By Keith Idec
Daniel Dubois extended his knockout streak Saturday night in London.
The unbeaten British heavyweight prospect stopped Tom Little in the fifth round on the Martin Murray-Roberto Garcia undercard at O2 Arena. London’s Dubois has now knocked out each of his eight professional opponents.
The 20-year-old Dubois dropped Little with a body shot in the fourth round. Once the hard-hitting Dubois unloaded a barrage of unanswered body and head shots early in the fifth round, referee Terry O’Connor stepped in to stop the one-sided fight 58 seconds into the fifth.
If nothing else, the 6-feet-5, 236½-pound Dubois boxed beyond the third round for the first time since making his pro debut in April 2017.
The 6-feet-6, 250-pound Little predicted he’d take Dubois deep into their fight and punish the highly regarded prospect. A poised Dubois delivered virtually all of the punishment, though, on his way to winning the British Boxing Board of Control heavyweight title.
The 30-year-old Little lost by knockout in a second straight fight and for the third time since making his pro debut in July 2011. Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic (5-0, 4 KOs) stopped Little (10-6, 3 KOs) in the fourth round of Little’s previous bout, a scheduled eight-rounder January 27 in Riga, Latvia.
Dubois floored Little by connecting with a left hand to the body about 40 seconds into the fourth round. Little complained to O’Connor that the left to the body Dubois landed later in the fourth was a low blow, but O’Connor ordered Little to continue fighting.
A flush right hand by Dubois caused Little to retreat about 45 seconds into the third round.
Dubois landed a combination to the head and then a right to the body that made Little hold him when there was just over a minute remaining in the second round. Dubois battered Little with an array of power punches to the head later in the second round, but Little landed a hard left hook that temporarily stopped Dubois from throwing punches.
Dubois tagged Little with an overhand right just prior to the halfway mark of the first round. A left hook by Dubois wobbled Little with just under a minute left in the first.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
