Daniel Dubois lived up to his 'Dynamite' nickname with an explosive fifth-round knockout of Anthony Joshua to retain his IBF heavyweight world title on Saturday night as Riyadh Season made a spectacular debut in London.
The 27-year-old champion dominated the bout from the start in front of 96,000 passionate fans inside Wembley Stadium, dropping the former two-time heavyweight champion multiple times from the first round onwards.
Dubois had spoken of his determination to "legitimise" his reign as IBF champion after being handed the belt that Oleksandr Usyk vacated in June. He produced a destructive display that raises major questions over Joshua's future, though Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn said he expected his fighter would pursue a rematch.
Despite holding the belt, Dubois was viewed as the underdog and made his entrance to the ring first – a clear sign that it was Joshua who was the A-side. However, he went after his celebrated rival from the start and was rewarded as his big shots wobbled the former unified world champion time and again.
In an action-packed fifth round of the breathless clash, Dubois landed the decisive blow, having come through worrying moments himself as Joshua finally found his range.
"Are you not entertained?" he said, speaking to DAZN after the biggest win of his 24-fight career. "It's been a journey and I'm grateful to be in this position. I'm a gladiator, I'm a warrior until the bitter end. I want to get to the top of this sport and reach my full potential."
Oasis's Liam Gallagher fired up the expectant crowd with a live set of three songs before fireworks exploded over Wembley.
The British rivals locked horns in a dramatic opening round that ended with Joshua being saved by the bell after he was floored by a savage overhand right.
Joshua, four pounds (1.8kg) heavier than his younger opponent, was in full survival mode in round two and in the following round, Dubois had him down again, a left hook causing his legs to buckle.
A standing eight count was followed by the bell and as the fourth round got underway Joshua was floored for the third time, although he protested that it was not a legitimate knockdown.
In a dramatic fifth round, Dubois was momentarily stunned by two right hands, and just as Joshua looked to pile on the pressure, the 34-year-old was caught by successive right hands himself and he was down again, this time unable to beat the count.
Both fighters entered the ring intent on earning a shot at becoming undisputed world champion against Tyson Fury or Usyk, who became boxing's first four-belt undisputed heavyweight champion in May when he beat Fury, simultaneously holding the IBF title along with the WBO, WBC and WBA belts.
The Ukrainian agreed to a rematch with Fury rather than facing mandatory IBF challenger Dubois, who had won the interim IBF title in June and was elevated to world champion status when Usyk vacated the belt.
Joshua was hoping to join an elite group including Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield as a three-time heavyweight champion.
Defeat to Andy Ruiz in 2019 and two losses at the hands of Usyk left his career on the brink. He then won four straight fights and was aiming to return to the division's top table.
Joshua hinted he would stay in the sport but he will have to do some soul-searching after the devastating loss at Wembley – a fourth defeat in 32 fights.
"We came up short as a team," he said. "You know I'm ready to kick off in the ring but I'm going to keep it respectful. Before I came here, I always say to myself I'm a fighter for life. You keep rolling the dice. I had a fast and sharp opponent, a lot of mistakes from my end."
And Hearn said he was "sure" his man would target a rematch. "I think that's a given," he said. "But he'll need a rest and it's a dangerous fight. This guy's growing in confidence all the time."
Sheeraz blasts out Denny to complete undercard
In the co-main event, Hamzah Sheeraz blasted out Tyler Denny inside two rounds to become the European middleweight champion and take a step closer to a world title shot.
Sheeraz sent Denny to the canvas in the opening round, and with the 33-year-old never fully recovering, struck again in the second before the referee stepped in and waved off the bout for his 21st victory.
Joshua Buatsi also took a significant step towards his own world title opportunity after defeating Willy Hutchinson to claim the WBO's light-heavyweight interim belt.
A close and competitive first half of the bout saw Buatsi eventually take control, sending Hutchinson to the deck in the sixth round and again in the ninth, although remarkably one judge still scored it 113-112 in the Scot's favour.
Buatsi earned wider scores of 117-108 and 115-110 from the other two judges to claim the split-decision victory to put himself in a position to challenge the 175-pound division's undisputed champion once Artur Beterbiev and Dimitrii Bivol fight for all the belts in Riyadh on October 12.
Anthony Cacace retained his IBF and IBO super-featherweight world titles with a wide points victory over former featherweight champion Josh Warrington, who indicated his retirement by placing his gloves on the centre of the ring.
Elsewhere, Josh Kelly weathered a late storm before claiming a majority-decision win over late replacement Ishmael Davis in a middleweight bout, while Mark Chamberlain suffered a surprise points loss to Josh Padley in the opening lightweight fight.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Overview
What: The Arab Women’s Sports Tournament is a biennial multisport event exclusively for Arab women athletes.
When: From Sunday, February 2, to Wednesday, February 12.
Where: At 13 different centres across Sharjah.
Disciplines: Athletics, archery, basketball, fencing, Karate, table tennis, shooting (rifle and pistol), show jumping and volleyball.
Participating countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Qatar and UAE.
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'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
Joe Root's Test record
Tests: 53; Innings: 98; Not outs: 11; Runs: 4,594; Best score: 254; Average: 52.80; 100s: 11; 50s: 27
Thor: Ragnarok
Dir: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Four stars
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Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.
Stat of the day - 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.
The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227 for four at the close.
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Fitness problems in men's tennis
Andy Murray - hip
Novak Djokovic - elbow
Roger Federer - back
Stan Wawrinka - knee
Kei Nishikori - wrist
Marin Cilic - adductor
Scores
Scotland 54-17 Fiji
England 15-16 New Zealand
Fringe@Four Line-up
October 1 - Phil Nichol (stand-up comedy)
October 29 - Mandy Knight (stand-up comedy)
November 5 - Sinatra Raw (Fringe theatre)
November 8 - Imah Dumagay & Sundeep Fernandes (stand-up comedy)
November 13 - Gordon Southern (stand-up comedy)
November 22 - In Loyal Company (Fringe theatre)
November 29 - Peter Searles (comedy / theatre)
December 5 - Sinatra’s Christmas Under The Stars (music / dinner show)
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp
Torque: 240Nm
Price: From Dh89,000 (Enjoy), Dh99,900 (Innovation)
On sale: Now
The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
MO
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Get inspired
Here are a couple of Valentine’s Day food products that may or may not go the distance (but have got the internet talking anyway).
Sourdough sentiments: Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom has introduced a slow-baked sourdough loaf dusted with flour to spell out I (heart) you, at £2 (Dh9.5). While it’s not available in the UAE, there’s nothing to stop you taking the idea and creating your own message of love, stencilled on breakfast-inbed toast.
Crisps playing cupid: Crisp company Tyrells has added a spicy addition to its range for Valentine’s Day. The brand describes the new honey and chilli flavour on Twitter as: “A tenderly bracing duo of the tantalising tingle of chilli with sweet and sticky honey. A helping hand to get your heart racing.” Again, not on sale here, but if you’re tempted you could certainly fashion your own flavour mix (spicy Cheetos and caramel popcorn, anyone?).
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
RESULTS
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ) by decision.
Women’s bantamweight
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) beat Cornelia Holm (SWE) by unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Omar Hussein (PAL) beat Vitalii Stoian (UKR) by unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) beat Ali Dyusenov (UZB) by unanimous decision.
Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) beat Delfin Nawen (PHI) TKO round-3.
Catchweight 80kg
Seb Eubank (GBR) beat Emad Hanbali (SYR) KO round 1.
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Ramadan Noaman (EGY) TKO round 2.
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) beat Reydon Romero (PHI) submission 1.
Welterweight
Juho Valamaa (FIN) beat Ahmed Labban (LEB) by unanimous decision.
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) beat Austin Arnett (USA) by unanimous decision.
Super heavyweight
Maciej Sosnowski (POL) beat Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) by submission round 1.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Ashes 2019 schedule
August 1-5: First Test, Edgbaston
August 14-18: Second Test, Lord's
August 22-26: Third Test, Headingley
September 4-8: Fourth Test, Old Trafford
September 12-16: Fifth Test, Oval
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
