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Former IBF and WBA Super Bantam World Champion Murodjon ‘MJ’ Akhmadaliev (13-1, 10 KOs) stopped Ricardo Espinoza (30-5, 25 KOs) in the third round, scoring three knockdowns to win the interim WBA 122-pound title. Saturday night at Le Casino de la Salle des Etoiles, Monte Carlo, Monaco.
(Credits: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
In the main event, 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Akhmadaliev knocked out Espinoza in the third round of a 12-round contest to claim the interim WBA belt. The time of the stoppage was at 2:59 of the third.
In the first round, returning after a year, Akhmadaliev had a slight advantage landing several solid lefts from the southpaw to Espinoza’s chin. Both had landed solid shots in a close round in the second. In the third round, halfway through the point, Akhmadaliev landed a lead left to the chin, scoring an 8-count knockdown from referee Jean Robert Laine.
With a minute left, Akhmadaliev landed a left, and as he backed up, Espinoza fell forward to the canvas for a second punch and another 8 count. In the final seconds, a left from ‘Akhmadaliev dropped Espinoza for the third time, and referee Laine waved it away.
2020 Olympic southpaw Cheavon ‘C4’ Clarke (10-1, 7 KOs) lost a 12-round split decision to EBU Silver champion Leonardo ‘The King’ Mosquea (16-0, 9 KOs) in a battle for the vacant EBU cruiserweight title. ). Mosquea dropped the 34-year-old Clarke in the first round.
In the first round, Mosquea landed a dozen unanswered punches after forty seconds and dropped Clarke by an 8 count from referee Jon Lona Fernandez. In the second and third rounds, Clarke came back well, taking two close rounds in a slugfest. In the fourth round, Mosquea came back well, taking the round.
From the sixth to the ninth rounds, he went back and forth, landing bombs from both fighters. In the tenth round, Clarke had his best round. This 12 round should be a 10.
In the eleventh round, Clarke had the advantage with a solid jab as Mosquea was tiring. In the twelfth and final round, Clarke got the better of Mosquea in a close and good fight between the two undefeated fighters.
The scores were 117-113 for Clarke, 116-112 and 115-112 for Mosquera.
WBA #5 lightweight contender Gary Cully (18-2, 10 KOs) lost to former IBO lightweight world champion, southpaw Maxi Hughes (28-7-2, 6 KOs) by 10-round unanimous decision. Cully suffered a cut over his right eye in the fifth round and had to deal with bleeding in the second half.
The first three rounds saw all the action from the two southpaws. Using his reach, the taller Cully mainly lands his jab as Hughes steps in, landing with both hands to advantage. Cully starts going to the body in the fourth round, and Hughes counters.
In the fifth round, it was all Hughes with a left to the chin, rocking Cully several times. In the sixth round, after half a minute, Cully suffered a bad cut on his right eyebrow. By the end of the round, his face was a mask of blood. The referee advised Cully that he could be stopped with another round like this.
In the seventh round, Hughes had two minutes to open the cut again. In the eighth round, after half a round, Hughes knocked out Cully’s mouth. In the ninth round, Hughes outscored Culy two to one.
In the tenth and final round, Hughes could have thrown a blank. Credit Cully for going the distance with a bad cut for five rounds.
The referee was Mikeal Hook. Score 100-90, 100-90 and 100-90.
IBF lightweight world champion, two-time Olympian and 2024 Olympic silver medalist Beatriz ‘The Beast’ Ferreira (6-0 (2 KOs) threw a shutout defeating former EBU champion Licia Boudersa ( 23-3-2, 4 KOs) for more than 2 rounds.
In the first round, referee Diana Drews Milani warned Boudersa twice for grabbing and using the head, but Ferreira easily won the round. Ferreira used a good right uppercut from the second to the seventh round, taking each round and drawing blood from the nose in the sixth round.
In the eighth round, referee Milani warned Ferreira that he hit the break. Frustrated, Ferreira landed a strong body attack, drawing another round. Ferreira took Boudersa to the ropes in the ninth round as Boudersa’s corner was ready to throw in the towel. Ferreira dominated in the tenth and final round, turning southpaw and punching hard.
The scores were 100-90, 100-90 and 100-90.
2024 Olympic heavyweight Tevero Terremoana Jr (5-0, 5 KOs) stopped Volodymyr Katsuk (5-2, 2 KOs) at 2:04 of the first round of a scheduled six-rounder.
In the first round, a Terremoana combination to the chin dropped Katsuk by an 8 count from referee Jean Robert Laine a minute into the round. Soon after, he went down a second time. After a third takedown, referee Laine called a stoppage in the first round.
The ring announcer was David Diamante.
