Nigerian-born UFC star, Israel Adesanya, has placed a $10,000 stake on two-time former unified world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, in his IBF heavyweight title fight against Daniel Dubois.
The title fight is scheduled for September 21, 2024, at the Wembley Stadium, England.
The highly anticipated all-British clash will see 96,000 fans create an electric atmosphere at the venue familiar to Joshua but a new territory for Dubois.
This will be Dubois’ first fight at England’s national stadium, adding to the pressure on him and his team, led by trainer Don Charles.
In an Instagram post on Friday, Adesanya shared a picture of his stake placed on September 17, 2024, with the inscriptions, “Dubois, Daniel – Joshua, Anthony.”
Adesanya’s bet showed that he picked Joshua as the winner, to win between the 10th and 12th rounds, with an estimated payout of $50,000.
However, Dubois had boldly declared his intention to knock out Joshua.
The 26-year-old Briton, who brands himself as “a good destroyer,” is confident he can deliver only the second knockout defeat of Joshua’s professional career.
“I aim to knock him out. That’s the programme. That’s the mindset; that’s the intention coming into this fight,” Dubois told Sky Sports.
“I’m going to focus my whole life on destroying him and just being a good destroyer, a good conqueror. Don’t wait. Go out there. Smash him.”
Joshua, 33, is coming off four straight wins, including a knockout victory over former UFC champion Francis Ngannou.