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

Daniel Dubois delivered a stunning performance, retaining his IBF heavyweight title with a fifth-round knockout over former two-time world champion Anthony Joshua. Dubois dominated from the start in front of a record-breaking crowd of 96,000 fans.

Entering the ring first, signalling his rise in the heavyweight division, Dubois immediately took the fight to Joshua. In the opening round, he floored Joshua with a powerful overhead right. Though Joshua got back up, the knockdown set the tone for the rest of the bout.

In the third round, Dubois struck again, sending Joshua through the ropes with a solid left. While Joshua survived the round, Dubois continued to control the action with his aggressive approach and precise power punches.

The fight ended decisively in the fifth round when Dubois landed a devastating right hand, knocking Joshua face-first to the canvas. Unable to beat the count, Joshua suffered his fourth defeat in five fights.

Post-fight, a triumphant Dubois shouted to the crowd, “Are you not entertained?” signalling his arrival as a major contender in the heavyweight division. He expressed readiness to face the winner of the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury rematch, aiming to unify the titles.

For Joshua, the defeat raised questions about his future, though he hinted at continuing his career, possibly eyeing a lucrative fight against Fury in hopes of redemption.