- Usyk knocks out Dubois in nine after low blow controversy

Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk successfully defended his WBA, IBF, and WBO heavyweight boxing world titles by knocking out British challenger Daniel Dubois in the ninth round. The fight took place at the Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw, Poland and was marred by a controversy surrounding a low blow. Puerto Rican referee Luis Pabon counted out Dubois after he went down in the ninth round. However, the key moment came in round five when Usyk was hit on the band of his shorts, causing him to go down gasping for breath. The referee ruled it a low blow and allowed Usyk to take his time to recover. Dubois, who endured some big blows and had blood oozing from his nose in the ninth round, claimed that he was cheated out of victory. His promoter, Frank Warren, agreed and called for a rematch, criticizing the referee’s decision. Despite the controversy, Usyk maintained control throughout the fight and expressed his readiness to fight WBA heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Dubois had the opportunity to challenge Usyk after a previous bout to unify the titles fell through. The event was also marked by the presence of seven Ukrainian fighters on the undercard and a pre-fight video address from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Zelenskiy emphasized the strength of the Ukrainian people and their determination to fight in the face of the ongoing Russian invasion.