Oleksandr Usyk records controversial knockout win against Daniel Dubois

On a hotly contested night in Wroclaw, Poland, Oleksandr Usyk climbed off the canvas in the fifth round before stopping Daniel Dubois in the ninth.

Usyk was knocked down by a right hand to the body by Dubois but referee Luis Pabon deemed it to have been low.

As a result of the victory, the Ukrainian kept his WBA, WBO, IBO, and IBF heavyweight belts.

Replays revealed that the shot appeared to be on the verge of being deemed a good one depending on interpretation.

In the fifth round, Dubois missed his opportunity to capitalize on the knockdown and four rounds later the revitalized Usyk stopped him with a right hand.

Usyk came to this defense of his world heavyweight belts to a place with a sizable Ukrainian presence just two days after the country celebrated its Independence Day.

Usyk had to employ his exceptional sense of space because he was clearly the shorter man.

In the seventh round, Dubois seemed to be having his way with Usyk, but the world champion turned the situation around and increased the pressure.

With a double jab, cross-hook, and cross combination in the eighth round, Usyk made an important step forward that prompted Dubois to submit.

However, Usyk returned to work right away in the ninth, and the outcome was already obvious.

The performance ended with a precise lead hook that landed on Dubois' chin, but Pabon waved it off despite his attempts to stand back up.

Usyk can now meet WBC champion Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia early in the following for a massive heavyweight undisputed showdown.