The semi-finals of the IBA 2025 Boxing World Championships in Dubai have begun, with some fast-paced action and a ferocious finish thrown in to the mix.
In the minimumweight 48 kg show-opener, Edmond Khudoian of Russia used his fierce hands and fast footwork to defeat Temirtas Zhussupov (Kazakhstan) by a 5-0 UD.
Khudoian showed why he is the tournament's number one seed at this weight by offering a perfect example of switch-hitting prowess in the first round.
Sweeping every card in that session, Khudoian threw so often from different angles that Zhussupov struggled to work out where the shots were coming from.
The onus was on the Kazakh to turn things around. Round two was messy as the Cuban referee kept an eye on holding and head ducking. Zhussupov landed a lovely right cross, but it was Khudoian’s fast raids that made the difference.
Khudoian took the second round 4-1. Zhussupov had worked out some positives by the third, cranking up his right hand as Khudoian hammered away to the body, confirming his spot in the final.
Joining Khudoian will be Azerbaijan’s Subhan Mamedov, who defeated a passive Sakhil Alakhverdovi of Georgia, 5-0.
Alakhverdovi stood off, waiting for openings, bouncing up and down, trying to instil some momentum to his work. Mamedov took advantage of the lull by scoring points.
Mamedov swept the first round, leaving Alakhverdovi, 26, with a puzzle to solve: find a way past the Azerbaijan man’s raking left jab. Trailing 20-18 after two, it was Alakhverdovi’s responsibility to push out of his malaise and turn things around. Mamedov, 19, coasted home unanimously.
In a prime 54kg semi-final battle, 19-year-old Russian rocket Viacheslav Rogozin was tasked with toppling fellow southpaw Asilbek Zhalilov, a jovial Uzbekistan mover.
Rogozin’s fundamentals earned him a 4-1 split after one. Zhalilov required a change of tactic from antics to action. A round two deduction for holding didn’t help his cause.
The shorter, youthful Rogozin was fighting with confidence. Zhalilov faced a third-round reprimand for too much chatter. The Russian was letting his fists do the talking, closing out a 5-0 UD.
Rogozin will bring his all-business approach to the bantamweight final against Saken Bibossinov (Kazakhstan), who outfoxed Chandra Bahadur Thapa (Nepal) by a 5-0 unanimous decision.
Thapa aimed to fly inside at full velocity. Much of the first was dictated by Bibossinov’s beautiful movement. On-point feet and bobbing headwork allowed the Kazakh to evade most of the two-fisted blasts.
As Thapa’s mouth wedged open due to fatigue, Bibossinov used his long levers to jab and backhand, picking up points to win the second. Bibossinov’s experience and judgement of distance allowed him to manage the bout perfectly, seeing him along to the top table. Chandra picked up a bronze.
Venturing into the 60kg lightweight class, Abdumalik Khalokov (Uzbekistan) instantly got his thumping left jab going, aiming to deter Artur Bazeyan of Armenia.
Occasionally, Bazeyan received respite from the long jab and was delivered a left hook instead. There was some beautiful opening round boxing on show from the Uzbek, who picked up everything in the first and second.
The Armenian never stopped trying. Khalokov’s ability to work things out across three rounds is a difference maker for such a talented operator.
Celebrating with a backflip, Khalokov’s 5-0 UD victory leads him to the final, where he meets Vsevolod Shumkov (Russia), who won a 5-0 UD over Akmal Ubaidov (Tajikistan).
The opening round turned into a bit of a maul as Shumkov tried to let his rapid fists fly while Ubaidov leaned in and tagged the body. A spate of wrestling left Shumkov with a graze around the hairline, trickling blood down the side of the head.
Shumkov won every judge’s affection in the first round. His dominance continued over the next two rounds as the Russian, at 24, a year younger than his opponent, saw Ubaidov looking for corner inspiration at the start of the final session.
Shumkov, the reigning European champion, motored through to the final, dismissing the reigning Asian champion with a surprisingly comfortable outboxing.
In the first 67 kg semi-final, Alexandru Paraschiv of Moldova got off to a blistering start, flooring Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev, Uzbekistan, in barely 20 seconds.
Both southpaws tried to grab the ring real estate. Paraschiv’s feint left to the body created room for a swiping right hook that dropped the Uzbek along the ropes. The Moldovan’s head movement and composure remained on point for the rest of the first round.
Paraschiv won the opener on all five cards. Muydinkhujaev’s flicking jab was working in the second. Sporting a reddening nose, Paraschiv found himself on the back foot as Muydinkhujaev levelled things up.
Talking of levels, Muydinkhujaev turned up the gears in the last round, eager to prove his class. Paraschiv tried to stay with him, but the Uzbek’s quality was evident as he won a 5-0 UD that looks more comfortable on paper than in reality.
In an enticing second 67kg semi, between two in-form fighters, Evgeny Kool (Russia) scored a 5-2 win over Hovhannes Bachkov (Armenia) after a bout review.
The considerably taller Kool spent most of the opening round skimming around the perimeter, poking out southpaw jabs, occasionally stopping to fight with the stockier Armenian, who got noticeably closer at the end of a session Kool won 3-2.
Bachkov continued his relentless pursuit of the Russian, snapping the head back in round two with a left hook, exiting the action with the same rewards as round one: 3-2 behind.
Kool changed his tactics in the third, pushing Bachkov backwards onto the ropes, showing the judges that he was the boss. Bachkov walks away with yet another career bronze medal. Kool’s stamina and engine were both on point.
In a middleweight (75kg) walkover, Sabirzhan Akkalykov (Kazakhstan) will be able to rest up for the final after Fazliddin Erkinboev (Uzbekistan) was forced to withdraw. The “loser” entered the ring to receive his cheque with a bandaged left hand.
Things won’t be as straightforward for Akkalykov when he meets Ismail Mutsolgov (Russia), a tall, well-schooled boxer who won a 5-0 UD over Djibril Traoré (Mali).
Taller Mutsolgov looked to slow down the Mali pocket rocket from the first bell. Mutsolgov’s left hand to the body was a spiteful shot as he won the first round.
Traoré kept pitching in the second round, being docked a point for dipping low. There was no love on the cards for the Malian in the second either. The referee made himself part of the story again in the third session as he jumped on Traoré’s case once more.
Closing out the afternoon’s session were four cruiserweight hopefuls, all trying to find a route into the finals. First up, Sharabutdin Ataev (Russia), who used his sharp jab and boxing skills to tame the Georgian bull Georgii Kushitashvili 5-0.
Despite being behind on the scores, Kushitashvili toiled hard to make it physical. Ataev never let that happen. Tucking up and soaking up the flood of attacks, stepping off and returning fire, it was an accomplished performance.
In the other 86 kg decider, there was plenty of drama packed into 90 seconds as Aliaksei Alfiorau (Belarus) overcame a cut right eye to leave Rafayel Hovhannisyan (Armenia) face-first on the canvas.
Measuring Hovhannisyan up with a similar shot just moments before, Alfiorau stepped off the side and caught the Armenian rushing in, landing a left hand bang on the chin for an RSC finish.
Evening Session (21:00)
THERE were a few glimpses into the boxing future at this evening’s semi-final portion of the IBA 2025 Boxing World Championships in Dubai. From the smaller magicians to some athletic superlative heavies, the session delivered a bit of everything.
The iconic yet diminutive figure of Hasanboy Dusmatov (Uzbekistan) created a large shadow looming over Rudolf Garboyan of Armenia. Dusmatov secured a unanimous decision victory in this 51kg evening session opener.
In round one, the taller Armenian made sure there was something waiting for Dusmatov every time he ventured inside. A verified distance closer, Dusmatov dealt with a subtle strategy change in round two as Garboyan began pushing the pace.
Dusmatov’s precision earned him the first two rounds and Garboyan tried to offer something different in the third. The Uzbek king won it 5-0.
In the flyweight final, he will face the stylistic conundrum of Russia’s Bair Batlaev, who defeated Zambia’s Patrick Chinyemba in the other semi.
Batlaev, a sawn-off shotgun southpaw, grabbed the first-round scores over the Zambian, a taller orthodox boxer. The battle of handspeed was real.
Chinyemba’s backhand was landing in the second, although the judges once again went all in on Batlaev scoring-wise. Batlaev boxed clever in the third round, closing out a contest which harshly failed to reward Chinyemba with anything.
The five judges, from Serbia, Algeria, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Cuba gave it 30-27 across the board to Batlaev.
Kazakhstan’s Orazbek Assykulov will compete in the final at 57kg after outworking Russia’s Andrei Peglivanian over three rounds.
Red-vested southpaw Assykulov used controlled aggression, trying to offset the taller orthodox Russian. Gaining a round one advantage, Assykulov pushed on in the second. The pair ended entwined on more than one occasion, working the referee hard.
The featherweight fisticuffs continued as Peglivanian brought the heat, but not much was landing. Assykulov’s left hand earned him a 4-1 in the second.
Andrei Peglivanian was unable to deliver the huge round he needed, going down by a score of 5-0 (unanimous decision). Peglivanian took a 4-1 in the final round, took the loss, collected the bronze medal and swiftly exited the ring.
Orazbek Assykulov will return to the ring one final time when he meets Tajikistan’s Khusravkhon Rakhimov in the feather final after Rakhimov overcame Uzbekistan’s Khujanazar Nortojiev 5-0
Rakhimov showed early on why he was the number two seed at the weight, as these two compact, academic orthodox boxers managed the ring as best they could. Nortojiev worked hard but got scant reward as the judges sided with Rakhimov’s work.
The Tajik took the first round 5-0 and the second 4-1. Rakhimov’s 5-0 UD win was tough to take for the Uzbek, who merited more for his efforts.
The first light-welterweight semi-final saw Omar Livaza (Kyrgyzstan) prevail over Emmanuel Katema (Zambia), in a 5-0 unanimous decision.
It was a scuffle for authority in the early stages as Katema snaked out his long left lead. Livaza pumped his low southpaw hand out repeatedly before committing.
Livaza’s body work pocketed him a 4-1 first round. He collected the second as well, using the last round as an opportunity to dance around and rest up for the final. Katema could not pin his sprightly foe down.
The second semi-final eventually confirmed, by the narrowest of margins, that Ilia Popov will be waiting to put Livaza to the test after the Russian boxer got the better of Kazakhstan’s Yertugan Zeinulinov. The 4-3 verdict, requiring a bout review intervention, told the story.
Zeinulinov repeatedly found angles to land his shots on Popov, taking a 4-1 lead in the first. The Kazakh was in motion by the second as Popov upped the tempo.
Zeinulinov took the second 3-2 and Popov thumped him with a right hand during the opening moments of the final round. Suddenly, a strategic change was serving the Russian well. It was a classic, competitive last round, ending on a bout review.
Sergei Koldenkov dominated front-foot pressure fighter Bayramdurdy Nurmukhammedov behind his two heavy hands for nine minutes. The 5-0 UD success in this light-middleweight rumble was a formality.
Nurmukhammedov of Turkmenistan rarely does anything in reverse. Russia’s Koldenkov boxed so sweetly in the first that the Serbian judge awarded it to him 10-8.
The sight of Nurmukhammedov being moved on the back foot by the physically imposing Russian told the tale of how this was going in the second round. The Russian fans were enjoying every second of their man’s display.
Koldenkov slid the second round into the back pocket as well, making this high-stakes stage of the tournament look like a preliminary round mismatch.
In the second 71kg dice roll, Ablaikhan Zhussupov (Kazakhstan) outwitted Ikhtiar Nishonov (Kyrgyzstan) for much of their contest, affirming a 5-0 UD win. Nishonov was clenching his fist at the decision announcement, seemingly thinking he may have snatched it.
Sweeping the beginner, Zhussupov was waiting for his opponent to commit. In a dangerous mood, Zhus was intent on punishing every mistake made.
Nishonov opened his arms in round two, inviting a showboating foe to engage. Zhussupov obliged, sending the Kyrgyzstan firecracker into the ropes with a left hook.
Nishonov was lucky the official did not decide to initiate a count, as the ropes broke his fall.
Javokhir Ummataliev of Uzbekistan raised his game to defeat Cuba’s Arlen Lopez by a 5-0 UD at 80kg comprehensively. The winner got it 29-28 on all five cards, grabbing the torch from the Caribbean island veteran.
Two talented light heavyweights at various ends of the career spectrum met in centre ring to determine one half of the 80kg final. Lopez got inside and lazily leaned from side to side as Ummataliev used his youthful busyness to score with shots to the body of the Cuban savant.
The Uzbek won 10-9 across the first-round scores. Despite all of his mental know-how, has Lopez retained the fitness to work hard enough to throw his opponent off their stride?
Not in round two. Lopez launched more towards the end, but wasn’t landing clean. The Cuban needed a massive final round to try and upgrade an expected bronze medal.
Ummataliev showed the composure and maturity to pot shot, hold and see out the last session, in a manner befitting of the opponent he defeated to reach the final.
In an absorbing, not particularly exciting, second semi-final, Russia’s Dzhambulat Bizhamov used a conservative style to get over the line by 5-0 UD over Gasimagomed Jalidov (Spain). The Russian secured at least a silver by a uniform score of 30-27 on all reckoning.
Born in Dagestan before relocating to Spain, Jalidov’s hands hummed up and down as he looked for opportunities. Bizhamov’s fleet-footed movement impressed the judges as Jalidov stalked with intent in the final round. It wasn’t enough to make a difference.
Up at 92kg, the intrigue levels were bubbling up to boiling point as Turabek Khabibullaev (Uzbekistan) and Loren Alfonso (Azerbaijan) pitted their respective wits against one another. Khabibullaev won a 5-0 UD.
Cuban native Alfonso likes to dictate the rhythm and the Uzbek was tasked with raising the pace to an uncomfortable position on the temperature dial. It was a timid, slow-paced opener.
Khabibullaev broomed up every point in the first, which was a net positive for pulling Alfonso out of his shell. It worked as the Azaberijan resident changed his approach. Alfonso was sucking up the air at the close of a more active second. Still, he didn’t win any of it.
Boxing well ahead, brimming with conviction, Khabibullaev was content walking about, holding and squeezing the sand timer down to empty.
The second heavyweight semi was contested between Enmanuel Reyes Pla (Spain) and Muslim Gadzhimagomedov (Russia).
The Tokyo Olympic silver medallist had displayed his punching prowess to this point and would need those same attributes in full force to counter Reyes Pla's abilities.
Setting a fierce pace, Gadzhimagomedov let the jab-right hand flow. Havana-born Spanish rep Reyes Pla stepped forward increasingly as the opener progressed. The Russian won it by a 4-1 split.
Reyes Pla’s evasion of Gadzhimagomedov’s punches looked impressive, but the judges continued to reward the more aggressive fighter. The 28-year-old Serpukhov man was feeling the pace in the final round.
Reyes Pla sensed it too, landing flashing scoring shots to try and turn it around. Gadzhimagomedov did enough to claim a 5-0 UD and yet another Russian success.
The big boys came out for warfare in the 92kg super-heavyweight class. Arman Makhanov (Uzbekistan) needed a bout review to get past Davit Chaloyan (Armenia) 5-2.
In round one, the wiry Makhanov made the big Armenian look a little lumbering. Stabbing the jab to the body seemed to be a reasonable tactic for Chaloyan. Makhanov took the round 3-2.
Whenever they exchanged wild hooks, this bout had the potential for someone to suddenly “go”, such was the sheer size and power of the pair. Makhanov suffered a cut to the right eye from a punch.
It didn’t impact his ability to land clean and effective blows. The Uzbek took the second 4-1. Chaloyan needed a huge final round. The chunky Armenian kept on swinging, but his work was to no avail.
Joining Makhanov in the super-heavy final will be David Surov, who overcame Mahammad Abdullayev by a surprisingly simple 5-0 UD.
Two big units, both relatively mobile for their considerable size, went at it with Russia’s Surov showing an outstanding engine and workrate.
Azerbaijan’s Abdullayev had his torso regularly smashed as Surov used his adversary’s head for target practice, setting up a fantastic final in two days. Surov scored a couple of 10-8 scores en route to victory.
