MOSCOW, 28 Aug – Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk said that he would have risen to his feet if the referee had started the countdown after hitting Briton Daniel Dubois.

The heavyweight fight took place in Wroclaw, Poland on Saturday and ended with the victory of the representative of Ukraine by technical knockout in the ninth round. In the fifth round, Usyk fell to the canvas and took a five-minute break after hitting the Brit below the belt. After the fight, Dubois stated that he was stripped of the victory because the blow fell to the body, and his promoter Frank Warren announced his intention to appeal the result of the fight.

Usyk is a World Boxing Association (WBA Super), World Boxing Organization (WBO), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and International Boxing Organization (IBO) world champion. The 36-year-old Ukrainian has 21 wins (14 by knockout) in the professional ring with no losses. The 25-year-old Dubois has 19 wins (18 by knockout) and two losses.