Oleksandr Usyk won arguably every minute before stopping Daniel Dubois in the ninth round of heavyweight title fight, although a controversial low-blow call in round five is set to dominate the conversation around the IBF, WBA and WBO champion's latest victory.

Returning to the ring a year after beating Anthony Joshua for the second time, Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) opened up an early lead on the scorecards as he peppered Dubois with his quicksilver southpaw jab and masterfully controlled the distance.
Early in the fifth, Dubois crunched a right uppercut towards Usyk's mid-section and appeared to strike him on the waistband of his shorts. It was a borderline shot and referee Luis Pabon did not start a count, meaning Usyk was allowed time to recover from an illegal blow.
After almost four minutes of convalescence, the fighters went back to it, with Dubois marauding forward on the front foot. Usyk's accuracy once his poise returned persuaded the Briton that this was not a sustainable tactic.

Usyk was complaining to the referee in the sixth but Dubois' body shots were unquestionably good on this occasion. It marked his best round of the fight, although it ultimately proved a false dawn.

A rat-a-tat combination left Dubois disorganised at the bell in round seven and three minutes later he was down, with the key shot in a four-punch combination a right to the top of the head.

The champion was merciless in the ninth and drilled a solid right hand into Dubois' jaw. The younger man got to his knee and then his feet but Pabon looked into his eyes and had seen enough.

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