Daniel Dubois fell short again in his bid for the undisputed heavyweight championship, losing by fifth-round stoppage to Oleksandr Usyk at Wembley. The Ukrainian proved too strong for the Londoner, dominating the contest before finishing him with a punch he calls 'Ivan'.
Usyk, now 24-0, added the IBF title to his WBA, WBO, and WBC belts, becoming undisputed champion for the second time. Dubois, who had been knocked down twice in the fifth round, acknowledged his best was not enough.
'I gave everything I had,' said Dubois, now 22-3. 'I have to commend him on his performance. Take no credit away from the man. I’ll be back.' Usyk, who also beat Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury in rematches, said he and his team had prepared the 'Ivan' punch for two years.
Promoter Frank Warren hailed Usyk as a modern-day legend, saying he showed 'mental resilience' in someone else’s back yard. Dubois is expected to return to the drawing board after his third career defeat.
