Daniel Dubois' IBF world heavyweight title defence against Joseph Parker is in serious doubt after the British champion fell ill just two days before their scheduled bout in Saudi Arabia.
The 27-year-old champion is currently being evaluated by doctors to determine if he will be fit enough to compete on Saturday night.
Organisers are actively seeking a potential replacement fighter in case Dubois is unable to defend his title.
The heavyweight title clash was set to serve as the co-main event in Riyadh, ahead of the highly anticipated light-heavyweight unification rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker is now in serious doubt with organisers scrambling for a replacement
Reuters
The fight card has been widely praised, with The Ring magazine - owned by Saudi adviser Turki Alalshikh - describing it as the "greatest" in boxing history.
The event is part of Riyadh Season's Last Crescendo card, which has already faced disruption due to health concerns.
Dubois will miss Thursday evening's press conference, which was scheduled to be streamed live on the Sky Sports app from 6pm.
The Ring magazine, which first reported the champion's illness, confirmed that organisers are pursuing replacement options should Dubois be unable to compete.
This uncertainty comes at a critical moment, with just 48 hours remaining before the scheduled championship bout.
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This marks the second health-related setback for the Saudi event, following WBC lightweight challenger Floyd Schofield's withdrawal earlier in fight week.
Schofield was removed from his scheduled bout against champion Shakur Stevenson after a medical examination by the British Boxing Board of Control.
Stevenson will now face replacement Josh Padley on the same card, demonstrating organisers' ability to find late substitutes when needed.
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Daniel Dubois has fallen ill just a couple of days before his fight against Joseph Parker
Reuters
Dubois enters this title defence having secured the IBF heavyweight crown in a victory over Anthony Joshua last September.
The British champion's illness now threatens to derail what would have been his first defence of the prestigious belt.
Parker, the 33-year-old New Zealand challenger, awaits news on whether the contest will proceed as planned or if he will face an alternative opponent.
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