Despite a controversial fifth round low blow ruling by the referee, Ukrainian champion Oleksandr Usyk managed to keep the WBA, WBO, and IBF crowns on his side and keep the undisputed fight with Tyson Fury alive.
Usyk - who put all three belts on the line for the second time in his reign - came out to dominate the first four rounds, but in the fifth, a punch a bit below the belt from Dubois put him in trouble. However, referee Luis Pabon ruled it as an illegal punch, and gave Usyk five minutes to recover.
Usyk seized the moment and regained his breath to come out and fight four more rounds, dominating the young WBA 'Regular' champion who was aiming to unify the governing body championship.
Dubois shone again, but it wasn't enough, it didn't take long for him to fall to the experience of Usyk, who ended up knocking him down in the ninth round with a right hook to the face, which would eventually be his end.
The referee counted Dubois to 10, and with 48 seconds left on the clock, decided to stop the fight.
"Boxing is a tough sport, but I'm big. I'm in love with boxing and the ring, but it's boxing and not ballet. It's boxing, a tough sport," said Usyk who improved his record to 21-0 with 14 knockouts.
About the undisputed fight with Fury - who has an October 28 fight against MMA fighter Francis Ngannou, he said: "I'm ready tomorrow, whenever Tyson wants, next fight I want Fury. But when he's ready for me, I have no idea."
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