Daniel Dubois KOs drug cheat Jarrell Miller in heavyweight slugfest

23 December 2023 , 19:51

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Daniel Dubois and Jarrell Miller (Image: Getty Images)

Daniel Dubois stopped drug cheat Jarrell Miller in the dying seconds of their heavyweight brawl.

Dubois was attempting to spark another run towards a world title shot having been stopped by Oleksandr Usyk in August. Miller, meanwhile, had secured his biggest fight since he was forced out of a clash with Anthony Joshua in 2018 after failing multiple drugs tests.

Miller scaled 333lb at Friday's weigh-in and attempted to use his size to smother Dubois and take the Brit into deep water. But it was Dubois who improved as the fight went on, dominating the latter stages before securing a deserved stoppage with eight seconds left on the clock.

Daniel Dubois celebrates his win (Getty Images)

Dubois said: "It really mattered tonight. I had to dig deep; he came for war and it was a great fight, I'm glad I came through it and I showed my heart. I'm learning new things every day and I'm just glad I came through it, this was an important fight for me. I had to prove myself I could be a real fighter and a champion and I silenced the doubters tonight."

Miller was content to soak up the pressure from Dubois from the opening bell as he marched down his British opponent. Dubois struggled to penetrate the New Yorker's guard but did make inroads in the second session when a jab momentarily stopped Miller in his tracks before coming under pressure in the final seconds as Miller connected with his right hand.

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The rivals began the third round by trading in the centre of the ring but it was Dubois who landed the better shots as the session progressed, even if it was Miller who was applying the pressure. Dubois began to control the next stanza with his jab but Miller ended it the stronger as he found the gaps in the Brit's defence.

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Dubois asserted himself in the fifth round as he continued to land the better shots, even if Miller shrugged them off and continued to plod forward. Miller's inactivity appeared to be catching up with him as the bout entered the second half.

Dubois continued to have the better of the exchanges as an exhausted Miller looked set to wilt down the stretch. And Dubois began to put his combinations together in the eighth round as he sensed a finish and continued to dominate in the penultimate session.

Miller needed a knockout to win heading into the 10th and final round and Dubois wasn't content to see out the fight, taking it to the American until an onslaught in the final seconds forced the referee to step in.

Martin Domin