Anthony Joshua has opened up about his fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois during their heavyweight showdown on Saturday, where Dubois successfully defended his IBF heavyweight title.
The fight, held at Wembley Stadium with a massive crowd of 96,000, saw Dubois deliver a commanding performance. He knocked Joshua down four times before landing a powerful right-hand punch to the chin in the fifth round, sealing the victory.
During the post-fight press conference, Joshua reflected on the defeat, admitting that a series of mistakes throughout the fight led to his downfall.
He explained: “In the first round, I got caught with an overhand right—chin up, no defense—kaboom. From that point, it was a bit of a downward spiral. I tried to turn things around, but it just wasn’t my night.”
Regarding the decisive fifth round, despite initially starting strong, Joshua said: “I caught him with a good shot, and then I tried to press forward. But while I was throwing an uppercut, I got hit with an overhand right.
“The problem was, I wasn’t setting up my shots properly. In a shootout like that, you have to be more precise, like a sniper. But after taking a few hits, it becomes survival mode. I just wanted to finish the fight, and we went toe-to-toe, but he got me.”
Joshua acknowledged the tactical errors that contributed to his loss, attributing the defeat to a failure to maintain composure and precision during critical moments of the fight.
