(London) Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk retained his WBA, IBF and WBO world heavyweight belts by dominating British hopeful Daniel Dubois by knockout despite some scares, on the night of Saturday to Sunday Wroclaw in Poland.

The 36-year-old world champion enforced his rank with a 21st career victory (zero losses) against Dubois, 25, his official challenger after negotiations to set up a fight against WBC champion Tyson Fury failed.

At the Stadion Tarczynski in Wroclaw (western Poland), won over to his cause, Usyk had an alert in the fifth round, gasping for breath after being hit in the lower abdomen. But he came to his senses and put his opponent down with a direct right in the eighth round.

The Ukrainian had won the three belts in September 2021 against holder Anthony Joshua, before retaining them in a rematch organized in August 2022.