Daniel Dubois stopped Filip Hrgovic on cuts in Round 8 on Saturday to set up a big fight against former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua at London's Wembley Stadium on Sept. 21.
Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), 26, from south London, was getting on top in the fight before the stoppage after 57 seconds into the eighth round when the ringside doctor advised the referee to halt the bout due to cuts over both of Hrgovic's eyes. Hrgovic suffered a sickening cut by the right eye in the second round and was then cut again over his left eye a few rounds later.
Hrgovic (17-1, 14 KOs), 31, from Zagreb, Croatia, had been waiting for a shot at the IBF title for two years, but it is now Dubois who progresses to face English rival Joshua in September when the vacant IBF world heavyweight title could be on the line.
Two-time world champion Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs), 34, was ringside in Saudi Arabia to see the biggest win of Dubois' career that earned him the IBF interim title.
"I was a bit cold to start with, but I heard the advice from the corner," Dubois said. "Once I felt a few shots, I woke up, and I was on it. In the seventh round, I was getting to him, and it was coming together. I'm just so proud of myself for this. I was rock bottom last year, but now I'm on top.
"I've heard Anthony Joshua is next."
Dubois versus Joshua will be the biggest fight in the United Kingdom this year, with the majority of top bouts now being staged in Saudi Arabia. It also will be the biggest fight of Dubois' career, which he has rebuilt following knockout losses to Oleksandr Usyk and Joe Joyce.
Hrgovic versus Dubois was the fourth bout of five in the promoter-versus-promoter contest at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. Going into the final fight between Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang, Frank Warren's Queensberry was assured of victory with an 8-0 lead over Eddie Hearn's Matchroom.
Hrgovic continually landed right hands in an exciting first round that saw both boxers throw power punches.
Dubois, who was stopped by undisputed world heavyweight champion Usyk in the ninth round in August, did not make any adjustments in the second round and continued to get nailed by the right hand.
Hrgovic, who finished Round 2 with a cut by his right eye caused by a punch, landed a lot of punches in a dominant fourth round. Dubois kept coming forward though, and by the halfway point, Hrgovic was looking weary as well as bloody.
Blood from cuts above both eyes streamed down Hrgovic's face, and he lacked the same energy as he did earlier in the fight.
Dubois unloaded some big right hands in a strong seventh round, and his work rate was threatening to overwhelm Hrgovic when the fight was stopped in Round 8.
Sheeraz books world title shot in style
Hamzah Sheeraz secured a middleweight world title shot in style with an 11th-round stoppage win over Austin Williams.
Sheeraz (20-0, 16 KOs), 24, from Ilford, Essex, in England, has now stopped his past 14 opponents after dropping Williams in the 10th round with a right hook then forcing the stoppage with a flurry of punches early in Round 11.
WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames (23-1, 18 KOs) will defend the belt against Terrell Gausha on June 15, and Sheeraz is lying in wait for the winner of that clash at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
"If I'm not ready now for a world title fight, I never will be," Sheeraz said following an impressive performance. "I knew the pace I set for this fight. I'm not normally someone who sets a high pace, but for this one, I had to."
"Ammo" Williams (16-1, 11 KOs), 28, from Houston, made a strong start, but after a few rounds, Sheeraz was into his stride and landing power punches. In Round 6, Williams was caught continually with stiff jabs, and his right eye was beginning to swell shut.
Sheeraz landed more jabs and two short uppercuts in Round 8, and he caught Williams with a right to the jaw in the ninth as the English fighter took control.
At the end of the 10th, Williams was dropped by a sweeping right hook but was saved by the bell. In the 11th, Sheeraz quickly began to tee off on Williams and after landing a series of punches flush, referee Mark Lyson sensibly stepped in to stop the fight after only 45 seconds of the round.