Breakout Australian fight star Paulo Aokuso is suddenly on the cusp of an IBO light heavyweight title fight — and an impending showdown with division king Artur Beterbiev — after bravely winning his debut Sydney headliner so sick he should have been hospitalised.

The Next Big Thing of Aussie boxing, Aokuso took his undefeated streak to five wins against a game Renold Quinlan inside Sydney’s Entertainment Quarter on Wednesday night.

Despite missing out on the KO he had predicted, the 26-year-old still earned a comprehensive decision result – with all three judges’ scorecards reading 80-72.

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Speaking with Fox Sports Australia afterwards, the fighter’s trainer Lincoln Hudson revealed the southpaw was so sick leading into the No Limit Fight Night, he should have spent the evening in hospital.

Hudson added however that, following the gutsy win, his young charge was now looking to face German light heavyweight contender Adam Deines in just five weeks time.

With Nikita Tszyu set to headline a Sydney Pay-Per-View in August, promoters No Limit are in the final stages of securing a fight between Aokuso and Deines, ranked No.9 with the WBO.

Apart from making the Aussie a genuine contender for WBO champion Artur Beterbiev – who also holds the IBF and WBC straps – the fight will also double as a world title eliminator for the vacant IBO light heavyweight strap.

“So we win our next fight and it’s a guaranteed IBO world title shot,” Hudson said.

The coach also revealed his young charge had battled a serious dose of influenza leading up to the bout that had seen two other fighters from his gym hospitalised.

“He didn’t train for five days,” Hudson said of Aokuso, who kept his illness quiet even after hitting the scales 260 grams heavy at Tuesday’s weigh-in.

“He should be in hospital.

“It’s the flu, that’s going around. He’s had it really bad.

“I’ve actually got two other boys from the gym in hospital with it right now.

“But you can’t pull out of a big fight like this one and Paulo got through.”

Despite his health dramas, Aokuso said backstage after his win that he would have no problems backing up in five weeks time for the showdown with Deines (22-2-1).

Back in 2021, the German fought Beterbiev for the IBF and WBC straps, however was stopped in the tenth. He has since responded with three straight wins, along the way claiming the WBO European light heavyweight crown.

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The bout would be easily the biggest career test for Aokuso, who insisted afterwards he would need only a short turnaround to be ready.

“I wish it could have been better,” he said of the performance against Quinlan. “But I wasn’t 100 per cent today.

“It is what it is.

“I was a bit sick. Woke up this morning with a mad headache.

“But I had to come here and show out.

“Get the job done.

“It’s my main event, first time.

“So I came in and showed out.

“And Renold Quinlan made me throw a lot. Tried to get me tired.

“But I don’t get tired.”

Asked about turning around for the August Pay-Per-View show he said: “We already have somebody lined up, Adam Deines.

“So hopefully we get that over the line.

“I want to rest, get better and hopefully come back to training on Monday next week 100 per cent.

“I want to get (to that world title) as quickly as I can.

“With my power, with my fitness, how many rounds I can go … I feel like I have it all.

“Time will tell.

Speaking prior to the Quinlan bout, Aokuso had predicted he would knock Quinlan out within three rounds.

However, the Aussie boxing mainstay hung tough through eight rounds and, while struggling to find his much younger opponent, never stopped trying for that one punch finish.

“Statements are made by knockouts,” Aokuso said.

“But I feel like showing boxing skills is the way to go.

“It’s boxing for a reason.

“It’s not called ‘Knockout Boxing’ or anything like that.

“Skills pay the bills and that’s what I showed tonight.

“And it felt good and shows that you can do all things through Christ, who strengthens you.

“I said my prayer before I went in and he guided me through it.”

Elsewhere on a big night for Aussie boxing, Jack Brubaker booked himself another Tszyu showdown while undefeated lightweight Youssef Dib earned arguably the gutsiest win of his career – then immediately called out George Kambosos.

Returning to the sport after an absence of more than two years, Brubaker scored a tough decision win over Central Coast super welterweight Troy O’Meley.

Speaking prior to the bout, No Limit CEO George Rose revealed the winner of Wednesday night’s bout would get a shot against the undefeated Nikita Tszyu on his August headliner.

Telling Fox Sports Australia before the bout that he was only back in the sport for Tszyu vengence, Brubaker then went and knocked O’Meley down in the second, fought tough through six and won on all three scorecards 58-55.

Then afterwards, looking down a camera lens, he shouted: “Nikki, let’s go baby.

“I’ll be good to go in five weeks.”

Watching on from home however, Tim Tszyu was clearly unimpressed with the fighter he himself beat in 2019, tweeting: “Nikita whoops both of them in the same night at the same time”.

It was also a massive night for the younger brother of former world champion Billy Dib, who courageously fought back from a sixth round knockdown to stop tough rival Miles Zalewski in the ninth.

As revealed by Fox Sports Australia back in April, Dib is hoping to eventually secure an all-Australian showdown against former unified champ George Kambosos.

It has now been 12 years since the pair fought as amateurs, with Dib almost securing an upset win against the Aussie who would go on to shock the world in 2021 – beating Teofimo Lopez to become the division’s undisputed king.

After securing the IBF Australasian title on Wednesday night, Dib immediately took to the microphone to call out Kambosos – who is himself fighting against IBO lightweight champ Maxi Hughes, Sunday.

“I’m chasing the big fights,” said Dib, whose brother also leapt from the commentary table to join him in the ring. “I’m chasing that George Kambosos fight.

“He called my brother out when he was coming up and I’m calling him out now.”

In the opening fight of the night, Sydney super welterweight Isaias Sette scored the second win of his career with a comprehensive decision win over Ankush Hooda.

Sette dropped his Queensland rival in the third and, after six rounds, won it on all three judges’ scorecards, 59-54.