--- title: "Sensation in Newark: former world champion Andy Ruiz lost to Poland's Damian Knyba by unanimous decision" description: "Former heavyweight world champion Andy Ruiz suffered a sensational defeat to Polish boxer Damian Knyba in Newark. The judges awarded the victory to the Pole by unanimous decision, and the American had not won since 2022." date: 2026-09-05T08:44:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/andy-ruiz-lost-to-damian-knyba-in-newark tags: [boxing, andy-ruiz, damian-knyba, heavyweight, newark] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Sensation in Newark: former world champion Andy Ruiz lost to Poland's Damian Knyba by unanimous decision ![Damian Knyba lands a punch on Andy Ruiz in the ring in Newark, sensational boxing match](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/05/andy-ruiz-proigral-damianu-knybe-v-njuarke/andy-ruiz-proigral-damianu-knybe-v-njuarke-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Former world champion Andy Ruiz lost to Damian Knyba by unanimous decision, 117:100, 114:113 and 114:113, in Newark. - Knyba seized the initiative from the opening seconds, sending Ruiz to the canvas with a knockdown in the seventh round. - For Ruiz this is the third loss of his career; his last win came in September 2022, and his previous fight with Miller in August 2024 ended in a draw. - For Knyba the win marked a return to winning ways after his January technical knockout loss to Kabaile. The main event of the boxing card in Newark was the fight between former heavyweight world champion Andy Ruiz and Polish boxer Damian Knyba. The American, best known for his upset over Anthony Joshua, was considered the outright favorite, but the outcome of the bout turned out to be sensational: the judges awarded the victory to the Pole by unanimous decision. The career context of both fighters and the course of the fight are covered in the XAB.info article, citing [Sport RBC.UA](https://www.sport.rbc.ua). ### Sensation in Newark: the ex-champion loses unanimously The Ruiz–Knyba bout was the main event of the Newark boxing card and delivered an unexpected result. Despite his status as a former world champion and his reputation as the favorite, the American lost on all three judges' scorecards. The unanimous decision was recorded with scores of 117:100, 114:113 and 114:113 in favor of Damian Knyba, underscoring how convincingly the Pole won the majority of the rounds. ### The Pole's tactics and the American's passivity From the opening seconds, it was Knyba, not the expected Ruiz, who seized the initiative. The Polish fighter worked the distance intelligently and regularly landed on his opponent, while the American moved unusually passively and failed to impose his usual power style. This shift in roles is reflected in the lopsided 117:100 scorecard on one judge's sheet — the judges saw a clear Polish advantage in the overwhelming majority of the rounds. ### Key rounds: the knockdown and the attempt to fight back The turning point came in the seventh round, when Knyba sent Ruiz to the canvas in a severe knockdown. In the eighth round the American tried to step up his pace and for a while forced the Pole into defense. However, in the championship three-minute rounds (the ninth and tenth) Knyba moved well on his feet and did not allow the ex-champion to change the course of the contest, holding his advantage until the final bell. ### The judges' scorecards and the night's outcome In the end, all three judges awarded the victory to Damian Knyba by unanimous decision — 117:100, 114:113 and 114:113. For Ruiz, this defeat became the third loss of his professional career. The American's last win had come back in September 2022, and his previous fight — against Jarrell Miller in August 2024 — ended in a draw, so this bout was his first in two years and once again did not bring a victory. ### Career context: Ruiz's long layoff and Knyba's form For Damian Knyba, this triumph was an important step after a disappointing previous outing: in January the Pole lost to Agit Kabaile by technical knockout in the third round. Thus, the win in Newark allowed him to return to winning ways and demonstrate competitiveness against a former world champion. For Ruiz, the loss in his first fight in two years only confirms a prolonged decline in form and raises further questions about his future in the heavyweight division. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [A failed return: Joshua's former conqueror loses in his first fight in 2 years](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/boxing/nevdale-povernennya-krivdnik-dzhoshua-prograv-1788597137.html) - Источник подтверждает поражение Руиса от Книбы в Ньюарке, единогласное решение судей, нокдаун в 7-м раунде, а также карьерные даты (ничья с Миллером в августе 2024, последняя победа в сентябре 2022, январское поражение Книбы от Кабаела). ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Who won the Ruiz–Knyba fight and by what decision? **A:** Damian Knyba won by unanimous decision: 117:100, 114:113 and 114:113. ### Q: When was Ruiz's last win and when did he last fight before this bout? **A:** Ruiz's last win dates back to September 2022, and his previous fight — against Jarrell Miller in August 2024 — ended in a draw, so the Newark bout was his first in two years. ### Q: What was Damian Knyba's last fight before the bout with Ruiz? **A:** In January Knyba lost to Agit Kabaile by technical knockout in the third round, so the win in Newark marked his return to winning ways.