Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker rumoured for January 30 in either London or Manchester

Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker could be due to fight for the first time... again

Dubois won and defended the WBO World heavyweight title in 2026

The reigning WBO World heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois (24-3, 23 KOs) could be set to defend his belt to voluntary challenger Joseph Parker (36-4, 24 KOs) on January 30, 2027 in either London (O2 Arena) or Manchester (Co-op Live), it's been rumoured.

The sources have reliably told both The Ring and ESPN.

Dubois vs Parker

Dubois is 29 and widely regarded as the best British heavyweight following his two KO wins over Wardley during 2026.

Likeable New Zealander Parker, 34, has been cleared to fight again after a suspension has now been lifted, after he was found with cocaine in his system following his 11th round stoppage loss to Fabio Wardley in October 2025.

When Dubois stopped Anthony Joshua in September 2024 to claim the IBF world title, AJ opted out of the rematch which was due to take place in February 2025.

This was due to injuries and insufficient time to prepare, so long-term promoter Frank Warren revealed that Dubois would be making a defence of his IBF belt in February regardless, with Joseph Parker winning the lottery ticket. However, disaster struck when Dubois fell ill on fight week causing the contest to be cancelled just days before.

Now there is a chance to resurrect the fight, but the landscape would have shifted dramatically after Dubois comes into the potential contest off the back of two world title wins, while Parker will have been 15 months inactive and two years without a win by the time fight night rolls around. The Kiwi's last loss comes from the man that Dubois has now knocked out twice.

However, Parker is desperate to become a world champion again after almost 10 years on from losing his WBO world heavyweight title.

Drugs-test controversy

On 14 November 2025, it was reported that Parker tested positive for cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine on the day of his fight with Fabio Wardley.

The test was conducted by VADA, and the details were forwarded to UKAD and the BBBofC for further action concerning doping violations. Although cocaine is not classified as a performance-enhancing drug, Parker could potentially face a two-year suspension. The reports also suggested that Parker would have taken the drug during fight week.

Parker denied taking any prohibited substances and claimed he does not use performance-enhancing drugs. He was surprised at the adverse result and was cooperating with the ongoing investigation, confident it will clear his name.

His manager, Spencer Brown, was not happy with how long it was taking for the case to be resolved and asked for faster drug-testing procedures to prevent boxers from being inactive for too long.

In August 2026, Parker stated that he was "pleased to confirm" that his suspension had been lifted and that he would be "back in the ring soon". The BBBofC confirmed lifting of the suspension but declined to comment further while the details of the case were being finalised. A statement was later released by UKAD, who confirmed that Parker had completed a three-month ban and was able to resume his career.

During the investigation, Parker submitted evidence relating to a nutritionist employed during his training camp, who admitted to regular cocaine use. An independent expert concluded that Parker's ingestion of cocaine had most likely occurred out of competition, and UKAD determined that any use was "in a context unrelated to sports performance".

His manager David Higgins argued that Parker remained "at the peak of his powers". Parker is now a free agent.