The first encounter between Usyk and Dubois was in Wroclaw, Poland, in August 2023. It was a fight not many gave Dubois a hope of winning, but he floored the reigning champion in the fifth round. The referee, though, immediately called a low blow and Usyk was controversially given time to recover. The Ukrainian had the mostly partisan crowd on his side, but Dubois' team at ringside were furious with the decision. The call is still being debated and was a major talking point at the announcement news conference. Once the fight resumed, Usyk quickly went to work, slowly chipping away at Dubois' energy reserves. By the eighth round the Briton looked exhausted and frustrated when he tried to fend off a flurry of shots. He hit the canvas, managed to get to his feet, but was then dropped again in the ninth round and couldn't beat the referee's count. Aside from the controversy over the low blow, Usyk was the better fighter with a more controlled display. He landed more shots, 88 to 47, and was the more accurate puncher with 25% landing compared to 16% for his opponent. But will Dubois target the body more in the rematch to come out on top?