Daniel Dubois has pulled himself out of an IBF final eliminator with Frank Sanchez, and the timing turned heads. Boxingtalk broke the news, reporting that Dubois “has withdrawn his name from consideration for an IBF final eliminator against Frank Sanchez.” This landed just hours before the IBF was set to run the official purse bid.
Dubois was only invited in after Efe Ajagba backed out, giving him a fast track back toward a belt he once held before losing to Oleksandr Usyk. Instead of taking that route, he stepped aside at the last moment — which usually means the team sees either a better financial plan or a cleaner stylistic road elsewhere.
What Happens Now?
With Dubois out, the IBF’s next pairing becomes Frank Sanchez vs Jared Anderson. That’s a sharp turn. Sanchez is the type of technician who gives punchers nightmares, and Anderson is the young American the IBF hopes can climb fast if he truly has the talent everyone’s been talking about.
Dubois’ withdrawal doesn’t kill his comeback, but it absolutely changes the landscape. Sanchez vs Anderson is the new road to the IBF shot, and that’s a tougher, more interesting fight than the one Dubois just walked away from.