(CNN)- Anthony Joshua lost the opportunity to become a three-time heavyweight world champion this Saturday night when he lost to his British opponent Daniel Dubois in the fifth round.
After dominating the first four rounds, Dubois completed the defence of his IBF heavyweight belt with a devastating right hand to Joshua’s chin at 59 seconds of the fifth round, against a record crowd of 96,000 at Wembley Stadium in London.
The result was a major surprise, as Joshua had been in good form having won his previous four fights, including a spectacular second-round knockout of Francis Ngannou in March.
Having hoped to finish as world heavyweight champion on Saturday – which would put him in perfect position to fight the winner of December’s rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk and potentially become the division’s undisputed champion – Joshua is now struggling to recover.
The 34-year-old, who has lost four times in 32 fights, has a rematch clause that his promoter, Eddie Hearn, expects him to exercise. There is also the possibility that he will face Fury and Usyk.
“It’s a credit to him and his team. We rolled the dice but we failed,” Joshua said after the fight. “We keep rolling the dice. I had a strong opponent, a strong opponent and a lot of mistakes on my part, but that’s the game.”
Joshua immediately started the fight on the wrong foot, landing a right hand to his chin in the first round.
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Dubois kept up the attack in the second and third rounds, in the last of which he surprised his opponent with a big left hook that sent Joshua falling between the ropes, and then launched another series of punches that dropped Joshua a second time.
The favorite was saved by the bell, but fell again in the fourth round after another left hook from Dubois.
In the fifth, Joshua began what would have been an impossible comeback, as Dubois began to tire. But it was short-lived, as Dubois knocked down his opponent one last time. Despite Joshua’s attempts to right himself, the fight was over.
This is undoubtedly the best moment of Dubois’ career so far, and the 27-year-old now has the chance to fight for the undisputed world heavyweight title when Fury and Usyk rematch in December.
“I only have a few words to say: ‘Are you not entertained?'”
“I am a gladiator, a warrior to the end. “I want to reach the highest level of this sport and reach my full potential.”
“I’ve been on a roller coaster. “This is my moment, this is my redemption story, and I’m not going to stop until I reach my full potential.”
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