Daniel Dubois has withdrawn from his IBF heavyweight world title defense against Joseph Parker due to illness The 27-year-old was forced to pull out just two days before the highly anticipated fight in Saudi Arabia after being assessed by doctors in Riyadh, who ruled him unfit to compete.
As a result, Parker will now face Congolese heavyweight Martin Bakole on Saturday in the co-main event, ahead of Artur Beterbiev’s rematch with Dmitry Bivol.
With Dubois sidelined, Parker loses the chance to fight for a world title, as Bakole steps in on extremely short notice. The 31-year-old received the call while back home in Congo and has agreed to replace Dubois with just two days’ preparation.
Based in Scotland, Bakole had been enjoying a break in his homeland before accepting the challenge. Now, he’s making a last-minute dash to Riyadh, covering nearly 3,000 miles to step into the ring – where he is expected to be well compensated for his efforts.
However, how much will it cost Dubois?
From the expense of a lengthy training camp, dieticians, physio sessions, losses from sponsorship and pay-per-view money, the decision to pull out cannot have been an easy one for the London-native. Data experts at CasinoHawks have carefully estimated just how much Dubois could potentially lose from withdrawing from his first official defence as champion.
Here’s a breakdown of the financial hit he might have taken:
Lost Fight Purse & PPV Revenue
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Guaranteed Purse: £2.5 million
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PPV Share (60%): Estimated at $4 million based on 850k buys
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Total Estimated Earnings Lost: $6.5 million
Training Camp Costs
A world-class heavyweight training camp typically runs for 8-12 weeks and can cost anywhere from £200,000 to £400,000, factoring in:
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Coaches & Trainers: £80,000+ (head coach, assistant trainers, strength & conditioning, nutritionist)
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Sparring Partners: £40,000+ (high-level heavyweights brought in for training)
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Travel & Accommodation: £40,000+ (if camp is held abroad)
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Other Expenses: £40,000+ (supplements, recovery, logistics, management fees)
A fair estimate would be £250,000 to £400,000 spent on this camp, all of which is a sunk cost.
Sponsorship & Future Negotiations
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Sponsors like Adidas, Boxraw, 32Red, and Footasylum may have structured deals around fight-week exposure and TV appearances, meaning Dubois could miss out on six-figure bonuses or activation incentives.
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Future fight negotiations may take a hit if promoters and sponsors see him as a higher-risk investment.
Total Financial Loss
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Lost Earnings: £6.5 million
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Training Camp Costs: £250,000 to £400,000
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Potential Sponsorship Losses & Future Impact: £500,000 (estimated)
Estimated total loss: £8 million – £9.5 million
