If there was any doubt that Oleksandr Usyk is the best heavyweight of this time, he probably put that to rest on Sunday with a devastating knockout of Daniel Dubois in Round 5 of their faceoff for the undisputed crown.
With the stoppage victory, the unbeaten Ukrainian became the first men’s boxer to become an undisputed champion for a third time, and he did it in front of some 90,000 fans who packed Wembley Stadium in London. Usyk first reigned as the undisputed champion in 2018 as a cruiserweight in 2018 before doing the same in 2024 as a heavyweight after beating then-undisputed title holder Tyson Fury in a classic.
Oleksandr Usyk Wins Back the IBF Strap
That win over Fury allowed Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) to become the 26th heavyweight to hold all belts of significance (in this case, the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF titles). His reign, though, was short-lived as he gave up his IBF belt rather than give Dubois, the IBF’s mandatory challenger then, a rematch (Usyk knocked Dubois out in 2023 already). Dubois went on to face and beat Anthony Joshua for the IBF diadem.
Usyk ultimately agreed to face Dubois again, and he left no doubt as to who was the superior fighter, dominating the fight before its merciful conclusion in the fifth. Thoroughly in control in the first four rounds, Usyk turned up the heat in the fifth and sent Dubois to the canvas with a crisp right to the head. He then finished the job seconds later with a massive left hook that flattened Dubois and ended the fight.
Who’s Next for Oleksandr Usyk?
Next for Oleksandr Usyk would be his final fight should he make true on his word that the Dubois fight would be his penultimate one. One fighter that who’d make sense for the Ukrainian is Fury, whom he beat again in their rematch later in 2024. Fury, of course, had previously announced his retirement but has since pivoted, saying he’s open to coming back to the sport he once ruled.
Usyk, meanwhile, hinted that Fury, indeed, is a potential next fight while also opening the doors for a longer reign.
“Thirty-eight is a young guy, 38 is only the start,” Usyk said in the ring after making history. “Maybe Tyson Fury, maybe Derek Chisora, maybe Anthony Joshua, maybe Joseph Parker, I don’t know.”
Whoever is next, one thing can’t be denied: Oleksandr Usyk is the best heavyweight of this generation.
