Deontay Wilder knocked out by Zhilei Zhang in the fifth round

• Deontay Wilder was knocked out in the fifth round of his fight with Zhilei Zhang in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• In another fight that took place this morning, Daniel Dubois defeated Croatian boxer Filip Hrgovic to win the IBF interim world heavyweight championship

Things continue to go wrong for Deontay Wilder as he suffered another defeat of his career in the hands of Zhilei Zhang.

Wilder was knocked out in the fifth round of his fight with Zhang in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The American found himself off balance after a ferocious blow from his opponent before being brutally floored with a powerful right hand.

Wilder tried to get back on his feet but the referee saw that he couldn’t continue and ended the fight after he struggled to beat the count. The 38-year-old had struggled to get into action all along and it seemed as if defeat was coming his way four a fourth time in his professional career. He has lost four times in his last five matches and it seemed his career might be over as he entertained thoughts of retirement before his showdown on Sunday morning.

Deontay Wilder couldn’t beat the count after being knocked down by Zhilei Zhang in the fifth round. Photo/ NY Fights.

After the fight, he decided not to participate in an in-ring interview where the world would have known his mind. The defeat saw his chance of facing Anthony Joshua fade away. Things have never been the same for Wilder since losing to Tyson Fury.

Meanwhile, Zhang’s career is still going at 41 as the Chinese boxer has recorded 27 wins, two losses and one draw. Interestingly, 22 of his victories have been through knockouts. The southpaw previously held the WBO interim title from 2023 to March 2024.

Deontay Wilder Vs Zhilei Zhang

Deontay Wilder weighed in at 214 pounds, which was 68 pounds lighter than the Zhang. With the 68-pound weight advantage, Zhang was the aggressor in the first round where no memorable punch was landed.

Wilder continued to look a shade of the once-destructive boxer the world knew a few years back as he struggled in the second round.

Zhang’s domination in this fight continued in the third round where he moved forward like one of the finest fighters he is in the heavyweight division.

The fourth round was even much exciting as both fighter exchanged punches in a stellar fashion. Unfortunately for Wilder who had struggled throughout the fight, his last punch came in Round 5. At first, it looked as if he had just found his way into the clash as he connected a right and then followed it with another.

But as the American attacked, he somehow forgot how Zhang had been ferocious in the fight and allowed him to land a glancing right before getting the job done with another punch.

Whereas the fight was a make-or-break for Wilder, it was crucial for Zhang who ended up responding positively after losing to Joseph Parker three months ago.

Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang. Photo/ MMA Fighting.

“I lost to (Joseph) Parker, it was a fair loss. He was the better man that night. I’ve learned since then. As long as the bell doesn’t ring, stay focused. I have to pretend Wilder didn’t have a right hand and I successfully took it away. Road to the championship.” Zhilei Zhang said after his victory over Deontay Wilder, according to Sky Sports.

In another fight that took place this morning, Daniel Dubois defeated Croatian boxer Filip Hrgovic to win the IBF interim world heavyweight championship. Dubois stopped Hrgovic in the eighth round of mandatory fight in Riyadh.

Hrgovic sustained several cuts on his face and was bleeding from the injuries above his eyes, something which led to the doctors advising the referee to stop the fight. Next up for Dubois is fellow Briton Anthony Joshua who has been on an upward trend since losing two consecutive times to Oleksandr Usyk.