Oleksandr Usyk once again etched his name into boxing history on Saturday night by knocking down Britain’s Daniel Dubois in the fifth round at Wembley Stadium to become the undisputed heavyweight world champion.
The Ukrainian southpaw retained his WBC, WBA and WBO titles and also regained the IBF belt. He had vacated the IBF title before his rematch with Tyson Fury last year. Dubois was later elevated to champion and successfully defended the belt against Anthony Joshua in September, but Usyk’s dominant display ensured that the title came back to him.
From the first bell, Usyk’s footwork, movement and ring intelligence were clear to see. He gave away both age and size, with Dubois 11 years younger and weighing in at a career-heaviest 227.3 pounds, yet Usyk moved with remarkable precision and poise, consistently landing jabs and counter-punches.
By the fifth round, Usyk had taken control. He landed a clean overhand right that sent Dubois to the canvas. Moments later, a powerful left hand connected flush with the chin, ending the bout. The referee waved it off as Wembley erupted in appreciation of the performance.
After extending his professional record to 24 wins without defeat, Usyk said: “Thirty-eight is a young guy, remember. Thirty-eight is only the start.
“I want to say thank you to Jesus Christ. I want to say thank you to my team and Wembley, thank you so much. This is for the people.
“Nothing is next. It’s enough. I don’t know what’s next. I want to rest. My family, my wife, my children, I want to rest now. Two or three months, I just want to rest.”
The victory makes Usyk a three-time undisputed world champion. He previously achieved that status once at cruiserweight and now twice as a heavyweight, cementing his reputation as one of the sport’s modern greats.
Dubois, though beaten, was gracious in defeat. Speaking to DAZN, he said: “I have to commend him on the performance. I gave everything I had.
“Take no credit away from that man. I’ll be back. I was just fighting, trying to pick up round by round. It is what it is.”
This fight was a rematch of their first meeting in Wroclaw, Poland, in 2023. That bout ended in controversy after a shot from Dubois was ruled a low blow, allowing Usyk time to recover before stopping the Briton in the ninth round.
Usyk hinted at a possible third fight with Tyson Fury but made it clear that rest was his current priority. “Maybe we have three choices: Fury, Derek Chisora and Anthony Joshua. Maybe Joseph Parker. Listen, I cannot say now because I want to go back home.”
Earlier on the undercard, Briton Lawrence Okolie defeated South African Kevin Lerena by unanimous decision in a cautious and low-tempo contest.