Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saturday’s highly anticipated heavyweight clash in Riyadh may be facing a significant setback, as reports indicate that IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois has fallen ill and could be forced to withdraw from his title defense against Joseph Parker.

Ariel Helwani first reported that the fight has been called off, while Sky Sports is stating that Dubois is still being evaluated. If Dubois is ultimately unable to compete, Parker is expected to remain on the card against a late replacement opponent.

The potential loss of this bout is another blow to the stacked Riyadh event, which has already seen a major shake-up in the lightweight division. Floyd Schofield withdrew from his scheduled bout against WBC champion Shakur Stevenson, leading to Josh Padley stepping in as a last-minute replacement.

Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) was set to make the first defense of his IBF title, which he officially claimed last September with a knockout victory over Anthony Joshua in a stunning performance at Wembley Stadium. Prior to that, Dubois had won the IBF interim title by stopping Filip Hrgovic three months earlier.

Parker (35-3, 23 KOs), a former WBO heavyweight champion, is currently enjoying arguably the best run of his career. He has secured back-to-back wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang, overcoming two knockdowns in a thrilling majority decision victory against Zhang in his most recent outing.

Meanwhile, Martin Bakole’s manager, Billy Nelson, has indicated that Bakole is ready to fly to Saudi Arabia to step in as a replacement should Dubois officially pull out. Bakole (20-1, 15 KOs) has been in training and would be a formidable substitute, though no official decision has been made.

With just days to go until fight night, the situation remains fluid. An official update is expected soon regarding Dubois’ status and whether Parker will still compete in the event.