Why did Daniel Dubois pull out of the fight against Joseph Parker? Watch the latter's reaction to the news and late-notice replacement Martin Bakole

Daniel Dubois' pullout from his highly anticipated clash with Joseph Parker has left the boxing world stunned. It marked the second championship bout to be jeopardized by illness on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 card.

However, what exactly forced Dubois to withdraw from his heavyweight title fight with Parker? Moreover, what are the terms of Parker's new matchup against the short-notice Martin Bakole? It's been a chaotic last few days for this weekend's marquee boxing event.

Unfortunately, it's impacted two key bouts on the card, with the only silver lining being that the main event remains unblemished.

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Why did Daniel Dubois pull out of his fight against Joseph Parker?

Unfortunately, details on the illness that forced Daniel Dubois to withdraw from his IBF heavyweight title defense against Joseph Parker are scarce. All that is known is that he had contracted an illness serious enough that he was left in no condition to compete.

When asked for his thoughts on the matter, Parker said the following:

"Things happen in life, not just boxing, in life. You gotta adapt, you gotta adjust and you gotta go forward, no matter what what. So, I want to go forward and hopefully he recovers and gets better soon."

Check out Joseph Parker's thoughts on Daniel Dubois' withdrawal (0:20):

It is a deflating turn of events for Dubois, who was riding a wave of momentum after annihilating the great Anthony Joshua in just five rounds, defending his IBF heavyweight title and extending his win streak to three consecutive victories.

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Joseph Parker will now defend his interim WBO heavyweight title against Martin Bakole

Instead of Daniel Dubois, Joseph Parker will now face the fearsome Martin Bakole, who steps in on very short notice for a bout now being billed as an interim WBO heavyweight title defense for Parker. Bakole will enter the ring as one of the most avoided fighters in the division.

Bakole only is he massive, embodying the typical 'destroyer' archetype with brutish strength and otherworldly toughness, but he is also blessed with tremendous punching power. His 21-1 record features 16 stoppages, including a recent fifth-round knockout of Jared Anderson, whose undefeated record he took.