Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois fight prediction, start time, odds, pre-fight, preview, expert tip

Anthony Joshua goes into Saturday's fight with IBF champion Daniel Dubois for a chance to become a three-time heavyweight world champion. The two meet in the main event of a pay-per-view broadcast at Wembley Stadium in London.

After winning the IBF interim title in his last fight, an eighth-round TKO win over Filip Hrgovic, Dubois was elevated to full-fledged champion when the IBF stripped then-undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk of his title for going through with his contractually mandated rematch against Tyson Fury rather than fulfilling his obligation to face a mandatory challenger. Because of this, many fans might view the fight with Joshua as little more than a title on paper, with Usyk being the true king of the heavyweight division.

The real prize for Dubois and Joshua could be securing a position to challenge the winner of Usyk vs. Fury II in an undisputed title fight. Both men have lost to Usyk, with Dubois suffering a TKO loss in August 2023 and Joshua losing three world titles to Usyk in September 2021 and then losing the rematch the following August.

Both men have revived their careers after losing attempts against Usyk. Joshua won a lackluster points victory over Jermaine Franklin Jr. before stopping Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and most recently former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. That puts him in position to challenge Dubois, who scored a late stoppage of Jarrell Miller before his impressive win over Hrgovic.

“Everything is going well, I'm ready to fight. Let's go,” said Dubois at the final press conference. “This is a resurrection story of my career, I'm on a roll right now. I want to take on the biggest challenges to make a name for myself and make history. I don't have much to say at the moment, I'm just ready to go on Saturday. I can't wait.”

Given their history against Usyk, possession of a world title is probably the only incentive for another attempt to beat the champion, assuming Usyk defeats Fury in the rematch. Should Fury win, the door would be opened for a British mega-fight featuring the winner of Dubois vs. Joshua, with either man a new opponent for Fury and plenty of bitter history to draw on should Joshua be the winner.

Joshua showed a renewed nastiness during his recent performance and promised to bring that sharpness into the ring on Saturday.

“I just want to put on one of the most overwhelming and dominant performances of my career. That's what I want to achieve,” Joshua told Sky Sports. “Show dominance, be dominant and aggressive. Impose my physical and mental abilities on my opponent. I think that's what will mean more to me than anything else… that my trainer will come back to me and say, 'This is what you're supposed to look like when you box.'”

The preliminary bouts are a little light given the names that have filled out other preliminary bouts recently, but there are still plenty to keep an eye on. The co-main event features a middleweight bout for a secondary title, pitting Hamzah Sheeraz against Tyler Denny. Joshua Buatsi also takes on Willy Hutchinson for the WBO interim light heavyweight title. And experienced former champion Josh Warrington is back in a title fight against rising challenger Anthony Cacace for the IBO junior lightweight crown.

Joshua vs. Dubois fight card, odds

• Anthony Joshua -425 vs. Daniel Dubois (c) +320, IBF Heavyweight Championship
• Hamzah Sheeraz -1000 vs. Tyler Denny +600, Middleweight
• Anthony Cacace -235 vs. Josh Warrington +185, Junior Lightweights
• Joshua Buatsi -270 vs. Willy Hutchinson +215, Light Heavyweights
• Josh Kelly -200 vs. Ishmael Davis +160, Middleweight
• Mark Chamberlain -1400 vs. Josh Padley +800, Lightweights

Where can you watch Joshua vs Dubois?

• When: Saturday at 11 a.m. ET (main card, main event approx. 5 p.m. ET)
• Where: Wembley Stadium – London
• TV: DAZN PPV ($19.99)

forecast

In heavyweight fights, there is always the possibility that either man can get his hand raised after a single punch. Dubois is perfectly capable of defeating Joshua, especially considering Joshua occasionally puts in an uninspiring performance. One of those performances was when Joshua was surprisingly knocked out by huge underdog Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019. Dubois is a better fighter than Ruiz, making him a true underdog.

However, when Joshua is on form, he is a patient killer who works behind a jab and uses his 6'7″ reach until he creates openings for powerful punches. The power in each of Joshua's punches was evident against Ngannou, who was melted by Joshua's right hand.

When you combine Joshua's best qualities with Dubois' tendency to keep himself open on the defensive, it's easy to see why Joshua is the favorite going into this fight. Dubois was caught by far too many of Hrgovic's power punches in his win, and Hrgovic doesn't have the same power in his hands as Joshua.

Dubois will have to put up a near-perfect fight unless Joshua is out of shape. And there's no reason to believe Dubois is good enough defensively to avoid Joshua's fire. Selection: Anthony Joshua via KO5

Who will win Daniel Dubois vs. Anthony Joshua and how exactly will the fight end? Visit SportsLine now for detailed picks and analysis from the unparalleled expert who has won more than $4,000 in the last 67 picks on $100 bets and find out.