Chisora slams Dubois for quitting in Usyk rematch defeat

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

British heavyweight boxer Derek Chisora has accused Daniel Dubois of quitting during his fifth-round knockout loss to Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch for the undisputed heavyweight title at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Chisora, a former opponent of Usyk, claimed Dubois failed to show the aggression needed to win, marking the second time he believes Dubois gave up against the Ukrainian champion.

In an interview with SecondsOut, Chisora was blunt in his assessment: “He quit. He quit again. Yeah, man, he quit. I don’t understand. They were supposed to train different. They did not. It was set for him to win it.”

He argued that Dubois, who was stopped in the ninth round by Usyk in their first fight in August 2023, showed a lack of commitment from the moment he entered the ring.

“I tell you when he quit. He quit when he walked in the ring, because he did not use his double jab. He did not hunt the way he was hunting AJ,” Chisora said, referencing Dubois’ dominant knockout of Anthony Joshua in September 2024.

Chisora, who faced Usyk in 2020 and lost by unanimous decision, expressed disappointment that Dubois did not capitalize on the opportunity to dethrone the 38-year-old champion.

“We came to see him go nuts. He didn’t go nuts, he was holding back. Everybody was there for Daniel, do you understand? It was his to win,” he told SecondsOut.

The comments reflect Chisora’s belief that Dubois, at 27, failed to replicate the aggressive style that led to his recent successes, including wins over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and Joshua.

The rematch, held before 90,000 fans, saw Usyk dominate with his speed and counterpunching, dropping Dubois twice in the fifth round to reclaim the IBF title and become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion.

Dubois, speaking post-fight to DAZN, acknowledged the loss: “I gave everything I had… I take no credit away from the man. But I’ll be back.”

His trainer, Don Charles, praised Usyk as a “generational great” but insisted the young fighter, who holds a 22-3 record, would rebound from the setback.

Chisora’s remarks have sparked debate among fans, with some on X echoing his sentiment, suggesting Dubois appeared disengaged by the fourth round and failed to recover after Usyk’s decisive blows.

Others defended Dubois, noting the challenge of facing a technically superior opponent like Usyk, who remains undefeated at 24-0.

The fight’s outcome has also raised questions about Dubois’ next steps, with potential matchups against Joseph Parker or Chisora himself, who is the IBF mandatory challenger, under discussion.