Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois result: Champion comes through low blow controversy to TKO Brit

Dom Farrell

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Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois result: Champion comes through low blow controversy to TKO Brit image

Oleksandr Usyk won arguably every minute before stopping Daniel Dubois in the ninth round of heavyweight title fight, although a controversial low-blow call in round five is set to dominate the conversation around the IBF, WBA and WBO champion's latest victory.

Returning to the ring a year after beating Anthony Joshua for the second time, Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) opened up an early lead on the scorecards as he peppered Dubois with his quicksilver southpaw jab and masterfully controlled the distance.

Early in the fifth, Dubois crunched a right uppercut towards Usyk's mid-section and appeared to strike him on the waistband of his shorts. It was a borderline shot and referee Luis Pabon did not start a count, meaning Usyk was allowed time to recover from an illegal blow.

MORE: Sign up to watch Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois, exclusively on ESPN+

After almost four minutes of convalescence, the fighters went back to it, with Dubois marauding forward on the front foot. Usyk's accuracy once his poise returned persuaded the Briton that this was not a sustainable tactic.

Usyk was complaining to the referee in the sixth but Dubois' body shots were unquestionably good on this occasion. It marked his best round of the fight, although it ultimately proved a false dawn.

A rat-a-tat combination left Dubois disorganised at the bell in round seven and three minutes later he was down, with the key shot in a four-punch combination a right to the top of the head.

The champion was merciless in the ninth and drilled a solid right hand into Dubois' jaw. The younger man got to his knee and then his feet but Pabon looked into his eyes and had seen enough.

Was Daniel Dubois robbed against Oleksandr Usyk?

After the fight, Dubois was unequivocal about what went down in round five.

"I don't think it was a low blow, I think it landed and I've been cheated out of victory," Dubois said.

The 25-year-old certainly has a right to feel aggrieved. He hit Usyk on the waistband of shorts that covered his navel. On another night, at another venue, the punch might have been called legal. However, here it wasn't and from the moment Pabon didn't start a count, all other conversations are ultimately moot.

Yes, Usyk was certainly in discomfort. Dubois had further success to Usyk's body, as Anthony Joshua had before him. There can now be no doubt over a chink in one of the most gleaming sets of armour in the sport. All that said, Usyk hammed up his prolonged recovery once it was clear there was no count. He was not completely incapacitated. 

Let's say Pabon started throwing fingers in the champion's face. Do we really think, knowing all we do about this fearless warrior, that he'd have stayed down and watched his titles slip away? Sure, Dubois would have had a wounded champion to try and pounce upon. But given how he let Usyk off the hook when round five finally resumed, how can we be sure he wouldn't have done the same a few minutes ealier? It was unfortunate and only the most heartless soul would not feel for Dubois. But a robbery? Nah.

Will Oleksandr Usyk fight Tyson Fury next?

Dubois' promoter Frank Warren made it abundantly clear in the ring afterwards he would appeal the result and lobby for the rematch after the events of round five. Warren also represents Fury and the WBC champion has another stick with which to beat Usyk. You can already imagine what The Gypsy King will have to say about events in Wroclaw. That undisputed showdown remains the fight heavyweight boxing needs. Usyk getting waylaid in litigation over a potential Dubois rematch or even having to tick on to IBF mandatory Filip Hrgovic would feel unsatisfactory by comparison.

What's next for Daniel Dubois?

Team Dubois says it will push on for the rematch in righteous fury after their man was cruelly denied on his night of nights. Once the dust settles, it might pay to take a breath. As Usyk was saying to Dubois after the bout, the British fighter is young. At 25, he can come again and he should be given the time to do so.

There was a fear before the fight that Dubois would be roundly outclassed. There is no shame in that against the imperious Usyk and, if we remove all the froth and anger about the low-blow call, that's exactly what happened. SN awarded Dubois one round, the sixth, and that was far from clear cut. 

He was too easy to hit with the jab throughout and, in another echo of his previous career loss to Joe Joyce, Dubois did not exactly appear to be chomping at the bit to get back up after Usyk crunched the decisive right hand into his jaw. He remains a gifted, powerful, flawed and vulnerable heavyweight. Putting him back in for round-after-round torment against Usyk in the hope he might clout the Ukrainian in the stomach does not feel like the percentage play. Let Dubois go away and build momentum as the man who would have been king while this generation sort out their squabbles. A promoter as canny and long-in-the-tooth as Warren will surely see and like that narrative.

Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois results, as it happened, highlights

6:19 p.m. ET/ 11:19 p.m. BST: Usyk and Dubois are in what looks like a heated discussion after the bell. It end cordially enough. That low blow in round five and the extended length of time Usyk was allowed to recover will dominate the post-fight conversation. For now Usyk is leading something akin to a rave inside the ring. No doubt the party is just getting started in Wroclaw

Oleksandr Usyk beats Daniel Dubois by ninth-round TKO!!!!!

Round 9: Another Usyk combination, the angle are never much less than baffling when he puts shots together, persuades Dubois towards the ropes again. The champion is in matador mode now, stalking a weary bull. Peach of a right hand, down goes Dubois again! He gets up off his knee but the referee looks into his eyes and it is over!

Round 8: The fight has settled into a constant and captivating rhythm. Usyk is landing crisp shots upstairs, staying on the edge of range. Dubois is trying to exchange as a means to get of another of those bomb to the body. Now a whipping combination from Usyk, a right to the top of the head and down goes Dubois! He takes the count but the bell comes before Usyk is able to pile on any more punishment. 

SN unofficial scorecard: Usyk 79-72 Dubois

Round 7: Don Charles in Dubois’ corner is imploring his man to double and triple up on the jab. Here’s a grazing body shot. Usyk looks hurt! He retreats to the ropes and covers up. Dazzling left hand from Usyk and another off the jab briefly leaves Dubois tottering. Now an uppercut snaps the head back. The challenger was very disorganised at the bell. The question here is whether Usyk senses Dubois is hurt and ready to go or if the damage to the body means he doesn’t want to risk this going much further.

SN unofficial scorecard: Usyk 69-64 Dubois

Round 6: Dubois throws to the body again. It’s borderline again, hitting Usyk around the hip. He grimaces and complains to the referee. A good left to the body. Usyk replies upstairs but the challenger gets one back on the bell. I think he’s got one in the books.

SN unofficial scorecard: Usyk 59-55 Dubois

Round 5: Usyk down at the start of the fifth! But it’s from a low blow. That’s taken the wind out of the champion, who is going to take his time. He’s entitled to five minutes. He doesn’t look in great shape at all. You rarely see a fighter take five minutes for a low blow but Usyk more or less has. They're back underway, the champion is not recovered and Dubois takes off after him. Now a right to the body and Usyk complains but that looked like a good punch. One-two upstairs from Usyk. Has he got the wind back in his sails? A big left hand rag dolls Dubois' head backwards. There's another. They throw after the bell. Spicy.

SN unofficial scorecard: Usyk 50-45 Dubois

Round 4: Dubois is obviously down on the cards but that shouldn’t be a huge cause for concern in his corner. The plan here is to get in range and land one life-changing bomb. That’s easier said than done against the balletic Usyk, who is making his challenger’s advances look nothing other than crude. However, a looping left hook almost gives Usyk something to think about. A couple of Usyk lefts at the bell and Dubois walks off with a little shake of the head. That was his best round so far but he didn’t do enough to win it.

SN unofficial scorecard: Usyk 40-36 Dubois

Round 3: A bit more bounce to Dubois’ step at the start of the third. It’s still too passive though. Perhaps that’s why, as Dubois throws the right, misses and takes a crisp Usyk counter. Double jab from Dubois. They don’t land but he needs more of that to try and unsettle this master of distance control. Usyk responds with more peppering jabs before Dubois misses with an uppercut.

SN unofficial scorecard: Usyk 30-27 Dubois

Round 2: Remember when Joe Joyce’s ramrod jab closed Dubois’ eye during his only previous professional defeat? Usyk’s lead is a very different shot but Dubois is also getting a bit of a peppering with it. Now the champion pings home a straight left to steady the challenger. And another. Dubois gets in a jab of his own but can’t land with the the follow-up attack. 

SN unofficial scorecard: Usyk 20-18 Dubois

Round 1: Both men come out fencing with the jabs, as you expect when a southpaw meets an orthodox fighter. Usyk gets a first, meaty right lead through. Rain is teeming onto the canopy covering the ring. Underneath it the champion is all educated movement and faints, meaning Usyk is yet to thrown anything of any conviction. Usyk jabbing beautifully now and already looking to be in an ominous rhythm. 

SN unofficial scorecard: Usyk 10-9 Dubois

5:38 p.m. ET/ 10:38 p.m. BST: LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLLLLEEEEEEEE!!!! Michael Buffer has said the thing and is doing the final introductions. Dubois gets a mixture of pantomime boos and gentle applause. The roof near enough comes off for Usyk. Final instructions from the referee amid chants of "USYK, USYK, USYK!". They touch gloves. Let's get it.

5:29 p.m. ET/ 10:29 p.m. BST: Here's Usyk, all business and the hero's reception you'd expect. It's rapturous stuff. Time for the national anthems.

5:25 p.m. ET/ 10:25 p.m. BST: Dubois looks relaxed and focused, smiling as he ables to the ring to a soundtrack of Bob Marley. The atmosphere is more celebratory than hostile, so not exactly facing Julio Cesar Chavez at the Azteca. But Dubois has walked the gauntlet and is in the ring ready to go.

5:20 p.m. ET/ 10:20 p.m. BST: Michael Buffer is in the ring to introduce a video message from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. It's a sobering moment and reminded of the suffocating and horrifying context within which Usyk has ascended to the top of his sport. 

"Let's get this party starteeeeed," hollers Buffer, ever the pro, and we're back into big fight mode. Here comes Daniel Dubois.

5:15 p.m. ET/ 10:15 p.m. BST: If this wasn't already complicated enough for Dubois, rain is now in the air in Wroclaw. So there's been some, ahem, wardrobe adjustments (see below). Dubois won his previous fight against Kevin Lerena with his knee ligaments in bits after three trips to the canvas. He'd probably rather not be slipping all over the place.

Aadam Hamed beats Vojtech Hrdy by first-round TKO

5:05 p.m. ET/ 10:05 p.m. BST: Well, Hamed now knows what it feels like to step into a professional ring. In truth, it won't ever be much easier than that. The super lightweight debutant had a look, showed a few slick moves and then found his range with some heavy straight shows. The overmatched Hrdy (1-3) didn't really want to know from that point and retreated to his corner, where a refusal to throw back under a sustained Hamed assault persuaded his corner to throw in the towel.

4:57 p.m. ET/ 9:57 p.m. BST: But before the main event we have a four-rounder of some note. Also a contest to make British boxing fans of a certain vintage feel very old indeed. Aadam Hamed is the the son of former featherweight champion, the great 'Prince' Naseem Hamed. The 23-year-old is swaggering out in front of a packed 45,000 arena for his professional debut. In fact, it's his debut full-stop. Hamed Jr. never boxed as an amateur. His father is looking on, proud as punch, from ringside.

4:44 p.m. ET/ 9:44 p.m. BST: Daniel Dubois is getting gloved up, resplendent in purple and black, he's ready to go.

Denys Berinchyk beats Anthony Yigit by unanimous decision to retain the WBO international lightweight title

4:42 p.m. ET/ 9:42 p.m. BST: Berinchyk gets the nod by margins of 117-111, 115-113, 116-112, moving to 18-0. At his age the clock is ticking but there might be opportunities aplenty soon enough in the 135lbs division if undisputed champion Devin Haney moves up to super lightweight and stays there, splintering the belts. As his international strap suggests, Berinchyk is highly ranked by the WBO but he's in the mix with all of the four major sanctioning bodies

4:36 p.m. ET/ 9:36 p.m. BST: Furious trading from both men in round 12! This has been a far more cerebral affair than their London 2012 barnburner but we’re going back to that place, despite both fighters appearing to be shattered. Yigit is more obviously exhausted and, as was the case in rounds 10 and 11, a promising start from the Swede begins to wilt in the face of Berinchyk’s superior accuracy. However the Ukrainian favourite now wobbles. Thirty seconds to go and each is operating with the fuel gauge in the red. A right wobbles the bloodied Yigit and they both raise their fists at the bell. Berinchyk surely has this though. Yigit is doing some press-ups. Normal behaviour.

4:25 p.m. ET/ 9:25 p.m. BST: The contest is only tracking in one direction now. Yigit's plan to be slick and slippery maybe didn't take full account of a sweltering evening in southwest Poland. He looks exhausted and the pace slowing means Berinchyk has more chance to plant his feet and dig in those punishing body shots. The marking on Yigit's face shows the undefeated Ukrainian is also scoring pretty well upstairs too. Berinchyk appears to have a handy lead through nine.

4:14 p.m. ET/ 9:14 p.m. BST: Yigit being four years Berinchyk’s junior probably counted against him back in London but, with both men in their 30s, will it work in his favour here? His feet certainly seem a beat quicker and his post-shotting style is having some success. Berinchyk responds well with some good work to the body in the fifth and a head clash towards the end of that round leaves Yigit with a nasty cut around his left eye. Berinchyk continues the body attack in round six and this is a good period for him,

It remains a tight fight, but if Yigit thinks boxing cutely on the backfoot will get him a decision in front of a staunchly Ukrainian crowd in Poland when there are two Polish judges then he’s a far more optimistic and less cynical man than me.

4:02 p.m. ET/ 9:02 p.m. BST: Three rounds down and it's the three rounds these men shared 11 years ago that are a big reason for us being here. Berinchyk prevailed 24-23 when he and Yigit met in the last 16 of the London 2012 light welterweight competition. Both men can switch-hit and Yigit has operated busily out of the southpaw stance so far to decent effect. Round three was Berinchyk's best though, with a meaty left getting home and there is blood from the Swede's nose.

3:50 p.m. ET/ 8:50 p.m. BST: We're underway. Berinchyk made his customarily low-key entrance to the ring...

3:40 p.m. ET/ 8:40 p.m. BST: Yaroslav Khartsyz and Konrad Czajkowski have just put on an entertaining four-round knockabout and next up we've got Ukraine's Denys Berinchyk. The 35-year-old was a London 2012 teammate of Usyk and Vasily Lomachenko and is on the world title hunt himself in the lightweight division. He's 17-0 and faces his old amateur rival Anthony Yigit of Sweden. The WBO's international strap is on the line too, if you're inclined to care about that sort of thing.

3:02 p.m. ET/ 8:02 p.m. BST: The champ is here. Oleksandr Usyk walking into the arena looking all business. I doubt he'll be viewing a big-punching Briton splattering a Ukrainian fighter inside two rounds as any sort of omen. 

Hamzah Sheeraz beats Dmytro Mytrofanov by second-round TKO

3:02 p.m. ET/ 8:02 p.m. BST: Mytrofanov managed to stagger to his stool but the end was nigh. Sheeraz remained composed and switched on and ended the misery of a previously undefeated opponent 35 seconds into the second, setting him up for a shuddering right straight down the pipe. That was knockdown number four and the referee had seen quite enough. The definition of a statement performance.

2:59 p.m. ET/ 7:59 p.m. BST: This was billed as the toughest test of Sheeraz's young career and he made a mockery of that in the first round sensationally decking Mytrofanov three times. The 24-year-old immediately established his long, authoritative jab and the lead hand did most of the damage. He walked Mytrofanov onto a crisp left hand for the first knockdown and a still jab sent the Ukrainian tumbling again. An onslaught inside the final minute saw Mytrofanov touch down again and he somehow made it out of an utterly torrid session.

2:45 p.m. ET/ 7:45 p.m. BST: We've had a cluster of preliminary bouts, including a very entertaining middleweight encounter between Fiodor Czerkaszyn and Anauel Ngamissengue. We're now into the business of the main card, with one of Britain's brightest prospects Hamzah Sheeraz taking on one of the Ukrainian contingent on the card. Dmytro Mytrofanov is making his ringwalk and Sheeraz's WBC silver middleweight bel will be on the line.

2:20 p.m. ET/ 7:20 p.m. BST: The name Buster Douglas has been doing the rounds during the build-up, which does not exactly suggest we have an evenly matched main event on our hands. The suggestion being that if Dubois were to rip the titles from Usyk, it would be an upset to stand alongside Douglas' astonishing dethroning of Mike Tyson in Toyko 33-and-a-half years ago.

If Dubois has the night of his life, we would not quite be in Tyson-Douglas territory. But we wouldn't be far off. Remember when Andy Ruiz Jr ruined Anthony Joshua's US debut in June 2019? A win for the challenger here would be a significantly bigger shock than that one.

2 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. BST: Hello and welcome to the Sporting News' live coverage of the unified heavyweight title fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois. Usyk is putting his IBF, WBA and WBO belts on the line against British knockout artist Dubois.

When is Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois?

Usyk vs. Dubois will be on August 26. The main card starts at 2 p.m. ET | 11 a.m. PT | 7 p.m. BST | 4 a.m. AEST. The main event should begin around 5:15 p.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.

Region Date Main Card Start Time Main Event Ring Walks (approx.)
USA and Canada (ET) Saturday, August 26 2 p.m. ET 5:15 p.m. ET
USA and Canada (PT) Saturday, August 26 11 a.m. PT 2:15 p.m. PT
UK and Ireland Saturday, August 26 7 p.m. BST 10:15 p.m. BST
Australia Sunday, August 27 4 a.m. AEST 7:15 a.m. AEST

MORE: Boxing Schedule 2023

How to watch Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois

Region TV channel Live streaming
USA — ESPN+
Canada — TSN+
UK and Ireland TNT Sports Box Office TNT Sports Box Office
Australia — Main Event on Kayo

In the U.K., the fight will air on TNT Sports Box Office. In the U.S., the fight will be shown on ESPN+.

MORE: Sign up to watch Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois, exclusively on ESPN+

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois price: How much does the card cost?

You can pay $9.99 for a monthly subscription to ESPN+ or buy an annual subscription for $99.99.

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In the UK, TNT Sports has set the pay-per-view price at £19.95.

Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois fight card results

  • Oleksandr Usyk (c) vs. Daniel Dubois for the IBF, WBA, WBO, and The Ring heavyweight titles.
  • Denys Berinchyk (c) def. Anthony Yigit via UD 12 to retain the WBO international lightweight title.
  • Hamzah Sheeraz (c) def. Dmytro Mytrofanov via TKO 2/12 to retain WBC silver middleweight title.
  • Daniel Lapin def. Aro Schwarz via TKO 6/10 to win the vacant IBO continental light heavyweight title.
  • Aadam Hamed (debut) def. Vojtech Hrdy via TKO 1/4; super lightweights.

Dom Farrell

Dom Farrell Photo

Dom is the senior content producer for Sporting News UK. He previously worked as fan brands editor for Manchester City at Reach Plc. Prior to that, he built more than a decade of experience in the sports journalism industry, primarily for the Stats Perform and Press Association news agencies. Dom has covered major football events on location, including the entirety of Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Paris and St Petersburg respectively, along with numerous high-profile Premier League, Champions League and England international matches. Cricket and boxing are his other major sporting passions and he has covered the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Gennadiy Golovkin and Vasyl Lomachenko live from ringside.