Oleksandr Usyk defeated Daniel Dubois by knocking him out in the ninth round. Usyk kept his WBO, WBA, and IBF heavyweight world titles. However, there were some disagreements and arguments surrounding the fight.
After winning the match, the 36-year-old stated that he was prepared to fight Tyson Fury the next day. However, he had a major scare during the fifth round in Poland on Saturday night. He was knocked down because of a hit that was judged to be too low.
At the beginning of the fight, it was quite even between the two fighters. However, Dubois’ position as the underdog was very noticeable compared to the strong and dominant Usyk, who controlled the fight.
In the fifth round, things got exciting when Usyk got knocked down by a powerful punch from Dubois. Usyk looked like he was in serious trouble.
For a brief moment, Dubois may have believed he had become the new heavyweight champion of the world. However, the referee declared that the punch was below the belt, and Usyk was given five minutes to regain his strength.
The young British boxer, who is 25 years old, felt encouraged after knocking down Usyk, even though the punch was considered against the rules. He then showed some strong assertiveness against the experienced champion in the next few rounds.
However, Usyk had different plans. He regained control by using his jabs and continued to put pressure on Dubois with a series of moves. Eventually, in the eighth round, Usyk managed to knock down Dubois. Dubois barely managed to get back up before the count ended.
But he couldn’t win against the count again, falling in the ninth round. After the fight, Dubois and others were unhappy with referee Luis Pabon for calling a low blow on Usyk in the fifth round. The young Brit said he felt like he had been unfairly denied victory.
I talked to TNT Sports and said that I feel good. I appreciate my team, my family, and my children. I have strong feelings of affection for you.
I’m thankful for my country and the soldiers in the Ukrainian army. Thank you very much.
Boxing is a difficult sport, but I’m really good at it. I really enjoy boxing. I think my opponent is worthy of my admiration, but boxing is a tough sport, not graceful like ballet. It is the king of sports.
I will be available tomorrow. Okay, I’m prepared. I am prepared to fight Tyson Fury in our next match.
I don’t know if Tyson Fury will be prepared. I’m really excited to see my kids and go back home. I have been training for a long time. I am a little tired.