NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 4: Andy Ruiz Jr. and Damian Knyba trade punches during their heavyweight bout at Prudential Center on September 4, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images)
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It seemed possible as I broke down the fight earlier this week, and on Saturday night in New Jersey, it happened. Damian Knyba pulled off the upset, dropping Andy Ruiz Jr. and winning a unanimous decision.
The 6-foot-7 Knyba used his length and jab to pepper Ruiz through the 12 rounds. Ruiz didn’t have the foot speed, length or activity to overcame Knyba’s gifts and a rock solid gameplan.
In the seventh round, Knyba landed a crushing combination that nearly led to the end of the night for the former champion. Here is a look at the knockdown.
Referee David Franciosi looked like he was stepping in to stop the fight, but Ruiz went down. Once Ruiz got to his feet, Franciosi seemed to give the former champion an extended period to get himself together.
Ruiz responded with a spirited eighth and ninth round, but Knyba got back behind his jab to regain control. It was a good thing he did, as judges Glenn Feldman and Kevin Morgan only scored the fight 114-113 for Knyba.
I had it in Knyba’s favor by a wide margin.
Ruiz vs. Knyba Result
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Winner | Knyba |
| Method | Unanimous Decision |
| Round and time | 12 Rounds |
| Scorecards | (117-110, 114-113, 114-113) |
| Ruiz’s record after | [35-3-1] |
| Knyba’s record after | [18-1] |
| Date | Friday, September 4, 2026 |
| Venue | Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey |
Knyba’s 86-inch reach and his age, 30 years old are major positives. Ruiz is 6-foot-2, 36, and had fought once in four years. The physical case for the upset was never hidden and it was the whole reason this fight was interesting.
Knyba came in off a third-round stoppage by Agit Kabayel in January, with the interim WBC title on the line. That was the step-up that didn’t work. This was the must-win and he got it done.
How They Got Here
| Andy Ruiz Jr. | Damian Knyba | |
|---|---|---|
| Record entering | 35-2-1, 22 KOs | 17-1, 11 KOs |
| Age | 36 | 30 |
| Height | 6-foot-2 | 6-foot-7 |
| Reach | 86 inches | |
| Last fight | Majority draw, Jarrell Miller, August 2024 | TKO3 loss, Agit Kabayel, January 2026 |
| Fights since 2022 | One | Active |
| Career high | Unified champion, beat Anthony Joshua, 2019 | Interim WBC title challenge |
This win over a former unified champion is the best result of Knyba’s career by a distance and repositions him after the Kabayel loss. He has now fought at the Prudential Center repeatedly and has a US base to build on — especially in cities with large Polish contingents.
Ruiz’s situation is different. At 36, turning 37 next week, with one fight in four years and now a loss in his first outing under a new promoter, the questions stop being about the layoff and start being about whether there is a run left at all.
The panel on DAZN which included Shawn Porter, Timothy Bradley and Terence Crawford, seemed to believe Ruiz should call it a career.
Here is a look at all of the results from the card.
Ruiz vs. Knyba Full Card Results
| Bout | Division | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Damian Knyba | Heavyweight, 12 | Knyba by unanimous decision 117-110, 114-113×2 |
| Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs. Austin “Ammo” Williams | Middleweight, 10, WBO Global | Mielnicki by unanimous decision, 98-91, 98-91, 98-91 |
| Alan Chaves vs. Eridson Garcia | Lightweight, 10, WBO Latino | Garcia by unanimous decision, 99-87, 99-88, 98-88 |
| Zaquin Moses vs. Angel Antonio Contreras | Super featherweight | Moses by fifth-round TKO, corner stoppage |
| Kahshad Elliott vs. Jean Pierre Valencia | Middleweight | Elliott by decision |
| Brooke Mullen vs. Bria Miller | Welterweight, 6 | Mullen by decision |
| Jordan Simpson vs. Michael McDonald | Middleweight, 4 | Simpson by stoppage in his professional debut |
| Dennis Thompson vs. Jose Casillas | Super bantamweight | 80-72, 79-73 & 77-75 |
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