Frank Warren, promoter of IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois, expects a very tough bout when his boxer defends the title next month against former beltholder Joseph Parker.

Their contest takes place as part of a big Riyadh Season event on February 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Back in 2023, Dubois was stopped in nine rounds when he challenged Usyk for the world titles.

The winner will likely get a crack at Usyk before the end of the year.

"I believe in [Dubois] that's why we made the fight but anything can happen with these big guys. They're big lumps. They throw bombs, the pair of them," Warren told Sky Sports.

"It's not like Parker's a novice. He's been there, done it, been a world champion. He's on a roll at the moment. You see he's got a fighter's heart in that fight with [Zhilei] Zhang. He was on the floor twice that fight, still gritted his teeth and came through."

There was a controversial moment in Dubois' bout with Usyk, when the Ukrainian was dropped hard to the mat. Warren and Dubois believe Usyk was decked by a legit body shot, but the referee disagreed and ruled it as a low blow. Usyk was given several minutes to recover and eventually stopped Dubois.

"I genuinely still believe he would have beaten Usyk if it weren't for what was going on in his head at the time with the referee," Warren said, "All that four-minute break. He would have jumped on him. Was it a low blow? I don't think it was a low blow, some people think it was. But the bottom line of it is four minutes when he [Usyk] wanted to fight himself and the referee said take more time.

Since that loss, Dubois has racked up three big wins - with stoppages of Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua.

"90 percent of it is mental. It's took time. He's had a couple of hiccups on the way but you look at the fights he's had and what he's done - he's learned. He's a very young guy. He's matured mentally, which is really important. He's got the skills. He's comfortable with [trainer] Don Charles, who's done a brilliant job with him and this is his time," Warren said.