Last Saturday night’s fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois nearly marked a historic moment for British boxing. At just 27, Dubois had the chance to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. However, history didn’t repeat itself for the Brits, as the Ukrainian maestro once again dominated in the ring. Interestingly, reports days after the fight suggest that Dubois may have been celebrating a bit too early.

Usyk relied on his slick movement and technical brilliance to outclass and eventually overpower Dubois in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium. Despite being on enemy turf, the 38-year-old Ukrainian had the crowd behind him, with chants of ‘Usyk’ echoing through the arena. He dropped Dubois twice before referee Michael Griffin waved off the bout in the fifth round. Now, in the aftermath of Dubois’ underwhelming performance, backlash is intensifying as reports of a pre-fight party surface online.

Daniel Dubois’ 70-person party is a bit much

Happy Punch reported on Instagram, “Daniel Dubois had a 70-person party at his house just hours before fighting Oleksandr Usyk,” sharing a video montage that included footage from the party, his arrival at the venue, and his final dramatic knockdown during the fight. “He pulled up to the venue less than 90 minutes before his ring walk.”

Coming off three dramatic knockout wins over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and Anthony Joshua, Dubois had been touted as a new and improved version of himself. Many experts doubted Usyk’s chances of beating a more aggressive and focused Dubois before the fight started last weekend. However, Usyk continued his tradition of winning rematches. 

Regardless, when the public caught wind of Dubois’ pre-fight party on the social media platform, all hell broke loose. Netizens quickly started exploding, as they asked the former IBF heavyweight champion to get rid of his entire team.

The Oleksandr Usyk loss hits Dubois a second time

Despite all the hype surrounding Dubois from his previous victories, the reality was clear—he never truly stood a chance against the Ukrainian heavyweight legend. The fight only made that disparity obvious, and the revelation of his pre-fight party has only added fuel to the criticism. “No wonder he fought like a drunk at a bar,” one user mocked. Usyk’s swift footwork made it difficult for Dubois to land many heavy shots, and when combined with the Ukrainian’s precision punching, it ultimately sealed Dubois’ fate.

Even the next user mocked the Brit for his choice of partying. “Great professional choice,” the user wrote. It remains unclear why Dubois was in a celebratory mood, especially with the biggest test of his career still ahead of him. It’s possible that it’s a tradition in Dubois’ camp, or the fact that it was one of the biggest fights in British boxing could have been the reason. 

Meanwhile, this user asked Dubois to take some drastic actions. “Fire your whole team, u failed urself,” the user commented. It’s worth noting that tensions and reported issues have surfaced between Dubois and his head trainer, Don Charles. However, aside from that, Dubois seems content with the rest of his team, making a complete overhaul unlikely.

Another user had a theory behind Dubois’ celebrations before the fight started. “Bro was just happy to get paid 🙌,” the user wrote. Reportedly, the combined purse for the fight reached a staggering $203.5 million (£151.3 million), with ‘DDD’ earning $71.22 million (£52.95 million), while Usyk walked away with a hefty $132.28 million (£98.35 million).

While many criticized Dubois for partying before the biggest fight of his career, one user offered a different perspective, suggesting it wouldn’t have made a difference either way. “Sure, but that’s not the reason he lost. Usyk [is] just too good for these men,” the comment read. Undefeated and dominant, Usyk has now cemented his legacy as a three-time undisputed champion across two different weight classes—a rare and historic feat.

After all the backlash, whether Daniel Dubois chooses to make changes—not just within his team, but in his overall approach to fighting—remains to be seen. One thing is certain: if he hopes to earn another shot at the undisputed title, or any title for that matter, he’ll need to rebuild from the ground up. As for his decision to party before the biggest fight of his career—what do you think? Was it overconfidence, poor judgment, or something deeper?