Usyk Took Back the Missing Belt With a Two-Knockdown
Oleksandr Usyk knocked out Daniel Dubois in the fifth round on July 19, 2025, at Wembley Stadium in London. The rematch restored Usyk’s undisputed heavyweight status by returning the IBF championship to his collection of major world titles.
The missing championship had changed hands outside the ring
Usyk relinquished the IBF belt in June 2024 after becoming undisputed champion. The organization then elevated interim champion Dubois to full champion, creating a separate titleholder in the heavyweight division.
Dubois subsequently knocked out Anthony Joshua in September 2024. The Usyk rematch therefore reunited champions whose belts had been separated after Usyk’s earlier undisputed achievement.
Timing and movement frustrated the challenger’s pressure
Dubois tried to impose his size and punching power, but Usyk used angles, accurate counters and varied attacks to interrupt his progress. The Ukrainian increasingly found the openings he needed.
In the fifth, Usyk landed a right hand during an exchange and knocked Dubois down. Dubois rose, but could not halt the renewed attack as Usyk pursued the finish.
A second knockdown completed another undisputed triumph
A left hook sent Dubois down again and ended the contest. Usyk improved to twenty-four wins without defeat, including fifteen knockout victories.
The result repeated his success over Dubois in their 2023 meeting while bringing a different championship reward: recovery of the IBF belt. At Wembley, the combination of patient positioning and decisive fifth-round punching reunited the four major heavyweight titles around one undefeated champion.
Sources
- WBC: two knockdowns, finishing punches and unbeaten record
- WBC: July 19 Wembley championship event
- IBF: Usyk’s June 2024 relinquishment and Dubois’s elevation
- WBA: Dubois’s early pressure, Joshua win and 2023 first meeting
