One day after his December 21st opponent Kyotaro Fujimoto compared British heavyweight Daniel Dubois to a bear, and unveiled a man in a panda suit as his sparring partner, Dubois has warned that Fujimoto needs to be careful. Referencing his foes taunts, Daniel continued “he might be expecting a panda, but what he’ll get is a grizzly. He says he wants to change his life and make a name for himself. That’s not a problem. On December 21st, I’ll make him famous.”
Dubois, 13-0 with 12 KO’s, has the credentials to do just that and is coming off a first-round stoppage over previously undefeated Ghanaian Ebenezer Tetteh. Danel admitted that he didn’t “fully understand” the reasons behind Fujimoto’s bizarre press conference performance, but later added “it won’t matter once I knock him out.”
Despite planning an assault on a world title in the near future, Daniel is eager to let his Japanese opponent know that he is taking this next fight seriously. He said: “‘I hope he doesn’t think we’re taking this fight lightly. Preparation is key with all these things. We are bringing world class sparring in from America, people i’ve never sparred before.”
But with experts predicting the break-up of the heavyweight belts in 2020, it is hard for talk not to return to world championships.
When pushed on his intentions Dubois insisted: “I’m laser focused, i’m ready for Fujimoto” but did admit that he intended to “use this fight as a stepping stone to rise up the rankings, and set my sights on a world title”
Away from bear chat, Kyotaro was also keen to let the world know that he was willing to channel the spirit of fictional fighter Rocky Balboa to get the win against his heavy-hitting and much younger opponent.
When asked about that quote particularly, Daniel responded: “He thinks he’s going to be Rocky Balboa? if he starts getting hit with the type of shots Rocky got hit with in the films then it’s going to be a short night.”
With tensions continuing to rise between the two fighters, the Copper Box Arena is sure to be nothing less than a bear pit for ‘The Fight Before Christmas’ on December 21st.
