came up short.”