Polish Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk knocked out Daniel Dubois in the ninth round of his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight title defense in Wroclaw on August 26.
Usyk quickly took control of the fight, combining a variety of strikes to completely dominate. CompuBox statistics show this, with the Ukrainian champion throwing 359 punches, 88 of which landed – a 24.5% success rate. Dubois threw 290 punches, with 47 landing, a mere 16.2% success rate. Usyk landed 206 jabs, 52 of which landed, a 25.2% success rate. In contrast, Dubois's jab success rate was only 10.3%, with 13 jabs landing out of 126. Furthermore, Usyk landed 36 heavy punches, a 23.5% success rate, compared to 34 and 20.7% for his opponent.
Usyk (white shorts, white gloves) after landing a blow to Dubois' head in the Wroclaw ring, Poland, on August 26. Photo: Reuters .
Usyk knocked Dubois down once in the eighth round, but it wasn't until the ninth round, with a right-hand punch, that the Ukrainian fighter sent his British opponent crashing to the canvas. Dubois was unable to get up before the referee counted to 10, and this allowed Usyk to defend his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles for the second consecutive time. In September 2021, he won these titles from British boxer Anthony Joshua and then won the rematch in August 2022 to defend his title.
But Usyk's victory was highly controversial. In the fifth round, Dubois landed a punch to the groin, causing the Ukrainian champion to collapse to the floor. However, referee Luis Pabon ruled that Dubois's strike was a low blow. Therefore, Usyk was given five minutes to recover before the fight resumed.
On TNT Sports , former Northern Ireland professional boxer Carl Frampton argued that Usyk's shorts were pulled up too high and Dubois's punch was legitimate. According to Frampton, the referee should have counted to 10, and at that point, Dubois would have been declared champion.
Usyk is shown the ball during a five-minute break by the referee to rest after being hit by a low punch from Dubois. Photo: AP
Former super-middleweight champion Richie Woodhall believes the referee's decision was controversial and will undoubtedly provoke a strong reaction from Dubois's side.
After the fight, Dubois insisted his punches were legitimate and that he had been robbed of the victory. Promoter Frank Warren left open the possibility of appealing the referee's decision and requesting a rematch.
Currently, the victory still belongs to Uysk. He has increased his undefeated record to 21, with 14 knockout wins and seven points wins. These include five victories against British opponents in world title fights, including Anthony Joshua (twice), Derek Chisora, Tony Bellew, and most recently Dubois – a fighter from Greenwich in south London.
Usyk knocked out Dubois in the 9th round.
Uysk wants to fight WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury to unify all four of the most prestigious heavyweight titles. "I'm ready to fight Fury tomorrow," the 36-year-old boxer emphasized. "I'm ready for the next fight with Fury, but I don't know if he dares to fight."
Hong Duy
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