Uzbek boxer Murodjon Akhmadaliev defends his IBF, WBO featherweight titles

By Dilmurod Jumaboyev
Editor-in-chief of Vodiymedia.uz

MANCHESTER: Uzbek boxer Murodjon Akhmadaliev (10-0, 7 knockouts), defended his IBF and WBO featherweight titles against Jose Velasquez (29-7-2, 19 KOs). The 12-round bout has taken place at SNHU Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Akhmadaliev, 27, dominated all 12 rounds against his Chilean opponent gained one-sided verdicts from all three judges – 119-109.

Akhmadaliev was scheduled to face American veteran Ronny Rios but he had to pull out after testing positive for COVID-19 a week ago and Velasquez replaced Rios for Akhmadaliev title shot.

Murodjon Akhmadaliev, born in 1994 in Namangan, as an amateur won a silver at the 2015 World Championships and a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics. Murodjon won the WBA and IBF belts from Daniel Roman on a split decision in January 2020 and defended them with a trademark performance of equal style and spite on home turf in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in April 2021 with a fifth round stoppage over Ryosuke Iwasa from Japan.