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Qazaqstan Track and Field Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan
This coming Friday we turn our focus on a bootable show in Kazakhstan, featuring a host of notable Kazakh fighters, in some very matchups. On paper one of the stand out bouts will see the hard hitting and exciting, yet flawed, Ali Akhmedov (23-1, 17) take on former world title challenger Maciej Sulecki (32-3, 12) in a bout for the WBC Silver Light Heavyweight title. Akhmedov began his career 16-0 (11) but became something of a forgotten man after his thrilling loss to Carlos Gongora back in 2020. Since that loss he has been gradually rebuilding, winning 7 in a row including wins over David Zegarra, Gabriel Rosado, and a controversial win over Pierre Hubert Dibombe. He’s a long way from where he once was, but he’s rebuilding his moment, and this will be his 5th bout in 12 months. As for Sulecki, the 35 year old Polish fighter was once a very solid contender, losing decisions to Danny Jacobs and Demetrius Andrade, whilst notching wins over the likes of Grzegorz Proksa, Hugo Centeno Jr, Jack Culcay. Notably however he was stopped last year by Diego Pacheco and has fought only 5 times since 2020, scoring 4 low level losses and suffering the loss to Pacheco. Once a solid fighter Sulecki is a good 5 years past his best and Akhmedov’s team have seemingly picked him due to the fact he’s on the slide. In another bout we’ll see Nurtas Azhbenov (13-1, 4) end a lengthy break from the ring, having been out of action for more than 2 years, as he takes on Asadbek Mamajonov (5-1, 2), from Uzbekistan. Azhbenov had shown some early potential, but his career got derailed in 2021, when he lost to Is Chaniev, and he's only fought twice since then, including a narrow win over the winless Bakhtovar Sagizov. Mamajonov on the other hand hasn’t been particularly active, and lost the last time he fought in Kazakhstan, losing a decision to Zholdas Zhengissov almost 2 years ago. Since that loss Mamamjonov has fought only once, with his most recent bout coming in October 2023. At Cruiserweight we’ll see 31 year old Ali Baloyev (13-2-1, 8), a hard hitting but fragile Kazakh, take on Chinese puncher Wuzhati Nuerlang (16-3-2-1, 13), in what looks set to be a tense fight. Baloyev won his first 12 bouts, but has gone 1-2-1 since then, been stopped twice, and managed to claim the WBO Global Cruiserweight title, in a crazy 2 year, 4 fight run. As for Nuerlang, the Chinese fighter is limited, has 1 win since the start of 2023, but hurts fighters he hits. He's crude, he can be out boxed, but he cam bang and with Baloyev’s recent losses this is a very interesting. One other man listed for this card is 2016 Olympic Gold medal winner Daniyar Yeleussinov (12-0, 7), his opponent for the bout hasn’t been listed at the time of writing, so we’re not expecting anyone too testing, but we’re glad to see him in action. Yeleussinov is an undeniable talent, with a lot of potential, but sadly as a professional his career has been something of a mess, and since his 2020 win over Julius Indongo, a win that should have pushed him to the verges of a world title fight, but instead saw him quickly become the forgotten man at 147lbs. Hopefully a win here leads to much, much, bigger fights in the near future. Ciudad Juarez, Mexico As well as the action in Kazakhstan, we also have a small Japanese take over of Mexico, with two bouts featuring Japanese fighters battling against Mexicans. One bout will see former multi-time world title challenger Terumi Nuki (15-6, 10) take on the highly skilled Diana Laura Fernandez (33-4-1, 5). Nuki is someone who makes for fan friendly bouts, win or lose, due to her toughness and will to believe that her power will eventually broke down opponents, as we saw in her thrilling loss to Dina Thorslund last year, a wide loss but a very fun and fan friendly one. As for Fernandez, she is also a multi-time world title challenger, and is knocking on the door of another world title fight, a win here, which is expected, will likely see her secure another shot at a world belt later in 2025. Another bout between a local and a Japanese visitor will see the hard hitting Shun Sekine (12-1-1, 10) take on unbeaten Mexican Miguel Esparza Cruz (17-0, 12). On paper Esparza should be favoured, given his home advantage and unbeaten record, however the 24 year old “Fantastico” has been matched very softly so far, and it’s hard to know how good he really is, despite the fact he’s now been a pro for more than 7 years. As for Sekine he’s a JBC ranked fighter, who has won his last 7, all by T/KO and will be hungry to prove his power is genuine, in the biggest fight of his career, so far.
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 Commerce Casino, Commerce, California, USA
This coming Friday our attention turns to California, for a very notable show with some solid Asian fighters on it, including a world champion, and an upset minded Filipino and a somewhat forgotten, though once touted, Kazakh. The world champion is WBO female Super Flyweight champion Mizuki Hiruta (6-0, 2), who looks to make her third defense as she takes on experienced Mexican challenger Maribel Ramirez (15-10-4, 3). The fun to watch Hiruta was earmarked for success from her professional debut and thrown in with a former world title challenger in just her second professional bout following that she won the Japanese Flyweight title, then moved up in weight to claim the WBO Super Flyweight title, which she has defended twice, scoring stoppages in both bouts, and looking like a much more destructive fighter than she had early in her career. Sadly she’s not been the most active champion, defending the belt just twice since winning it in December 2022, but she will know this is a huge opportunity to make a name for herself and open the door to more fights. As for Ramirez the Mexican veteran is experienced, but has generally lost to the top fighters. She serves as a good type of opponent for Hiruta, and shouldn’t have anything to beat the champion with, but someone Hiruta can showcase what she’s about against. A clever bit of matchmaking, and a great chance for the charismatic champion to boost her profile in the west. In another bout on the card the unbeaten Omar Cande Trinidad (17-0-1, 13) will take on the often under-rated Mike Plania (31-4, 18), from the Philippines. Trinidad, an American fighter, started his career in Mexico with a draw, but has been reeling off good wins recently over the likes of Viktor Slavinskyi and Hector Andres Sosa. His form has seen him win and defend the WBC Continental Americas Featherweight title and begin climbing his way to a world title shot. As for Plania, he has been somewhat forgotten since a career best win over Joshua Greer Jr in June 2020. That win should have boosted his career massively, given the hype around Greer, but sadly he has gone 7-3 since then, moved through the weights and suffered losses to Ra'eese Aleem, Elijah Pierce and Angelo Leo. He’s a solid fighter, but no big enough or strong enough for the fringe world level guys at Featherweight and this could well be a 3rd TKO loss in 6 bouts for the Filipino One other fighter who seems to have been forgotten is Kazakh Ali Akhmedov (22-1, 16), who faces Malcolm Jones (17-4-1, 10) at Super Middleweight. Akhmedov won his first 16 and had real momentum behind him, before losing in a barn burner in 2020 to Carlos Gongora, in a bout that should have helped establish both men as guys to watch. Sadly Gongora was given well deserved chances after that win, but Akhmedov was somewhat forgotten. Since then he has scored 6 wins, including one over Gabriel Rosado in 2022 and one over Pierre Hubert Dibombe last September. Win or lose Akhmedov is a fun fighter to watch and should be on bigger shows, even if his potential isn’t world level, he’s exciting and makes exciting fights. As for Jones the American has been found to have something of a lack of durability, with 4 stoppage losses including 3 in his last 6 fights, and Akhmedov should be seeing this as a chance to get a quick win. Despite that, Jones does have some pop and could well hurt Akhmedov if the Kazakh gets too wild. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan As well as the action in California, the day will also give us a small Japanese card at Korakuen Hall, under the Dangan banner. The fighters on this show are mostly rookies, but two bouts do stand out as being perhaps worthy of some attention. The most significant bout on the card will be between Yuna Kimura (1-0) and Maiko Iwasaki (1-0, 1), who come in as the 9th and 8th ranked female Bantamweights in Japan and will take a notable step towards a title fight with a win. The 19 year old Kimura made her debut in November 2024, beating Hana Tanihara with a razor thin decision, and will know that she'll need to be better than she was there to win a national title, though of course that was her debut, and she’ll want to show some clear improvements here. As for Iwasaki, she's a 32 year old Southpaw, who looks like she's probably better suited to Flyweight than Bantamweight. In her debut she stopped a fellow debutant in 3 rounds. Interestingly it appears this bout will be fought at 115lbs, and now 118lbs despite their rankings. Another interesting match up on the show will see unbeaten men collide as Kai Matsumoto (3-0, 2) battles Yuta Hayashi (2-0, 1). Aged 20 Matsumoto is a youngster who comes into this on the back of a very good 2024, which saw him picking up 3 wins. He has clear potential, but has been facing fellow novices, and we’ve no idea how he will be able to develop his potential, and realise the early promise he’s been showing. He’s a relatively tall southpaw who fights at Bantamweight and has stopped his last two after a hard fought decision in his debut. Hayashi is older, at 26, and also had a good 2024, notching 2 wins both against unbeaten fighters, and his competition has been tougher than Matsumoto’s so far, though it’s fair to say that Matsumoto will be hoping his edge in size will be the difference maker here.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
We get the second set of East Japan Rookie of the Year this coming Friday, as we see the line up for the East Japan finals being completed. This is, on paper, a stronger show than the first semi finals, scheduled for Thursdays, with 3 really interesting bouts that we want to discuss. The heaviest weight of the 3 bouts is at Welterweight, where we expect fireworks as Kotaro Kasamatsu (3-0, 2) takes on Yoshiki Kaneko (3-0, 3). Aged 20 Kasamatsu is the younger guy, and standing at just shy of 6'0 he's also the taller man. He struggled in his debut, narrowly over-coming Taiga Mitsui at Light Middleweight, but since dropping to Welterweight he has been destructive, scoring 2 opening round TKO's. It’s not just Kasamatsu that brings fireworks with the 26 year old Kaneko taking just 4 rounds to record his 3 professional wins, with his first bout lasting less than a minute. This has the hallmarks of a pure shoot out, and should be hard to look away from. Another bout pitting unbeaten fighters against each other comes at Lightweight, where 24 year old hopeful Shunsuke Honda (5-0, 2) faces 22 year old Tenta Fujimori (3-0, 3), in a battle of giants with both men coming in just under 6’. Honda made his debut a little over 2 years ago, and so far has either stopped opponents, or really struggled with 3 very close decisions. In his 5 bouts he has racked up 16 career rounds, and has a single win over an unbeaten opponent, having beat Seiya Yamaguchi in July. Fujimori on the other hand has been destructive, with his 3 wins coming in a combined 7 rounds. He debuted last October and has looked very dangerous, though this is, clearly, a step up in class for him here. The third bout of note, and another pitting two unbeaten fighters against each other, comes at Light Flyweight where 20 year old Ryota Katabuchi (2-0, 1) takes on 21 year old Kenta Sekine (2-0, 2). Katabuchi has dominated his two bouts so far, both against unbeaten fighters, stopping his debut opponent then taking a 40-34 decision in his second bout. Sekine on the other hand has yet to face a fighter with a win, though has scored both of his wins inside the distance, scoring them in May and July this year. Given what we’ve seen of the two it’s hard to imagine anything other than heavy leather being thrown here. 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland Over in Ireland we also see the extremely fun to watch Ali Akhmedov (21-1, 16), from Kazakhstan, make his European debut as he takes on once beaten French fighter Pierre Hubert Dibombe (22-1-1, 12). Akhmedov, who once looked like one of the top Kazakh’s in the sport, has been quietly rebuilding since his 2020 loss to Carlos Gongora, in a forgotten classic, and has notched 5 wins, 4 inside the distance, as he's started to get his career moving again. Despite that current form it does feel like his wins have come against lower quality opponents, with the most notable being a 2022 version of Gabe Rosado, and that he’ll need to step up to get a world title fight. In Dibombe we have a French fighter with a great name but a record that shows a recent loss to Bektemir Melikuziev and very little in terms of notable wins, with the best being a 2019 win over Serhiy Demchenko. Despite his record not suggesting he's a puncher he has stopped 5 of his last 7 and should make for a fan friendly bout here. HALA WIDOWISKOWO-SPORTOWA ul. Huberta Wagnera 1, Chojnice, Poland Staying in Europe, we’ll also see Uzbekistani veteran Sherzod Khusanov (24-3-1, 12) take on the once beaten Pawel Stepien (19-1-1, 12). The 44 year old Khusanov has bounced back from back to back losses in 2021 by winning 2 fights already this year. Whilst it's clear he's well beyond his best years, he was, at his best, a very capable fighter and really should have had the chance to do more with his career. As for Stepien the 34 year old Polish fighter is looking for his second win since losing to Joshua Buatsi last year. He’s also on the slide, and has looked limited at times, but we suspect the youth advantage will help Stepien to victory here.  T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
The big bout of the weekend comes from Nevada and is expected to see a storied rivalry come to an end, as Mexican star Saul Alvarez (57-2-2, 39) faces Kazakh nemesis Gennadiy Golovkin (42-1-1, 37) in their third bout. Coming in to this Golovkin is seen a man on the way out, and has failed to officially win either of the previous bouts with Canelo. Notably however those previous bouts have been at Middleweight whilst this bout will see Golovkin move up to Super Middleweight as he challenges Canelo for the unified Super Middleweight title. Canelo, who lost last time out to Dmitry Bivol at 175lbs, will be risking the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO titles at 168lbs in a bout that really is a huge match up for both men, and the division. Golovkin might be old, but he likely knows this is going to be one of, if not the, final bouts of his career and we expect to see him throw everything he has at Canelo, who can ill afford another poor performance after his loss to Bivol. Our preview of this bout can be read here Canelo Vs Golovkin III - The Trilogy Golovkin isn't the only Kazakh on this card, as the once beaten Ali Akhmedov (18-1,14) looks to get his career back on track, as he takes on popular veteran Gabriel Rosado (26-15-1, 15) in a must win, for both men. The hard hitting and exciting Akhmedov seemed to be riding to the top when he was 16-0, but has struggled to rebuild since his December 2020 loss to Carlos Gongora, in what was a sensational fight for the IBO Super Middleweight title. As for Rosado, the 36 year old continues to be inconsistent, and has sadly failed to pick up a win since shocking Bektemir Melikuziev in 2021. He looked dreadful last time out, losing to Shane Mosley Jr, and will need a much, much better performance here. Mielparque Hall, Osaka, Osaka, Japan As well as the action Stateside we also get a notable show in Japan, with two title bouts. This card is expected to be explosive, and a genuinely interesting one thanks to former world champions Koki and Daiki Kameda. The main event of the show promises fireworks as Japanese Super Featherweight champion Kosuke Saka (21-6, 18) takes on hard hitting challenger Tsubasa Narai (8-1, 7), who gets the biggest fight of his career. For Saka the bout serves as his second defense of the Japanese title, which he won back in December 2019, but will see him looking to bounce back from a loss, having lost last December to Yoshimitsu Kimura in an OPBF Super Featherweight title bout. Saka will be favoured but he has long been unpredictable. As for Narai, the former Rookie of the Year winner was stopped last year by Kyonosuke Kameda, but has bounced back with an impressive win over Shinnosuke Hasegawa, back in April, and will be looking to build on that win here. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Japanese champion Saka faces Narai in potential fire fight! In a supporting bout former Japanese Super Bantamweight champion Ryoichi Tamura (14-6-1, 7) will be facing off with Toshiya Yokogawa (12-12-3, 10). On paper this looks like an easy win for Tamura, but he hasn't looked great in recent fights and it seems like his hard career, filled with brutal wars, has caught up with him. He's not just lost a gear, but appears to have lost pretty much the entire transmission unit. As for Yokogawa, he's hard hitting, upset minded and will know this is a great chance for him to get a win over a former national champion. Yokogawa's career record does, notably, hide the fact he has gone 5-1-2 in his last 8, the best run of his career, and he will be full of confidence here. One other bout on this show will be an OPBF female Minimumweight title fight, as the unbeaten Mizuki Chimoto (4-0, 1) faces limited Korean Hye Soo Park (6-8-3, 1), with Chimoto seeking her second defense, following he shock title win in June 2021 against current world champion Yuko Kuroki. Chimoto is one of the brightest hopes in female boxing and isn't expected to be tested at all by Park here. Park was beaten the last time she fought outside of Korea, and although she is unbeaten in her last 3, she has been fighting at a very, very low level since a 2019 loss to Tamao Ozawa. Our preview of this bout can be read here OPBF champion Chimoto faces Park  This coming Saturday is a very busy day for Asian fight fans with shows taking place through Asia. The day not only features bouts across the continent, but also across all sorts of levels, including a former world title challenger in one bout, and a range from domestic and regional level bouts, right through to show cases for prospects.
Central Gym, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan The most notable single bout comes from Hyogo where we see former world champion Tomoki Kameda (38-3, 20) take on hard hitting Dominican William Encarnacion (19-3, 15) in an interesting 10 round Featherweight bout. Kameda is seeking his third straight win since a 2019 loss to Rey Vargas, and is taking a dangerous opponent here, whilst biding his time for another world title fight, but we don wonder whether he should really be at 126lbs given his lack of power and a physicality in his style Encarnacion is no world beater, and he has lost 3 of his last 4, but he's got power, and did give Adam Lopez a really close and solid test back in May. Kameda will be the favourite, but this is a live test for him. On the same card we'll also see Japanese ranked Light Middleweight Kohei Miyamoto (5-1-1, 5) battle against limited veteran Mao Tameda (3-12-2). The 25 year old Miyamoto has stopped his last 3 in the opening round, and will come into this with a lot of confidence that he has the power and aggression to shine here. As for Tameda he is experienced and tough, having only been stopped in 3 of his 12 losses, but has been struggling to pick up wins recently and is 1-4 in his last 5 going back to 2020. This should be a test of Miyamoto's stamina see what he's like when a fighter can take his punch, but he should still be favoured. Uchinada Town Sogo Gym, Kahoku-gun, Ishikawa, Japan A second Japanese card will take place in Ishikawa where we get the debut of a brilliantly named fighter, and a Japanese Youth title fight. The Japanese Youth title bout on this card will see Japanese Youth Featherweight champion Hiroki Hanabusa (9-2-3, 3) defending his title against Toshiyuki Takahashi (7-4, 4), in what will be Hanabusa's first defense, since winning the title last November. The talented Hanabusa has lost 2 of his last 3, though they have come to very good fighters in the form of Toshiki Shimomachi and Katsuya Fukui, and they helped prepare him for his upset win last time out against Kyonosuke Kameda for the title. As for Takahashi he has won his last 4, though this is a very step up in class for him, and he will go in as the under-dog. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Youth champion Hanabusa defends against Takahashi The wonderfully named fighter on this card is Megaton Marina (0-0), who will be facing fellow debutant Reona Fukuoka (0-0) in a 4 round female bout at Super Bantamweight. Not really much to add here, other than that Megaton is a brilliant name, especially if it turns out that she's a puncher! The Grand Ho Tram Strip, Vung Tau, Vietnam Over in Vietnam we get a a trio of minor title bouts thanks to Cocky Buffalo. The main event of the card will see Uzebkistani veteran Olimjon Nazarov (27-5, 15) defending his WBO Oriental Flyweight title against Filipino challenger Bienvenido Ligas (14-2-2, 9). The 36 year old Nazarov has a messy looking record, with 5 losses, but is currently riding an impressive 14 fight winning streak, dating back more than 5 years, and is banging on the door of a world title fight. Ligas on the other hand is 24 year old who has shown a lot of potential, and could well be only a fight or two from a world title shot of his own, if he wins here. The Filipino youngster already holds win against the likes of Alphoe Dagayloan and Roland Jay Biendima, and a win here would be a step in the right direction for his career. A second title bout will see local hopeful Hong Quan Dinh (8-1-1, 4) make his first defense of the IBF Asia Lightweight title as he takes on Filipino visitor Jules Victoriano (11-4, 8). Dinh won the title last time out, taking a 10 round decision over Delmar Pellio, and he'll be looking to not just retain his title but also score a 7th straight win, and potentially move towards an OPBF title fight later in the year. As for Victoriano, he's very much a glass cannon, with 8 stoppage wins and 4 stoppage losses from his 15 fights and will be hoping to use his power here, before Dinh cracks his chin. A third title fight on this show will see the unbeaten Korean teenager Chan Ho Song (7-0, 3) defending his WBO Youth Light Welterweight title against Thai foe Bunchuai Phonsungnoen (4-1-1, 3). Song won the title in April, with a narrow win over Romer Pinili, and should be favoured here, but this is certainly not a gimme for a first defense. The 22 year old Bunchuai was stopped on his debut, in 4 rounds against Toshio Tarumi in Japan, but showed enough there to catch the eye, and has gone unbeaten in the 4 years following the defeat. This is a genuinely solid first defense for this level of title. Metro Manila, Philippines In Metro Manila we'll see rising star Carl Jammes Martin (19-0, 16) defending his WBA Asia Super Bantamweight title against Charles Tondo (12-5-2, 5). The hard hitting Martin won the title last time out, when he stopped Ronnie Baldonado in 11 rounds, and had to show some grit to pull himself off the canvas early on. As for Tondo, from Tanzania, he was recently beaten by rising British fighter Dennis McCann in a bout where he looked limited but tough, and that toughness will be tested again here. Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines Ona separate card in the Philippines we'll get a battle of unbeaten punchers, as Kenneth Llover (5-0, 4) takes on Ridick Tablanza (4-0, 4). On paper this looks like an excellent match up between two young men each looking to move their careers forward. Of the two men Llover is the more notable, having turned professional in 2020 and racking up two wins already this year. As for Tablanza he debuted in late 2018, and ran up 4 wins in a combined 6 rounds, but has now been out of the ring since December 2019, and it's hard to know what desire he has given that lengthy lay off. Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California, USA In the US we'll see once beaten Kazakh hopeful Ali Akhmedov (18-1, 14) take on Mexican veteran Ricardo Adrian Luna (23-8-2, 15). The hard hitting and exciting Akhmedov has picked up 2 low key wins since his thrilling 2020 loss to Carlos Gongora, and is rebuilding his confidence against low key opponents. Luna is a big step up from Akhmedov's recent opponents, and he recently held Vyacheslav Shabranskyy to a shock draw, but he is a naturally smaller man who has really been more of a gym fighter in recent years, notable as a main sparring partner for Ryota Murata. Quiet Cannon Country Club, Montebello, California, USA
The main action for us this coming Thursday is in the US where we see a once touted Kazakh return to action for the first time since suffering his first professional defeat. That Kazakh is Ali Akhmedov (16-1, 12), who lost in a barn burner to Carlos Gongora last year. The hard hitting an exciting Akhmedov will be up against Peruvian fighter David Zegarra (34-5, 21). Zegarra won his first 30 bouts but has looked dreadful in recent years, going 4-5 and being stopped 4 times in those 5 losses, At the age of 36 he's pretty much heading to boxing's scrap head. On paper Zegarra has a nice looking record, but in reality this is very much expected to be an easy comeback win for Akhmedov, who will be looking to get a confidence building W on his record after 9 months out of the ring. Barnaul, Russia Attention also turns to Russia for a small card in Barnaul, featuring a few low key Asian fighters. One of those Asian fighters is Dastanbek Imankaziev (2-3, 1), from Kyrgyzstan, who takes on once beaten Russian Tikhon Netesov (6-1, 2). Imankaziev started his career with back to back to wins, but has now lost his last three, and been stopped in his last two, suggesting that maybe his future in the sport isn't too bright. Netesov on the other hand won his first 4 bouts before suffering a loss in late 2020. Since his loss he has racked up two simple wins and will be expecting a third here. Not only does Imankaziev come in out of form, but he's also the much smaller man and should have nothing to test Netesov with. Another fight from Kyrgyzstan who will be in action on this show is Sardar Atakishiev (7-1, 5), who will be up against professional novice Abubakar Abkhalimov (1-0). Atakishiev won his first 7, against some very limited opponents, but was upset last time out when he lost in a surprising bout against Evgeny Smelov. He'll be looking to bounce back from that defeat. As for Abkhalimov, he won his professional debut, but that was in 2019, and it's going to be interesting to see what sort of ring rust he has coming into this bout. On paper Atakishiev should be favoured, but in fairness he has not proven himself, at all, in his 7 wins so far. The Hangar, Costa Mesa, California, USA
This coming Thursday we get a small slice of action in California as a once touted Kazakh pressure fighter takes on a man best known for going the distance with Ryota Murata, very early in Murata's career. The match up in question will see Ali Akhmedov (16-1, 12) taking on Ricardo Adrian Luna Flores (23-8-1, 15). The exciting Akhmedov hasn't been seen in the ring since his 2020 loss to Carlos Gongora, in what was a genuinely brilliant fight and should have seen both men remain TV staples on DAZN. Sadly since that loss Akhmedov has lost so much career momentum that it's hard to imagine him getting back in to a main TV show any time soon. As for Luna Flores the Mexican is well known for facing Ryota Murata way back in 2014. Since then has had mixed results, but was notable taken out inside round by Bektemir Melikuziev in 2019. It's hard to see anythign but a win for Akhmedov, though hopefully he will get the chance to shake some ring rust here. December 18th-Golovkin headlines in the US, bumper card in Kazakhstan and action in the Philippines12/15/2020  This coming Friday is a busy day in the world of Asian boxing with Asian fighters in action in the US, Kazakhstan and the Philippines. The day is also a really interesting one with world title bouts, prospects and contenders all in action making it a real great day to sit down and watch some fights.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida, USA The biggest show of the day for Asian fighters is in Florida, where Matchroom and DAZN put on one of their final shows of 2020. It's not a massive show, but it's certainly a noteworthy one. The main event of the card will see Kazakh Middleweight great Gennadiy Golovkin (40-1-1, 35) defending his IBF and IBO titles against unbeaten Polish challenger Kamil Szeremeta (21-0, 5). For Golovkin this will be his first defense of the titles since reclaiming them in October 2019, when he narrowly beat Sergiy Derevyanchenko, and we do wonder what the 38 year old Kazakh has left in the tank, especially given the 14 month break between fights. Sadly however it's unlikely that Szeremeta will ask him any real questions in what is a massive step up in class for the Polish man. Our full preview of this bout can be read here Golovkin returns against unbeaten Szeremeta A second Kazakh on this show will be the unbeaten Ali Akhmedov (16-0, 12) who clashes with fellow unbeaten Carlos Gongora (18-0, 13) in a bout for the IBO Super Middleweight title. The exciting Akhmedov has been facing very poor competition so far, and this is, very clearly, a step up in class for him, and his team will know that a win puts him on the verge of a "real" world title fight. As for Gongora the Ecuadorian was a stellar amateur, competing in 2 Olympics and 3 World Amateur Championships, but at 31 this is his first real test. This is an excellent match up, and one that promises to be very, very interesting. In a female world title bout we'll see Korean Hyun Mi Choi (17-0-1, 4) make her international debut and look to make her latest defense of the WBA Super Featherweight title. The hope was that she would be in with some sort of name opponent or at very least a live foe for her US debut but instead she is matched with late call up Calista Silgado (19-11-3, 14), from Colombia. On paper Silgado looks like she can punch, but her record against opponents of some quality has shown she is limit. Thankfully she is tough, but this should be a straight forward defense for Choi, who deserves better from Matchroom. Our preview of this bout can be read here WBA champ Hyun Mi Choi makes US debut as she takes on Calista Silgado! Tynyshpayev Academy of Transport and Communications, Almaty, Kazakhstan In Kazakhstan Tukeshov Promotions will be putting on an event with a staggering 22 bouts on it! Given boxrec currently list 132 bouts taking place anyone where on the globe on Friday it's amazing that a single show will have 22 of them! Of course we won't go through all of them, but there are 3 that have really got our interest. The best of the bunch is a Cruiserweight bout between Kazakh amateur star Kamshybek Kunkabayev (1-0, 1), who has eyes on a medal at the Tokyo Olympics, and under-rated Ukrainian Serhiy Radchenko (7-6, 2). On paper a nothing bout, even for a 1-0 prospect, but this should actually be a legitimate test for Kunkabayev given that Radchenko has given the likes of Krzysztof Glowacki, Ruslan Fayfer, Adam Balski and Artur Szpilka real tests. We suspect the big man from Kazakhstan will be too good, but this is not the gimme it looks on paper. Another potentially tough bout for an unbeaten Kazakh will see Sultan Zaurbek (9-0, 7) take on Vladyslav Melnyk (12-2, 7). Zaurbek has been needing a step up for a while, with MTK feeding him a lot of limited opponents early on and this is a much needed step up in class against a fighter who has proven himself and shown a desire to win. Zaurbek is very talented, but we don't yet know if he's very good. Melnyk is a 22 year old Ukrainian who will be coming in to this with belief and we suspect the hunger to test the Kazakh. Potentially a very compelling match up. Another prospect worthy of real attention on this card is Talgat Shayken (2-0, 1), who will be up against Russian foe Maxim Churbanov (8-7-1-1). Shayken, who is now just 20 year's old, has got a lot of potential, but that potential needs work and he needs developing. The 34 year old Churbanov is well travelled and tends to be a good test for decent fights, asking questions of fighters like Michal Syrowtka. Shayken should win but bouts like this will help hone and develop his undeniable potential, so we've no issues with him being moved slowly. IPI Compound, Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines Over in the Philippines we get two shows thanks to Omega Sports who have split an event in two for Covid19 safety reasons. The first of the two shows is Kumbati 6 and features two interesting prospects on it. One of the prospects in question is unbeaten Light Flyweight Mark Vicelles (12-0-1, 6), who takes on veteran Arnold Garde (10-10-3, 4) The talented Vicelles comes into this bout with wins against Robert Onggocan and Jesse Espinas and is very talented, however it's understandable that his team are just looking to keep him ticking over here. Garde was once a a decent opponent, capable of asking questions of good fighters, but he has now lost 6 of his last 7, and been stopped in 4 of those bouts. We see this being another loss for him. The other notable prospect on Kumbati 6 is the twice beaten Tomjune Mangubat (11-2-1, 9), who returns to the ring for the first time since is 2019 epic with Jong Seon Kang, which is a bout everyone should get around to watching. In the opposite corner to Mangubat will be the limited Reymond Empic (7-5, 3), who is looking to avoid a third straight loss. On paper this isn't an awful bout for Mungubat, coming in off a loss himself, but Empic has lost 3 of his last 4 and is unlikely to be a serious test for Mungubat. IPI Compound, Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines The other show from Omega Sports will be Kumbati 7, and this looks a more stacked one, with prospects and a couple of world title level in action. The best bout on this show will see the once beaten Christian Araneta (18-1, 14) take on Roland Jay Biendima (15-6-1, 8) in what should be a sensational battle. Araneta is looking to score his second win since a 2019 injury TKO loss to Daniel Valladares, and is very highly regarded. He is however also the smaller man and Biendima showed his toughness earlier this year, when he went toe-to-toe with Kento Hatanaka back in February. This should be a real test for Araneta. Sadly we don't expect to see Albert Pagara (32-1, 23) have any sort of issues at all when he takes on Virgil Puton (18-14-2, 9). Once up a time Puton was good regional level opponent, giving the likes of Shuya Masaki and Masayuki Ito questions to answer. Now a days however he looks about spent and has been stopped in 3 of his last 6. Pagara should be too quick, too powerful and far too good to go too many rounds here with the worn and weary Puton. The once beaten Peter Apolinar (12-1, 8) looks to score his latest win as he goes up against the limited Danilo Tampipi (9-11-2, 5), who has been stopped in 3 of his last 4. Apolinar has won his last 7, including a very solid win over Jetro Pabustan in October, and shouldn't need to work too hard to pick up a win here. One other man who should be picking up an easy win is the all action Carl Jammes Martin (15-0, 14), who fights for the first time since December 2019. The 21 year old sensation is one of the most fan friendly fighters in the Philippines and he should be looking at big bouts in the next year or two. Here however he's just looking to take over and shake some ring rust as he takes on Richard Rosales (14-13-2, 8), who has lost his last 4 and 7 of his last 8. 
New York, USA
The biggest show this coming weekend comes from New York and features a trio of Central Asian fighters in notable bouts. The biggest of those bouts will see Kazakh legend Gennady Golovkin (39-1-1, 35) battle against Ukrainian foe Sergiy Derevyanchenko (13-1, 10) for the vacant IBF Middleweight title. The hard hitting Golovkin is seen as being past his best, but is still favoured to pick up the win here against the technically well schooled Derevyanchenko. The title, which was vacated when Saul Alvarez's team failed to reach a deal with Derevyanchenko, will give the winner a bargaining chip for a unification bout next year, but will leave the loser in a really awful position. Our full preview of this fight can be read here Golovkin and Derevyanchenko clash for IBF crown! ​ The fast rising Israil Madrimov (3-0, 3), from Ukraine, will be fighting in his 4th professional bout as he takes on Alejandro Barrera (29-5,18). On paper this is another solid match up for Madrimov, but in reality it's a notable step backwards for the Uzbek who should be expected to score a very clear win. Barrera's record looks good on paper but he has lost 3 of his last 4, was stopped by Errol Spence in 2015 and only has 1 win in the last 3 years, he has also been fighting at Welterweight. The one thing Barrera does, perhaps, have going for him is that he's only been stopped once but inactivity, natural size disadvantage and poor form doesn't bode well against a fighter like Madrimov. Kazakh Super Middleweight Ali Akhmedov (15-0, 11) is also on this card, where he will be taking on 33 year old American Andrew Hernandez (20-7-2-1, 9). The experienced Hernandez has mixed in good company, but losses to the likes of Caleb Plant, Jesse Hart and Ahmed Elbiali do show his limitations. Saying that Hernandez has been a banana skin through his career for prospects and will be a really good test for Akhmedov. The 24 year old Kazakh is climbing through the rankings well and this is a brilliant bit of match making for him. We expect Akhmedov to win, but we expect to see him needing to earn the victory. Tokyo, Japan Whilst New York has a big card there is also a really interesting one in Japan, where Tokyo plays host to the next Dynamic Glove show, though sadly it won't be aired live on G+ and is instead set for a tape delay broadcast. The main event here sees Japanese youngster Junto Nakatani (19-0, 14) take a huge step up in class as he takes on former world champion Milan Melindo (37-4, 13) in a really interesting 10 round contest. Nakatani has looked brilliant coming through the ranks, but has, for the most part, faced smaller opponents and limited opposition. Here we still see him up against a smaller foe, but an experience and skilled opponent with world class experience. Melindo will be going up in weight for this, and will feel he has the experience to deal with Nakatani. This is a really major bout on the regional scene, and we suspect that the winner here will end up fighting for a world title in 2020. A full preview of this fight can be read here Nakatani takes on former world title challenger Melindo! ​ On paper the chief support bout looks like a massive mismatch, with Korean visitor Kyung Min Kwon (7-5, 3) taking on 2-time world title challenger Ryo Akaho (34-2-2, 22). On paper this should be an easy win for Akaho, who has the clear edge in power and experience however Kwon is the naturally bigger fighter and the younger man and will be in the ring looking to score an upset. Kwon enters the bout as the interim Korean champion and managed to last 8 rounds last year with Satoshi Shimizu in an OPBF Featherweight title fight. Kwon is tough and could well frustrate Akaho, though we do expect Akaho to pick up the win. A really good looking support bout will see Filipino Robin Langres (10-3, 4) take on under-rated Japanese local Ikuro Sadatsune (9-4-3, 3) in what has the potential to be a thriller. The 23 year old Langres is making his international debut here, and comes into the bout on the back of his second win against Jomar Fajardo, but he was beaten last year by Jason Buenaobra. Sadatsune has lost twice already this year, though both of those bouts were razor thin and against against well regarded fighters Kenshin Oshima and Sho Ishida. This could be a very hotly contest and exciting back and forth battle. For those interested in learning more about Sadatsune he was recently covered in a recent "Introducing" article Introducing... Ikuro Sadatsune Also on this card is the debuting, but very highly touted, Shigetoshi Kotari (0-0) who kicks off his professional career against Lasben Sinaba (3-2, 3), from Indonesia. As an amateur Kotari fought over 70 professional bouts and has already impressed in sparring since turning professional. He's expected to show case his skills here, but Sinaba has been stopped in both of his losses and we see him being taken out again here and it may only be a short showcase for the Japanese debutant. Michigan, USA Going back to the US we'll see Kazakh heavyweight Izim Izbaki (2-0, 1) take on the win-less Troy Albring (0-2). The 24 year old Izbaki is worth making a note of, as he rises through the ranks, but this is little more than a fight to help him adapt to professional boxing. Albring has been blown in the opening round of both his previous fights and we're expecting the same to happen again here. Delaware, USA Also in the US will be Chinese Light heavyweight Fanlong Meng (15-0, 9), who faces Gilberto Rubio (9-8, 6), in a stay busy fight whilst he awaits his shot at the IBF Light Heavyweight title.  New York, USA
The big show this coming Saturday comes from New York and will feature a pair of Kazakh fighters, one being the biggest name in Kazakh boxing, and the other being a youngster looking to become a contender. The main man on the card is former Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (38-1-1, 34), who takes on unbeaten Canadian Steve Rolls (19-0, 10). This will be Golovkin's first bout since losing to Saul "Canelo" Alvarez late last year, and it's a huge step down in opponent from what Golovkin has been facing in recent years. Rolls, although unbeaten, has done little to suggest he can survive with Golovkin and really doesn't bring much at all to this bout. We understand Golovkin having an easy return, after almost 9 months out, but this bout really doesn't appeal to us at all. Another Kazakh on this card is the unbeaten Ali Akhmedov (14-0, 10), a rising Super Middleweight. The 23 year old Akhmedov will be up against the limited, but entertaining, Abraham Han (26-4-1, 16). Han hasn't fought in over a year, but has proven to be a decent opponent, with good performances against fighters like Sergio Mora, Fernando Guerrero and J'Leon Love. On paper this is a big step up for Akhemedov, but one he should manage without too many problems. A third Kazakh fighter on this show is Bakhtiyar Eyubov (14-0-1-1, 12), who will go up against the touted Brian Ceballo (8-0, 4), in what looks like a really tough one for Eyubov. The Kazakh man once looked like an emerging force, winning his first 10 by stoppage, but since then his career has really faltered, and he's lucky to still be unbeaten. Ceballo on the other hand is a fast rising prospect and will be expected to win here, in a step up bout, but a seemingly safe step up bout. Another Asian fighter on this card is the hugely impressive Uzbek contender Israil Madrimov (2-0, 2), who takes a step up on class to take on Mexican gate keeper Norberto Gonzalez (23-12, 13), in what is likely to be Madrimov's toughest bout to date. The Uzbek has hardly put a foot wrong in the pros so far, and a win over the durable Gonzalez, especially this early in his career, would be another major statement. Whilst Gonzalez is certainly not the fighter he once was he is no bum, and should be able to ask some questions of the Uzbek. Queensland, Australia In Queensland we'll see the once beaten Korean In Duck Seo (11-1-2, 6) take on the unbeaten Tysinn Best (10-0, 3) in what looks like a really interesting match up. Coming in to this Seo has just scored his biggest win to date, out pointing Heuk San Lee, and is much better than his loss to Eldorbek Sayodiv suggests. Best on the other hand is stepping up here, and whilst he has home advantage this should be his toughest bout to date, by far. |
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