Artur Subkhankulov was highly impressive, stopping Bakhodur Usmonov via TKO to claim the vacant IBF No. 2 lightweight spot in a 12-round bout.
The fight started fast, with Artur Subkhankulov winning the early rounds, landing right hooks and straight lefts from his southpaw stance against Bakhodur Usmonov. The middle rounds were more even.
At the start of the 10th round, Subkhankulov stepped up the pace and put his stamp on the fight, dropping Usmonov to the canvas twice—first with a right hook and then with a straight left. Usmonov showed a lot of heart to see out the round.
At the start of the 11th, Subkhankulov dropped Usmonov again during some brutal exchanges, taking the round with a powerful hook.
In the 12th round, Usmonov was very brave, showing determination to stay in the fight, but he was being outgunned. Subkhankulov dropped him for the fourth time in the bout. To his credit, Usmonov got up, but he was very groggy and unsteady on his legs. The referee waved off the fight, giving Subkhankulov the prized IBF No. 2 lightweight spot.
Russian boxer Artur Subkhankulov is, in my opinion, a great talent. He was an outstanding amateur, having fought Keyshawn Davis in a great battle in 2018. Now, as a professional, Subkhankulov remains undefeated and is capable of fighting for a world title, said promoter Peter Maniatis.
Subkhankulov is now the winner of the IBF No. 2 lightweight eliminator over Usmonov and will be in line for big fights, including a shot at IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla or highly rated contenders Andy Cruz and Albert Bell, said promoter Peter Maniatis.
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