WROCLAW, Poland (AP) — Oleksandr Usyk successfully retained his heavyweight boxing titles by stopping British challenger Daniel Dubois in the ninth round on Saturday.

Fighting for the first time in more than a year and cheered on by fans waving Ukrainian flags, Usyk knocked down Dubois in the eighth round. Referee Luis Pabon stopped the fight when Usyk dumped him again in the ninth with a stiff right to the jaw.

Usyk remained unbeaten at 21-0 after his second defense of the WBA, IBF and WBO belts he took from Anthony Joshua in 2021 and held after rematch a year later.

Dubois' record dropped to 19-2.

It was only Usyk’s fifth career fight at heavyweight and his fourth in a row against British boxers.

The win could mean a new push for a unification fight with WBC titleholder Tyson Fury, to crown the heavyweight division’s first undisputed champion since 2000. Talks to stage that fight collapsed this year, prompting Usyk to take on Dubois, the WBA mandatory challenger.

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