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Tag: Daniel Dubois

  • Oleksandr Usyk Makes History Again With Round 5 KO Of Daniel Dubois To Reclaim Heavyweight Undisputed Status

    Oleksandr Usyk Makes History Again With Round 5 KO Of Daniel Dubois To Reclaim Heavyweight Undisputed Status

    Oleksandr Usyk left no room for doubt in his rematch against Daniel Dubois.

    On Saturday night at London’s Wembley Stadium, Usyk reclaimed his status as the undisputed heavyweight champion with a dominant fifth-round knockout of former foe Dubois.

    From the opening bell, “The Cat” took control with a sharp jab and pinpoint counter-punching. While Dubois came forward with intent, he struggled to land anything meaningful against the defensively sound Usyk, who showcased superior speed and movement throughout.

    As the bout wore on, Usyk gradually pulled away, exposing the technical gulf between them. His masterful use of timing and angles left “Dynamite” swinging at air. In the fourth round, a brief low-blow controversy added tension, but the undefeated Ukrainian quickly regained control with fluid combinations. By the fifth, “The Cat” ramped up the pressure, first wobbling Dubois with a counter right before landing a devastating left hand that sent the IBF titleholder crashing to the canvas.

    Though Dubois beat the count, a second knockdown moments later brought the fight to a halt, sealing a commanding victory for Oleksandr Usyk and cementing his place in history as the first fighter to hold undisputed heavyweight status twice.

    Why Did Oleksandr Usyk’s First Win Over Daniel Dubois Stir So Much Controversy?

    Oleksandr Usyk first faced Daniel Dubois in August 2023 in a closely contested showdown. While both men traded momentum throughout the bout, it was “The Cat” who ultimately prevailed, securing a ninth-round stoppage to retain his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles.

    The fight, however, was marred by controversy in the fifth round when Dubois landed a punch that dropped Usyk to the canvas. The referee ruled the shot a low blow, sparking debate among fans and pundits.

    Although Oleksandr Usyk signaled he was ready to continue shortly after, the official advised him to use the allotted recovery time. The Ukrainian ultimately took three minutes and forty-five seconds before action resumed. Regaining control, Usyk went on to force Dubois to take a knee in the eighth round and sealed the win with another knockdown in the ninth, leading to a definitive stoppage.

    The aftermath of the bout sparked intense debate, with the fifth-round incident becoming the focal point of controversy. Many observers argued that the punch “Dynamite” landed, which was deemed a low blow, was in fact a legal body shot. Had it been ruled as such, they contended it could have led to a stunning knockout win for Dubois.

  • “The Greatest Boxer Of All Time” – Fans Sing Praises For Oleksandr Usyk After Defeating Daniel Dubois To Become Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Again

    “The Greatest Boxer Of All Time” – Fans Sing Praises For Oleksandr Usyk After Defeating Daniel Dubois To Become Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Again

    For the third time in his career, something no other man has done in professional boxing, Oleksandr Usyk is an undisputed world champion.

    Usyk, the reigning WBA, WBC, and WBO champion has re-captured the undisputed heavyweight world championship of boxing with a fifth-round knockout win over IBF champion Daniel Dubois.

    The fight — a second encounter between the two — main evented a big night of boxing action at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

    The two got off to a speedy start, both flashing their jabs and landing straights, with Usyk’s landing more clean. Dubois was notably reaching with his shots, and Usyk made him pay for that in round two, landing strong left hands.

    Dubois started to pick some momentum it seemed in the third round, and he furthered that with some strong body shots in the fourth.

    But towards one of the corners of the ring in the fifth round, Usyk landed a left hook that made Dubois stumble and knocked him down.

    Usyk landed another left hand seconds later — and this time, Dubois did not beat the count. No fifth-round controversy in sight.

    Oleksandr Usyk Becomes Undisputed Heavyweight Champion For Second Time With KO Of Daniel Dubois

    https://twitter.com/ukraniandream/status/1946693068888957250
    https://twitter.com/SandhuMMA/status/1946686408414089565

    Usyk and Dubois first met for the WBA, IBF, and WBO titles in August 2023. Dubois was in control until a punch in the fifth round was controversially ruled a low blow. Usyk turned the tide and scored knock downs in the eighth and ninth rounds — the latter of which gave Usyk the KO win.

    Usyk had since become undisputed champion for the first time by capturing the WBC title with a win over Tyson Fury in May 2024. The reign lasted just a month, however, after Usyk elected a rematch with Fury in December, which he’d also win.

    Dubois became IBF champion with a win over Filip Hrgovic in June 2024, and then became full-time champion once the IBF stripped Usyk. Dubois then retained the IBF title last September with a fifth-round knockout of former champ Anthony Joshua.

  • Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois 2 Results & Highlights

    Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois 2 Results & Highlights

    The rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois to determine an undisputed heavyweight champion in boxing goes down tonight, and MMA News has you covered with all the action.

    All four of boxing’s heavyweight world championships will be at stake, as Usyk puts the WBA (Super), WBO, and WBC titles on the line in an attempt to reclaim the IBF belt from a familiar foe in Dubois. The fight takes place from Wembley Stadium in London, England.

    Usyk and Dubois first met in August 2023 — Usyk’s first fight since beating Anthony Joshua to gain the WBA, IBF, and WBO titles and defend them in a rematch. While Dubois was strong to start, a controversial low blow call for a punch that landed on Usyk in the fifth round saw the momentum shift. Usyk went on to score knockdowns of Dubois in the eighth and ninth, finishing Dubois to retain the title.

    About nine months later, Usyk defeated Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to claim the WBC title and become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in boxing since Lennox Lewis. Usyk also became the first heavyweight undisputed champion in the four-belt era, and he joined Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue in becoming a four-belt undisputed champion in a second weight class.

    Usyk, however, was only undisputed champion for a month, as the IBF stripped Usyk, who went on to rematch with Fury and retain the WBA, WBC, and WBO titles. Dubois, meanwhile, defeated Filip Hrgović in June 2024 to become interim IBF heavyweight champion before being promoted to full-time champ. He then retained the IBF title in September with a strong knockout of Joshua.

    The Usyk vs. Dubois 2 card is available on DAZN pay-per-view and will begin at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BST. Ring walks for the main event are expected at approximately 4:45pm ET/1:45pm PT/9:45pm BST. If you can’t watch the action, MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights below.

    Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois 2 Results & Highlights

    • Undisputed Heavyweight Championship: Oleksandr Usyk def. Daniel Dubois via KO (R5, 1:08)
    • WBC Silver Heavyweight Championship: Lawrence Okolie def. Kevin Lerena via unanimous decision (99-91, 100-90 x2)
    • IBF Continental & WBA Continental Light Heavyweight Championship: Daniel Lapin def. Lewis Edmondson via majority decision (5-95, 96-94 x2)
    • Heavyweight: Solomon Dacres def. Vladyslav Sirenko via unanimous decision (99-91, 98-92, 99-92)
    • Super Lightweight: Aadam Hamed def. Ezequiel Gregores via unanimous decision (40-36)
    • Super Lightweight: Lasha Guruli def. James Francis via TKO (corner stoppage) (R5, 0:02)

    Lasha Guruli vs. James Francis

    Aadam Hamed vs. Ezequiel Gregores

    Vladyslav Sirenko vs. Solomon Dacres

    Daniel Lapin vs. Lewis Edmondson

    Lawrence Okolie vs. Kevin Lerena

    Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois

  • Daniel Dubois Will Create Bedlam To Knock Out ‘Old Man’ Oleksandr Usyk In Rematch: “Chaos. For as long as it lasts.”

    Daniel Dubois Will Create Bedlam To Knock Out ‘Old Man’ Oleksandr Usyk In Rematch: “Chaos. For as long as it lasts.”

    British heavyweight boxer Daniel Dubois is predicting that chaos will unfold in his upcoming rematch against Oleksandr Usyk.

    On Saturday night, Daniel Dubois will try and become the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world. He’ll do so in a highly anticipated rematch against Oleksandr Usyk, which is set to take place at Wembley Stadium. While a lot of people aren’t quite sure what to expect from the bout, the popular opinion seems to be that Usyk is still the favorite, despite the incredible knockout win that Dubois picked up over Anthony Joshua.

    Regardless of who you’re backing, there’s no denying that this is an incredibly fascinating contest. These two men have very different styles but together, there’s an excellent chance they can make magic happen. For Daniel Dubois, he knows that the pressure is on the champion – or, at least, that’s how it seems.

    In a recent face-off with Usyk, Daniel Dubois explained what he plans to do at the weekend.

    Daniel Dubois predicts chaos in Oleksandr Usyk rematch

    “I don’t want to even put it down to just being an old man. I’ve got to prove myself and bring chaos in the ring—what I bring and the force I have, that will be what’s needed. I stand more to gain. He’s at the end of his career. I stand more to gain from a win; getting all the belts, that means… that’s the start for me, really.”

    “Chaos. For as long as it lasts.”

    Get ready, folks, because this is going to be a banger.

  • The Fight Fan’s Guide To July 19: Everything You Need To Know

    The Fight Fan’s Guide To July 19: Everything You Need To Know

    Next Saturday, July 19, is shaping up to be a memorable day filled with fights for combat sports fans everywhere.

    It sometimes can happen where fight cards will be stacked on top of one another on the same day, or even go head-to-head with each other. But only every so often do we get a day where fights will happen from one card to another throughout the day — and only every so often do we have a day of fights that are either heavily promoted, see titles on the line, or are all meaningful otherwise in some shape or way.

    We know for the obsessed fight fan that wants to see everything, a day like July 19 can be overwhelming in trying to figure out what’s going on, what’s important, and, more importantly, when and where to watch.

    Well, we here at MMA News are designing this guide here to help you put your feet up, grab your favorite foods and drinks, and watch all the action go down — from the first bell to the last!

    Everything Fight Fans Need To Know For July 19

    On July 19, the UFC and PFL will both be hosting heavily promoted cards, and the boxing world will feature a highly-anticipated title fight and the return of a legend.

    Here are — in order from the start of the day to the end — all the events going down on July 19, as well as when they start, where you can watch them, and what you need to know.

    PFL Cape Town

    Start Time: 10 am ET/7 am PT (Champions Series bouts will start at approx. 2 pm ET/11 am PT)

    Where To Watch: PFL App (PFL Africa 1) & ESPN+ (PFL Champions Series 2)

    After years of waiting, a major MMA player finally makes its way to the continent of Africa, as the PFL will host its first-ever event there with PFL Cape Town at the GrandWest Arena in Cape Town, South Africa.

    With the Bellator brand officially no more, Johnny Eblen — still considered one of the best talents in the sport outside of the UFC — will defend the newly-named PFL middleweight championship in the main event of the evening against Costello Van Steenis. Van Steenis comes into this title shot off a 2024 campaign that saw him submit Gregory Babene with a Von Flue choke at the Bellator Champions Series card in Paris and a 48-second head-kick knockout of Joao Vitor Dantas at the 2024 PFL World Championships.

    Dakota Ditcheva, the 2024 PFL women’s flyweight champion and 2023 PFL Europe women’s flyweight champion, returns in the co-main event, taking on Sumiko Inaba. The main card will also feature former Bellator light heavyweight champion Corey Anderson in action at heavyweight against 2024 PFL heavyweight champ Denis Goltsov, as well as former Bellator featherweight champion AJ McKee taking on Akhmed Magomedov.

    Before the five-fight Champions Series card, PFL Africa will host its first event, featuring first-round tournament matchups at heavyweight and bantamweight.

    KSW 108

    Start Time: 12pm ET/9am PT

    Where To Watch: KSWTV.com

    KSW gets a piece of the July 19 action, too, presenting KSW 108 from the Hala Urania in Olsztyn, Poland. Two noteworthy European featherweight up-and-comers do battle in the main event, as Adam Soldaev takes on Leo Brichta. Ibragim Chuzhigaev and Marcin Wójcik face off in the light heavyweight co-main event.

    Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois 2 — Undisputed Heavyweight Title Fight

    Start Time: 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT (Main event ring walks expected, per DAZN, approx. 4:50pm ET/1:50pm PT)

    Where To Watch: DAZN PPV

    For just the second time in the four-belt era of boxing, there will be an undisputed heavyweight champion, as WBA/WBC/WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk faces IBF champion Daniel Dubois.

    Having been an undisputed champion at both cruiserweight and heavyweight, Usyk is just one of three male boxers to win four-belt undisputed gold in two weight classes. He became the first four-belt heavyweight undisputed champion when he defeated Tyson Fury in their first encounter in May 2024 — also becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion overall since Lennox Lewis in 2000.

    With a win in this fight, Usyk would further cement his history by reclaiming the title of undisputed champion of heavyweight boxing; however, he’ll have to get past a familiar foe in Dubois.

    The two first met in August 2023, with Usyk winning by ninth-round knockout to retain the WBA, IBF, and WBO titles. The fight wasn’t without controversy, however, as Dubois and his team have disputed a fifth-round low blow call thrown by Dubois was a legal shot.

    Usyk’s reign as undisputed champion only lasted about a month, as the IBF stripped him of the title as he pursued a rematch with Fury, which Usyk went on to win this past December. That opened the door for Dubois to be promoted from interim to full-time IBF heavyweight champion.

    Dubois — also a former WBA (Regular) heavyweight champion — had won the interim IBF heavyweight belt in June 2024 with an eighth-round stoppage win over Filip Hrgović. He has since successfully defended the IBF world title once, scoring a fifth-round knockout of former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua this past September.

    UFC 318

    Start Time: Early Prelims start at 6pm ET/3pm PT. TV prelims start at 8pm ET/5pm PT. PPV Main Card begins at 10pm ET/7pm PT.

    Where To Watch: Early Prelims available on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass. TV Prelims available on ESPN and ESPN+. Main Card available on ESPN+ PPV.

    For the final time in his illustrious career, “The Diamond” will make his way to the Octagon — and he’ll do so in front of a hometown crowd.

    UFC 318’s main event will be a BMF title fight between defending champion Max Holloway and challenger Dustin Poirier, the latter of whom will be retiring following this event.

    This is the third encounter between the two men. They first met in February 2012 at UFC 143 — Holloway’s UFC debut and just his fifth professional MMA fight. Poirier scored a first-round submission of Holloway. The two would then go on to have lengthy, successful careers before they met a second time at UFC 236. This time, interim UFC lightweight gold would be on the line (it was first UFC fight at lightweight for Holloway, who was the reigning featherweight champion at the time), and Poirier won an entertaining battle by decision.

    Since then, Holloway has dropped the featherweight title but remained one of the UFC’s most entertaining and winning fighters. Poirier has fallen short three times of becoming undisputed lightweight champion, but he picked up career wins in 2021 by scoring a pair of finishes over rival Conor McGregor. Both men, in fact, come into this fight off unsuccessful title shots, with Poirier losing to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 and Holloway losing to Ilia Topuria at UFC 308.

    The BMF belt was established for Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz at UFC 244 in November 2019 but has since gone on to be occasionally defended like UFC’s sanctioned titles. Justin Gaethje knocked out Poirier to win the belt at UFC 291 in July 2023 but was knocked out in highlight fashion by Holloway for the title at UFC 300.

    Mario Barrios vs. Manny Pacquiao — WBC Welterweight Championship

    Start Time: 8pm ET/5pm PT

    Where To Watch: Prelims available on Amazon Prime Video. Main Card available on PBC PPV on Amazon Prime Video & PPV providers

    Whereas we say goodbye to one combat legend in Poirier, another legend makes his return. Legendary boxing world champion Manny Pacquiao will return to the ring to challenge Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title.

    This will be Pacquiao’s first fight since losing a WBA welterweight title fight with Yordenis Ugás in August 2021. Barrios won the WBC interim title by defeating Ugás in September 2023. He retained the interim gold against Fabian Maidana and was promoted to full-time champion not long after. He defended the title once this past November, battling Abel Ramos to a draw.

    The co-main event will feature Sebastian Fundora defend the WBC and WBO super welterweight titles against Tim Tszyu.

    The card will feature three prelims, topped by the return of Gary Russell Jr. against Hugo Castaneda.

    Bonuses For The Mega Fans!

    If you’re just that fight fan that wants to soak up every minute and all the action, we’ve got some bonus bones being thrown your way!

    In addition to all the pre-fight festivities surrounding the fight cards, action gets underway on Thursday, July 17, when UFC Fight Pass airs Tuff-N-Uff 146 at 10pm ET/7pm PT. The main event will see Jamie Siraj take on Marlon Gonzales in a featherweight matchup. The card will also see Leon Shahbazyan, a Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus and the brother of UFC fighter Edmen Shahzabyan, in action against Aaron Phillips.

    Combate Global will also hold on card on Thursday, July 17, in Miami. The main event will see Jaden Ortega in welterweight action against Ivan Castillo. The event will air starting at 8pm ET/5pm PT on Combate Global’s YouTube channel. Those in the US with Samsung TV Plus can watch the action there as well.

    A pair of regional promotions will also hold events on Friday, July 18, as CFFC 144 goes down in Tampa, Florida, and Fury FC 106 takes place in New Orleans. CFFC 144 will be headlined by Auttumn Norton defending the CFFC bantamweight title against Emily Martins and Sean Mora facing Mark Grey for the vacant bantamweight title. Fury FC, meanwhile, will be headlined by Junior Maranhão taking on Artur Minev. Both cards can be watched on UFC Fight Pass.

  • Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois Rematch Pushed To New July Date

    Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois Rematch Pushed To New July Date

    Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois now have a new date locked in to reignite their rivalry.

    According to a recent report by Ring Magazine, the rematch between Usyk and Dubois, originally scheduled for July 12 at Wembley Stadium in London, England, has now been pushed back to July 19.

    The reshuffling was prompted to prevent a scheduling conflict with the newly announced Ring Magazine event, which will be headlined by reigning WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson as he defends his title against the undefeated William Zepeda.

    The two fighters first met on August 23, when Usyk emerged victorious over the up-and-coming Englishman with a dominant ninth-round TKO. However, the outcome was marred by controversy after Dubois landed a body shot in the fifth round that dropped Usyk, with the punch being ruled a low blow.

    Usyk enters this rematch on the back of two dominant decision victories over Tyson Fury last year. The undefeated Ukrainian made history as the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era after his monumental victory over “The Gypsy King” in May.

    However, to secure the highly anticipated rematch with Fury, “The Cat” was forced to vacate his IBF title, which Dubois claimed after defeating Filip Hrgovic in June 2024. Usyk currently holds an undefeated professional record of 23-0, including 14 knockout wins.

    Meanwhile, “Dynamite” is riding the momentum of a three-fight win streak and is coming off a fifth-round knockout victory over Anthony Joshua in September to retain his title. Dubois was initially slated to defend his IBF title against Joseph Parker in February, but had to pull out just two days before the bout due to illness.

    The 27-year-old London native currently impressive professional record of 22-2, with a staggering 21 of those victories coming by way of knockout.

  • Daniel Dubois Ruled Out Of Title Fight, Joseph Parker’s New Challenger Announced

    Daniel Dubois Ruled Out Of Title Fight, Joseph Parker’s New Challenger Announced

    Daniel Dubois has been officially ruled out of his title clash with Joseph Parker.

    Dubois was set to defend his IBF heavyweight title for the first time against Parker this weekend at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The bout was slated to be part of the undercard for the highly anticipated undisputed light heavyweight rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.

    However, rumors swirled on Thursday that “Dynamite” was under the weather and undergoing medical evaluation. As uncertainty loomed over his participation, three potential replacements — Lawrence Okolie, David Adeleye, and Mourad Aliev — reportedly emerged as contenders to step in on short notice.

    After much speculation, The Ring, owned by Turki Alalshikh, confirmed after the event’s pre-fight press conference that Dubois had been officially ruled out of his clash with Parker. In a surprising twist, heavyweight contender Martin Bakole was announced as his short-notice replacement.

    Bakole is on a 10-fight winning streak, last showcasing his power in August with a dominant fifth-round knockout over Jared Anderson. The 31-year-old Congolese boxer holds a professional record of 21-1, with 16 of his victories coming by knockout.

    Meanwhile, Parker enters the bout riding a five-fight winning streak, most recently edging out Zhilei Zhang via majority decision in March 2024. The 33-year-old New Zealander last tasted defeat in September 2022 against Joe Joyce. With a professional record of 35-3, Parker has secured 23 of his victories by knockout.

  • ‘Did To AJ What AJ Did To Ngannou’ – Conor McGregor, Ryan Garcia & Others React As Daniel Dubois Dominates, KOs Anthony Joshua

    ‘Did To AJ What AJ Did To Ngannou’ – Conor McGregor, Ryan Garcia & Others React As Daniel Dubois Dominates, KOs Anthony Joshua

    In what has to go down as one of the most one-sided and jaw-dropping upsets in recent professional boxing history, Daniel Dubois retained the IBF heavyweight championship with a fifth-round knockout of Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium in London.

    Dubois became just the second man to knock out Joshua — and only the third to beat him — in his professional career. The defending champion put on a display that was flat-out dominant and one of the most brutal beatings Joshua received in the ring.

    “Dynamite” brought this pace right from the get-go, rocking the former two-time unified heavyweight champion in the first round and dropping him before the frame’s conclusion.

    The pace did not stop, and Dubois appeared three steps ahead of Joshua. In fact, he rocked “AJ” again in the closing seconds of the third round, knocking him down before the bell sounded.

    Dubois knocked Joshua down again in the fourth stanza, and he appeared to do so for a second time before it was ultimately ruled a slip.

    Things ultimately ended in the fifth, just as Joshua finally seemed to buckle Dubois with a right hand, putting him on the back foot. The fan favorite charged in an attempt to attack but was cracked and dropped by a counter right hook that landed on the button.

    Joshua was unable to answer the 10 count, giving Dubois the win and ensuring the championship wouldn’t change hands.

    Daniel Dubois Puts On Beating, Retains IBF Heavyweight Title With KO Of Anthony Joshua

    https://twitter.com/ChampRDS/status/1837602954385162592

    Dubois has now won three straight since his unsuccessful challenge of Oleksandr Usyk in August 2023. He became interim IBF heavyweight champion with a finish of Filip Hrgović in June and was promoted to full-time champion when Usyk — then-undisputed heavyweight champion — was stripped of the IBF title.

    Meanwhile, this loss snaps a four-fight win streak that Joshua was on since dropping back-to-back WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight championship decisions to Usyk.

    Joshua had previously held the IBF title from his win over Charles Martin in April 2016 (and going on to pick up the WBA and WBO titles in the process) until his infamous June 1, 2019 loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. Joshua regained the titles in a rematch with Ruiz that December.