Russia’s Khariton Agrba claimed the IBA Pro World Welterweight Champion title, beating Sanson Rosa of Argentina in the main event of IBA Champions’ Night Samara.

Rosa came into the contest with a 27-0 record, while Agrba’s winning streak sat at 14, meaning both of their 100% records were on the line.

Agrba enjoyed a positive first half of the fight, choosing his time wisely and striking accurately. Quality over quantity was important for the Russian, who was precise and importantly in a long 10-round contest, was able to frustrate Rosa who was unable to deliver enough strikes in return.

Agrba was not just about consistency, he displayed some great individual punches too – landing a crisp uppercut in the sixth round and a fantastic left hand that landed perfectly on the head of the Argentine. Rosa’s offence was stronger during the middle stages of the bout – particularly rounds three and four – but the consistency and endurance of Agrba was superior in the end, landing him with the title.

In the co-main event, Luxembourg’s Michael King won the IBA Pro European Welterweight Champion title, defeating Vakhid Abbasov from Serbia.

Abbasov was the more impressive in the opening rounds, in a contest that saw flashes of greatness from both, but also a lot of time with the pair locked in a clinch. The Serbian had a superior strike rate, but had to be cautious of how successful King’s right hand was. The fifth round saw a referee’s count against King who was caught off-guard with a flash to the head, touching his gloves to the canvas. Although he recovered quickly, it meant he was likely to fall further behind on points.

Despite the knockdown, King woke up with three rounds to go, brutalising Abbasov in rounds six and seven as the Russian-born boxer went into retreat and sought a clinch, knowing he could drop to his feet. What looked a narrow contest went the way of the Democratic Republic of the Congo-born King, who was clear in the final three rounds, with Abbasov being penalised for his passivity despite the fifth-round knockdown.

Dzhambulat Bizhamov was victorious in the 75kg division, beating Venezuelan Keiber Gonzalez over eight rounds. The Russian found success from the start with left-jab combinations as he tested his opponent’s mettle. Gonzalez would find joy in return, but less frequently. A cut to the corner of the Venezuelan’s eye would cause him some annoyance. The sixth round saw plenty of action from both boxers – Gonzalez came in close with an uppercut and it was responded to with gusto from Bizhamov.

Just as Bizhamov looked on the way to the victory, Gonzalez caught the Russian with a strong right hand that saw him stumble to the mat. He reacted to a count of eight and wanted the crowd to get behind him. Surviving the sixth round, Bizhamov looked rejuvenated and was looking to knock his opponent down himself. A dramatic bout would see the first Russian victor of the night.

Khavasbek Asadullaev from Uzbekistan would win his 67kg division match against a previously undefeated Vadim Musaev (10-0) from Russia. While there was a lovely one-two combination from Musaev at the end of the second round, Asadullaev’s unique footwork was impressive throughout the contest. He was unpredictable in his movement and would deliver damage from close range to the Russian. After six rounds, it was clear that while Musaev had given a good account of himself, Asadullaev was a worthy winner.

Nusratbek Tokhirov of Uzbekistan won over six rounds in the 90kg category, bettering Russian Anton Zaitsev.

A great set of left hooks from Tokhirov put Zaitsev in survival mode early on, but the Russian was able to retreat to his corner without faltering at the end of the first round. Zaitsev may have felt encouragement with the Uzbek dealing with a bleeding nose before the halfway stage, but Tokhirov equally understood the urgency of getting back into the dominant position, delivering punches with a swagger. Despite Zaitsev looking less animated, he was resilient in the final round and looked stronger in the last six minutes, giving his opponent a scare. Ultimately, Tokhirov’s quality in the earlier rounds paid off.

In the opening bout of the night, Mukhammadjon Raufov of Uzbekistan made light work of Gor Tumanyan from Russia in the 69kg division. A referee’s count against Tumanyan came in the first round when the Russian was struck with a hard right hand. Raufov would replicate that move in the second round, and Tumanyan was deemed unable to continue before the end of the third round, not able to defend himself adequately. An impressive opening performance from Mukhammadjon Raufov, who never looked in doubt from the first few punches.

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Media contacts:

Elena Sobol, Head of Communications and PR, International Boxing Association: elena.sobol@iba.sport

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