Samoan heavyweight Joseph Parker is set for a high-stakes bout against Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title on February 22 (February 23 in Australia and New Zealand) as part of the Riyadh Season event, in Saudi Arabia.

The former WBO heavyweight champion, who held the title from 2016 to 2018, is aiming to become a two-time world champion.

Parker sees this fight as a crucial step in his career and believes his ring intelligence will be the key to victory.

"I feel like I have better fighting IQ," Parker said, as reported by Sporting News.

"Dubois is very simple but he does the simple things very well. And with those simple things he does, he brings a lot of power."

The fight is expected to be highly competitive, with current Ring, WBC, WBO, WBA, and IBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and his team predicting a close contest.

"My team has made a prediction. 52 percent is for Dubois, 48 percent is Joseph Parker," Usyk said, according to Ring Magazine.

Parker has built strong momentum leading up to this fight, having secured victories over top contenders such as the formidable Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.

His experience and recent performances suggest he remains a serious threat to Dubois' title reign.

"For me, in the beginning of the fight, it's very crucial to be on-point, on my game, be smart, pick the shots and be very aware of what's coming and the pressure that he's going to bring," Parker said.

The winner of the Dubois-Parker bout will likely be in line for a potential showdown with Usyk later this year.

For Parker, this fight represents an opportunity to re-establish himself at the top of the heavyweight division and move closer to an undisputed title fight.