This coming Saturday is a big day for Asian fighters, with two being involved in world title bouts, several notable rematches, and some notable hopefuls from Japan, Philippines and Tajikstan in action.
City Gym, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan For us the most notable card of the day takes place in Kyoto as we see a major rematch at world level, and two pretty interesting, though easy to over-look, domestic level bouts. The main event of the card will see WBC Light Flyweight champion Masamichi Yabuki (13-3, 12) make his first defense, as he takes on former champion Kenshiro Teraji (18-1, 10), who is looking to avenge his sole and reclaim the title that he lost last year. The hard hitting Yabuki stopped Kenshiro last year, but did so following a controversial headclash, which lead Kenshiro's team to petition for a rematch, that the WBC decided to order. For Yabuki this is a huge chance to prove that his first win wasn't a fluke, and the headbutt ultimately didn't matter, whilst Kenshiro will be determined to reclaim the title, and prove that he wasn't his usual self during that loss. This is a great bout and one that every fan of the lower weights should be very interested in, especially due to the involvement of DAZN in the lower weights. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Yabuki Vs Kenshiro - The Rematch In a notable supporting bout Japanese youth Flyweight champion Yuga Inoue (12-2-1, 2) will be facing off with Shota Asami (9-9, 4). On paper this looks likely to be an easy win for Inoue, however he has struggled several times in recent years, and whilst Asami is no world beater. Inoue is a talented fighter, but lacks power, and can be dragged into close and hotly contested bout against fighters over 8 rounds. As for Asami he is better than his record indicates, and can be very much a banana skin for decent domestic fighters, as we've seen in his wins over Sho Omote and Shun Kosaka. An other support bout is a must win for both men involved as recent Japanese title contender Rikito Shiba (5-2, 3) takes on the once touted Shisui Kawabata (2-3, 2) in a bout that really neither man can afford to lose. Shiba turned professional following a strong amateur background and quickly won the Japanese Youth Light Flyweight title, before losses to Masamichi Yabuki and Shokichi Iwata left his career hanging by a thread. Kawabata on the other hand was regarded as a major prospect when he turned professional in 2019 but has suffered 3 successive losses. Notably not only is this a must win for both men, but also a rematch of a 2019 bout between then, that saw Shiba give Kawabata his first loss, a loss he will be looking to avenge. We don't think this will out-shine the main event, but it will be a very compelling contest in it's own right. Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates The other major show for the day takes place in Dubai, where we get another world title fight, and a very interesting support bout. The world title bout with see English slickster Sunny Edwards (17-0, 4) hunt his second defense of the IBF Flyweight title as he takes on Pakistani challenger Muhammad Waseem (12-1, 8), who gets his second shot at a world title. The slippery and talented Edwards impressed in his title win last year, dethroning Moruti Mthalane, and has been talking very confidently as if he felt he's the man to beat in the division. Hoepfully he'll get the chance to back up his talk later in the year against a fellow champion. As for Waseem, he was a fantastic fighter as an amateur, and a very capable professional, but at the age of 34 it's hard to see him being competitive with the fleet footed champion, though it Waseem will know it's now or never for his career. Or preview of this bout can be read here Waseem takes on IBF champion Edwards In one of the main support bouts unbeaten Tajik fighter Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov (18-0, 10) will take on in form American O'Shaquie Foster (18-2, 11), in a bout at Super Featherweight. Yaqubov has been making a name for himself in Russia, where he has scored decent wins over the likes of Tomas Rojas, Emanuel Lopez and Mark Urvanov, but has lacked a major win so far and needs a break out win. As for Foster he appears to be on a good run with recent wins over Jon Fernandez, Alberto Mercado and Miguel Roman, though has only fought once since the start of 2020, and is more than a year removed form his last fight, so this might be the ideal time to face him. Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines It's not just Japan that will be having rematch, with a notable one in the Philippines between Garen Diagan (8-1, 4) and April Jay Abne (7-1, 3). These two clashed last year with Diagan scoring a notable upset against the wonderfully talented Abne, who was stopped inside a round. For Diagan that's his biggest win so far, and the "Hellboy" will be looking to show he didn't just catch Abne cold, but is the better fighter. As for Abne that was a very embarrassing loss, and one he'll be wanting to avenge and put behind him. Sadly other details relating to this card are few and far between though we do know the unbeaten 20 year old Bryan James Wild (6-0, 5) will be seeking his next win. Sadly his opponent for this show hasn't been announced yet, and we're not expecting anyone too testing, but it's going to be great to follow his exciting career over the coming years. Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, Albert Park, Victoria, Australia At the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre we'll see unbeaten Australian hopeful Kayne Clarke (11-0, 8) looking for his 12th straight win as he takes on Indonesian visitor Agus Kustiawan (18-9-2, 8), who has never won a bout outside of Indonesia and is 0-2 in Australia. Kustiawan is unlikely to pose much of a test for Clarke, but Clarke will likely be wanting to better the 2016 result of Ibrahim Balla, when he stopped the Indonesian in 5 rounds. The Melbourne Pavilion, Flemington, Victoria, Australia Staying in Melbourne, there's going to be a pair of bouts of some Asian interest at the Melbourne Pavilion, sadly though both bouts look like easy wins for locals over poor Thai's. One of the bouts will see Tom Fitzgerald (1-0) seek his second win, as he takes on Thatthakan Samanthong (0-2), in what is a reasonable second bout for the Australian hopeful. The other will be the debut Kha Lu (0-0), who faces win-less 40 year old Prakob Nuankaew (0-2). Hard to complain about bouts like this over 4 rounds, but also very hard to say much more than the obvious, the locals should win, with out too many problems. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia In Malaysia we're expecting to see a bout that was scheduled for back in January, as the unbeaten Adli Hafidz (9-0, 5) takes on Thai veteran Komsan Polsan (40-12-1-1, 26), aka Patomsuk Pathompothong in a bout for the UBO Middleweight title. The 33 year old Hafidz is one of the very, very few noteworthy fighters from Malaysia, and whilst he is a notable local face it's hard to imagine him stepping up to making a mark on the wider regional scene. As for Komsan, he is very under-sized at Middleweight and despite his solid looking record his is 10-10-0-1 in his last 21 bouts, dating back 7 years, including 6 losses by stoppage. It would be a huge surprise to see the 38 year old Thai take home a win here.
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Sun Rise Park Gym, Saga, Japan
This coming Sunday attention turns to the Saga for a rare show in the area, as the Western Japan Rookie of the Year kicks off with a qualifying round of bouts. As with all Rookie of the Year shows there's no real recognisable names on the card, but the match ups do give novices a chance to begin their career, and begin taking strides towards the All Japan final later in the year. The two bouts we are most interested in on this card will see youngsters taking on older fighters. One of those bouts is a contest at Super Bantamweight between 18 year old Kotetsu Shin (0-0) and 31 year old Sho Yamanaka (0-0), who meet in an all debutant bout. The match up is in a consistently tough division in Japan, and but one that Japan does seem to develop some fantastic fighters in. As with all bouts between debutants it's hard to predict an outcome, but these bouts do tend to be a lot of fun, with two novices each throwing heavy leather in the hope of a debut win. The other bout of real interest will take 4lb higher up, at Featherweight, as Shido Arai (1-1, 1) battles Kyosuke Okamoto (0-0). The 31 year old Arai made his debut in 2009, losing a decision, before leaving the sport for 12 years. He returned last year with a win, and now, aged 30, is looking to progress his career. Okamoto on the other hand is an 18 year old debutant who should tower over his foe here. Again it's hard to predict an outcome, but it should interesting to see how Arai copes with being the much smaller man, and how Okamoto looks on his debut. The Flash Grand Ballroom of the Elorde Sports Complex, Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines
The biggest show for Asian fight fans this Saturday comes from the Philippines, where fans get a genuinely great looking card. The best bout on this card will see former Filipino amateur stand out Charly Suarez (9-0, 6) take on the once beaten Tomjune Mangubat (15-2-1, 12), in a bout for the WBA Asia Super Featherweight title. Of the two men there is no doubting that Saurez is the more talented, and the one with the bigger reputation, however he is now 33 and it seems he could end up aging out of the sport before ever landing a massive fight, and getting a chance to show what he's really capable of. Aged 24 Mangubat is an exciting hopeful, who has won his last 4, following a thrilling loss in Vietnam to Jong Seon Kang in a very over-looked 2019 war. This is a step up for Mangubat, but he'll know a win here puts him in the mix for some interesting fights later in the year. Another really interesting match up on this card will see GAB Super Bantamweight champion Carl Jammes Martin (18-0, 15) look to add to his title collection, as he takes on Ronnie Baldonado (15-2-1, 9) in a bout for the WBA Asia title. Martin has long been seen as a future star for the Philippines and is one of the countries most highly regarded prospects, despite still only being 22 years old. He's exciting, aggressive and explosive, but will be expected to work incredibly hard to win here as he takes on the solid, though naturally smaller, Baldonado. Notably Baldonado has mixed with good company, with his 2018 loss to Kosei Tanaka standing out, but will be up against a naturally much bigger and stronger man. A third title bout on this show will see GAB Flyweight champion Bienvenido Ligas (13-2-2, 9) and defending his title against Roland Jay Biendima (15-10-1, 8), in a bout that looks like a mismatch, but should be more competitive than the records of the men suggest. Ligas is a genuine talent, but has struggled in recent fights, fighting to a draw with Miel Fajardo and losing to April Jay Aben in his last two fight, and needs a solid win here to get things back in track. Biendima on the other hand has lost his last 5, but has mixed at a very good level, with those losses to Kento Hatanaka, Christian Araneta, Jade Bornea Esneth Domingo and Aston Palicte. We suspect this one will end up being the stealing bout, and is a real test for the champion. One of the most notable names on this card will be former world title challenger Michael Dasmarinas (30-3-2, 20), who will be fighting for the second time since losing in 2021 to Naoya Inoue. The talented Dasmarinas will be in what should be a very, very easy bout here as he takes on the limited Danny Tampipi (9-14-2, 5), who has shown himself to be tough, but very limited. Also on this card is an interesting match up between Jess Rhey Waminal (14-4-1, 8) and the big punching Jon Jon Estrada (14-8-1, 13), which is a genuinely tough one to call, and a stay busy bout for the criminally under-rated Richard Pumicpic (22-12-2, 7), who faces Pablito Canada (7-20-4, 1) in what should be little more than a straight forward win for Pumicpic. Saigon Sports Club, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Staying in Asia, there is also set to be an interesting show in Vietnam, where we see a regional title fight, along with a couple of local prospects in interesting fights against hard hitting visitors. The main event will be a battle of unbeaten men, as 29 year old local hopeful Huu Toan Le (3-0, 2) takes on 19 year old Thai fighter Kitidech Hirunsuk (8-0, 5) for the WBA Asia Minimumweight title. The unbeaten Lee debuted in 2019 and has had his last two fights on the road, fighting in Thailand and the Philippines, against very low level foes, with the most recent of those coming way back in 2020. As for Hirunsuk the teenager debuted in 2020 and fought as recently as February, picking up his 8th win in just 15 months. Notably the Thai has scored 5 wins in just the first 3 rounds, and will be looking to set a fast start here, in what is a notable step up for both men. Talking about stepping up, that's also the case for 23 year old local Hong Dat Vo (1-0, 1), who takes on in form Thai puncher Jirawat Thammachot (6-2, 6). The unbeaten Vo made his debut in 2019, stopping Ramly Pasaribu, but then vanished from the pro-ranks, and will be looking to make up for lost time in the near future. This is a great chance for him to make up for almost 3 years of lost time, but it's a step up that comes up with genuine risk. Thammachot made his debut in 2020 and lost his first two bouts to highly regarded local fighters, but has bounced back with 6 straight wins, albeit against incredibly poor opponents. In a battle of teenagers we'll see Arvin Jhon Paciones (0-0) make his debut against Adisak Ketpiam (7-2, 6). Paciones is a 17 year old Vietnam based Filipino fighter who will be looking to kick his career off here in a 6 rounder, which always catching the attention no matter how old a fighter is. Ketpiam on the other hand is an 18 year Thai who debuted in 2018 against current world champion Panya Pradabsri, losing in 5 rounds, but has rebuilt and shown some impressive power, albeit against very poor local opponents. It's an interesting match up and one that features two youngsters who aren't afraid to pick up losses early in their careers. Rumours International, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia Over in Australia we'll see some we'll also see an Asian fighter in action. The Asian in question will be Australian based Filipino veteran Jack Asis (38-24-5, 19), in what will be his 68th professional bout. The 38 year old, dubbed "The Assassin", hasn't had his opponent named at the time of writing, but with 4 straight losses, 3 by TKO, the hope is that this will be an easy one for him, and a chance for him to bow out on a win, rather than another painful loss. Cathedral Room at St. Nicholas, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Over in the US 30 year old Basyzbek Baratov (5-1-2, 1), from Kyrgyzstan, will be taking a notable step up in class to take on Alexander Castellano (6-1, 2) over 8 rounds. To date Baratov's opponents have had a combined record of 6-3, with 3 of his 8 foes being debutants. It's worth noting that Baratov isn't the only one stepping up here, with Castellano fighting his only his second opponent with more wins than losses, and he lost the last time he faced an opponent like that. It's an interesting one, and a hard one to predict, but it's clear that neither of these men have the tools or ambition to go too far in the sport. Korakuen Hall
This coming Thursday we'll see the next show from Misako, and although it's not a big show, it's an interesting one, with two ranked fighters, a several fights which could be exciting and explosive. The first notable bout will be fought at a contracted 61KG's, around 156.5lbs, and will see Kentaro Miyamoto (4-2, 2) take on Eiki Kani (4-1-2, 1) in an interesting contest between two men at very different points in their careers. In one corner is a 35 year old southpaw, Miyamoto, who began his career back in 2009, and took a 10 year sabbatical, from 2011 to 2021, before starting something of a comeback late last year. The 20 year old Kani on the other hand debuted in 2019 and reached the All Japan Rookie of the Year final last year, losing to Katsuhiro Nakata in February. In his performances so far Kani has looked exciting, promising and fun to watch. As with most Japanese fights around the Middleweight division this should be low level, but fun, exciting and a bit of a brawl, and we suspect the youth of Kani will be the difference maker. Talking about potential brawls, we could end up with an explosive one as the hard hitting Hayato Ono (8-4-1, 8) takes on JBC ranked Lightweight Kei Iwahara (10-7, 5). The heavy handed Ono has failed to win any of his last 3, though is hard hitting and will feel he has the power to take out the naturally smaller Iwahara. As for Iwahara he has lost his last two, and will know that if he comes up short here he will likely lose his Japanese ranking. Notably Iwahara has shown questionable durability and that could be a major issue here, though he is the more talented fighter. Another Japanese ranked fighter on this card is Hokuto Matsumoto (7-4-1, 1), who takes on Shun Akaiwa (6-3-1, 4) in the main event of the card, at 140lbs. Matsumoto has struggled in recent fights, gong 2-3-1 in his last 6, but has shown his ability with a good win over Shinnosuke Saito last year and a good draw with Ryuji Ikeda, also last year. Sadly for him he lacks power and will find it hard against the top domestic fighters at 140lbs. As for Akaiwa he is upset minded, as we saw in 2020 against Kenta Endo, but he hasn't looked great in recent bouts and has lost 2 of his last 3. This one is is an interesting one, that could go either way, and is rightfully the main event of a decent lower level domestic card. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan This coming Tuesday we get the next show from Hideyuki Ohashi, as the former world champion and current promoter of Naoya Inoue, gets the chance to show case some of the bright young talent coming through the Japanese ranks, including several fighters desperate to bounce back from recent losses. One of those fighters looking to bounce back from a recent loss is former OPBF Bantamweight champion Kazuki Nakajima (10-1-1, 8), who was last seen being stopped by Keita Kurihara. He'll be hoping to get back to winning ways here as he takes on the pout of form Shohei Kawashima (18-6-2, 4), who has lost 4 of his last 5 and been stopped in his last 3. Although we'd understand Nakajima being low on confidence his team really couldn't have matched him with a made "made to order" opponent, given the recent form, and questionable durability, of Kawashima. A smart bit of match making from the Ohashi team, and a good to get their hard hitting fighter his 11th win. Another notable Ohashi Gym fighter looking to get to winning ways is Taku Kuwahara (8-1, 4), who lost last year in a Japanese Flyweight title bout against Seigo Yuri Akui. The talented Kuwahara gave Akui a really good fight last year, and is getting a chance to rebuild as he takes on the limited Takashi Hisano (6-5-1, 3), in what is a massive step up for Hisano. This, much like the Nakajima fight, is about getting the talented Ohashi man back to winning ways, before bigger and better fights in the near future. The most noteworthy bout on the card is, oddly, somewhat buried in the middle and that's a bout which will see Japanese Youth Super Bantamweight champion Haruki Ishikawa (9-3, 7) defending his title, for the first time, as he takes on Ryuya Tsugawa (8-1, 4) in a very good looking bout. Although no world beater Ishikawa is an exciting fighter, with nasty power, and a really fun, aggressive style and will be looking to take out Tsugawa. Tsugawa on the other hand has gone on a really run recently, winning 4 in a row, 3 by TKO, and will feel this is his chance to shine. Our in depth preview of thius bout can be read here Ishikawa takes on Tsugawa in first title defense Interestingly both of the men from the fight above have lost to Yusie Fujikawa, in fact Fujikawa beat them in back to back fights in 2018, before seemingly vanishing from the sport afterwards leaving us wondering what could have been for him, and his career. One final bout worth talking about is a bout between the touted Rikuto Adachi (15-3, 11) and Middleweight veteran Toshihiro Kai (6-13-3, 2). Adachi was once regarded as a genuine hopeful, but with stoppage losses in 2019, to Kudura Kaneko, and in 2021, to Takeru Kobata, there is a real worry about his future and it's going to take time for him to mature physically and develop his boxing. A bout like this has clearly been put together for Adachi to not only get a win, but also get some rounds against a naturally bigger man who's also a southpaw. As with the Nakajima and Kuwahara bouts this is smart matchmaking, but not the type of bout that will make for anything too competitive. This card was also supposed to feature a bout featuring the very highly regarded prospect Ryutaro Nakagaki (2-0-1, 2), who was supposed to take on the experienced but light punching Toma Kondo (8-7-1, 1), but this one was sadly cancelled back in mid February. Bohol, Philippines
This coming Monday attention turns to Bohol, where we see a touted Filipino hopeful take a massive step up to take on a former world title challenger in one of several bouts featuring promising hopefuls. The main event of the card will see the unbeaten Regie Suganob (9-0, 3) take on Ricardo Sueno (10-4-4, 3) in what a really solid fight, and a good chance to compare Suganob to other notable hopefuls, such as Thanongsak Simsri and Taku Kuwahara. The talented Suganob is 24 years old and debuted in 2018 in some low profile bouts, but since then has impressed and progressed and is moving in the right direction. Sueno started his career well but has lost 2 of his last 3, albeit at a high level, and should serve as a genuine test for his unbeaten foe here in what could be a a very good domestic bout. On paper the co-feature is a really interesting one, as Rodel Suganob (5-0-1, 1) takes on Vergilio Silvano (21-7-1, 12), but it's one that probably isn't going to be all that competitive. The 25 year old Suganob debuted in 2019 and suffered a draw last year and has had a career that has been slowed due to the pandemic, but he did pick up 3 wins in the last half of 2021 and has bounced back well from a draw to Luis Borje, however he has yet to score a win over a fighter with a winning record. As for Silvano he's been a professional since 2007, and is best known for his 2013 bout with Katsunari Takayama for the IBF Minimumweight title. Sadly since that loss to the Lightning Kid Silvano has moved up in weight, gone 4-4 and been out of the ring since 2016. Given Silvano has once win in the last 7 years, has lost 3 of his last 4 and has been out of the ring for more than 6 years it's hard to imagine him winning here, though a prime Silvano would have asked serious questions of Suganob Central Gym, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
This coming Sunday attention turns to Kobe, for the return of a former world champion, and several notable domestic scraps. The main event of the card is the long awaited return to the ring of former WBO Minimumweight champion Ryuya Yamanaka (16-3, 5), who retired after losing the WBO title to Vic Saludar back in 2018. Yamanaka suffered a brain bleed in that bout, and it was assumed his career was over until the boxing bug bit Yamanaka, an the JBC also changed their rules. He and his team have clearly taken his long lay off and health situation in mind when match him here, as he'll be in a 6 rounder against the limited and light punching Daisuke Sudo (7-8-3), in what should be an emotional night for Yamanaka, and a really interesting assignment for him, given the issues he's been through. As for Sudo, he's better than his record suggests, and did go 8 rounds with the hard hitting Kento Hatanakaa last year, but will be regarded as a safe comeback opponent for Yamanaka. Arguably the most interesting bout on the show takes place at 105lbs, as the talented Goki Kobayashi (2-0, 1) takes on Sora Takeda (6-3, 1) in a really good 8 rounder, in the middle of the card. Kobayashi debuted less than a year ago, and is already moving into 8 rounders, but has already shown enough to be excited by, and he clearly has the potential to be mixing in title level bouts in the next 12 to 24 months. He's incredibly promising. Takeda on the other hand has proven to be a solid domestic level fighter, winning Rookie of the Year in 2018 and giving Katsuki Mori a good, competitive, and exciting bout in 2021. Kobayashi should be too good, but Takeda will not be in the ring to just roll over, and is a genuine potential banana skin here. Also in the middle of the card we'll see the out of form Arashi Iimi (7-4, 7) take on JBC ranked Yuna Hara (10-2-1, 5). Iimi started his career really well, winning his first 4 and reaching the 2017 All Japan Rookie of the Year final, but has since gone 3-4. He's limited, he has questionable durability, but he can also punch, and 5 of his wins have come in the first 2 rounds, showing he's dangerous early on. Sadly for him however he has been stopped 3 times and has lost his last 3. As for Hara he has been brought through quite softly to be honest, but managed to get some good rounds, get some experience and has won his last 4 to earn a Japanese ranking at 130lbs. Iimi can certainly punch hard enough to hurt Hara, but Hara should be the favourite with his more accomplished skillset. Another fight with a Japanese fighter will see Shion Tamada (6-4, 3) take on JBC ranked Bantamweight Yuki Yonaha (10-3-1, 7) in another scheduled 8 rounder. The 25 year old Tamada has got some skills, but has lost 3 of his last 6, and has shown a lack of real toughness and stamina in some of those bouts. He clearly has something to work with, despite his record, but we can't help feeling he's missing too many things to go far, including confidence in himself. As for Yonaha he's a 31 year old who was tipped for big things but has had some stumbles in his most notable bouts. Despite his slip ups he does seem to be finding something of a groove recently, having won his last 3 and is expected to continue that run here, likely doing so in comprehensive fashion Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Saturday we get the next Dynamic Glove show. Sadly it's not the best looking, with only really two bouts of note. One of those is a Japanese title bout, between two men who fought last year, and the other has the potential to be a thrilling firefight. The main even will see Japanese Light Flyweight champion Shokichi Iwata (7-0, 5) face off with Toshimasa Ouchi (22-11-3, 8), in what will be Iwata's first defense of the title and comes just 9 months after he easily defeated Ouchi in an 8 rounder. It's fair to say that Iwata is getting better with every fight, and the first one with Ouchi was a good test, at that time, for him and allowed him to get some rounds with a capable fighter. Sadly though this feels like going over old ground for a man who has just won the national title in a division where Japan has a number of elite fighters, such as Hiroto Kyoguchi and Masamichi Yabuki. A bout will someone like Riku Kano could have made for an excellent world title eliminator,. As for Ouchi the 36 year old has come up short at title level before and given his age is certainly on the slide, especially for a fighter in the lower weights. It should be a good test of Iwata's stamina over 10 rounds, but not a huge test of his ability, sadly. Our full, in depth preview, of this bout can be read here Iwata hunts first defense as he takes on veteran Ouchi Thankfully we are set for a something special in the chief support bout, as Yamato Hata (11-1, 10) takes on Yoji Saito (3-2-2, 3). Both of these men are flawed, neither is going to make a mark on the global stage and neither is really expected to get beyond Japanese level. However, both guys can bang, both are exciting, aggressive and should be looking to prove their power and toughness in what should be a show stealing war...for as long as it lasts. Vladimir, Russia As well as the action in Japan there is also a show in Russia featuring several fighters from Central Asia. The most notable of two Uzbekistani fighters is Eldor Abdukodirov (8-1, 6), who seeks his 7th straight win as he takes on the limited Pavel Mamontov (12-14-3, 1). Coming in to this Abdukodirov has gone on a good looking run since a 2019 loss to Ivan Nikonov, but his competition during that run has been absolutely awful, with a number of win-less fighters. Amazingly this is actually a step up for Abdukodirov, but should be regarded as a very easy one, with Mamontov having gone 0-10-1 in his last 11 bouts. Another Uzbekistani fighter on this show is Shodilbek Sharobiddinov (3-3, 2), who will be expected to be pick up his first win of the year, as he takes on Russian veteran Aleksandr Saltykov (12-68-3, 7). On paper Sharobiddinov is clearly not a fighter going places, however Saltykov has gone 0-20 in his last 20 bouts dating back to 2018 and we suspect this will be his 21st straight loss for the now 42 year old. |
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