Usyk wins by knockout to defend four heavyweight belts

Polish Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk knocked out Daniel Dubois in the ninth round of his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO heavyweight title defense in Wroclaw on August 26.

Usyk took control of the match early, combining a variety of punches to completely overwhelm. CompuBox statistics show that, when the Ukrainian champion threw 359 punches, with 88 of them landing - a rate of 24.5%. Dubois threw 290 punches, with 47 of them landing accurately, a rate of only 16.2%. Usyk had 206 jabs, landing 52 times, a rate of 25.2%. Meanwhile, Dubois's figure was only 10.3%, with 13 of his 126 jabs landing. In addition, Usyk also had 36 accurate heavy punches, a rate of 23.5%, compared to 34 and 20.7% of his opponent.

Usyk (white shorts, white gloves) in a headbutt to Dubois at the Wroclaw ring, Poland on August 26. Photo: Reuters — Usyk (white shorts, white gloves) in a headbutt to Dubois at the Wroclaw ring, Poland on August 26. Photo: *Reuters*

Usyk knocked Dubois down once in the eighth round, but it was not until the ninth round, with an overhand right, that the Ukrainian sent his British opponent to the mat. Dubois could not get up before the referee counted to 10, and thanks to that, Usyk defended his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO heavyweight titles for the second time in a row. In September 2021, he won these belts from British boxer Anthony Joshua and won the rematch in August 2022 to defend the title.

But Usyk’s victory was controversial. In the fifth round, Dubois hit the Ukrainian champion in the lower back, sending him to the mat. But referee Luis Pabon ruled that Dubois had committed a low blow, so Usyk was given a five-minute rest to recover before the fight resumed.

On TNT Sports , former Northern Irish professional boxer Carl Frampton claimed that Usyk's shorts were pulled up too high and that Dubois' punch was legal. According to Frampton, the referee should have counted to 10 and Dubois would have been the champion.

Usyk was given a five-minute break by the referee after being hit by a low blow from Dubois. Photo: AP

Former super-middleweight champion Richie Woodhall said the referee's decision was controversial and would certainly draw a backlash from Dubois.

After the fight, Dubois claimed he had made a legitimate strike and was robbed of the victory. Promoter Frank Warren left open the possibility of appealing the referee's decision and would request a rematch.

For now, the win remains with Uysk. He has taken his unbeaten record to 21, with 14 knockouts and seven points wins. Five of those victories have come against British opponents in world title fights, including Anthony Joshua (twice), Derek Chisora and Tony Bellew, and most recently Dubois, from Greenwich, south London.

Uysk wants to unify all four of the most prestigious heavyweight belts with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. "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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