By Alexey Sukachev
Former cruiserweight multi-champion Jean Marc Mormeck (36-4, 22 KOs), 38, continued his way up in heavyweight ranks with a unpleasant but well-earned split decision over tough WBA #7 Uzbek Timur Ibragimov (30-3-1, 16 KOs) at Halle Carpentier in Paris, France. Despite winning the fight (BoxingScene scored it 115-113 - in his favor) Mormeck showed once again that he will be an easy target for the elite of the heavyweight division. However, he was suppoused to get down under heavyweight fire in his previous fight against Fres Oquendo, yet scored a (dubious) unanimous decision.
It wasn't easy this time as wall. Ibragimov, three years younger than his opponent, started to box wisely circling around and using his jab to control Frenchman's movements. Mormeck didn't do anything in the first and barely did any better in the second while Ibragimov also added several combinations to his jab. At the same time he was warned several time by referee Jean-Louis Legland for constant holding-and-hitting.
WBA #12 Mormeck got bigger in the third - that was his round, while the fourth stanza was rather even. It was a midst of the fight, when the former champion proved his superiority to Ibragimov. He suddenly didn't wilt under Ibragimov's pressure in clinches and responded well to a potent right hand of the Uzbek which troubled his down-body.
Mormeck mixed uppercuts on the inside with left hooks while jumping in. The Frenchman was better in the fifth till the eighth round thus clinching the decision, as it would turn out to be several minutes later. He fatigued a bit too, and the Uzbek guest rallied to take the ninth. To that point this bout turned into ugly clinchfest, basically initiated by Ibragimov. He was finally deducted a point in the tenth round, one which could possibly be scored in his favor. Both combatants traded punches and hugs in the last couple of rounds with neither proving his superiority, although Ibragimov landed several well placed right uppercuts to the body.
Spaniard Juan Manuel Garcia Reyes amazingly saw the bout in Timur's favor nevertheless: 113-115. He was overruled by Erkki Meronen (116-112) and Steve Weisfeld (116-111). Mormeck is now a WBA international heavyweight champion. Ibragimov failed to close this wonderful (for him) year in style, losing in his fifth outing.
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Undercard Results
Parfait Amougui Amougou (9-3-1, 8 KOs) interrupted his two-fight losing streak with a brutal destruction of James Gregoire (7-2, 1 KO). Amougou put his opponent down in the first with a left hook, and did the same trick again in the second with a right hook. He finally got the job done after another head-cracking left bomb, which sent Grgoire down and out immediately in the middle of the second.
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2008 Beijing Olympics silver medalist Khedafi Djelkhir (8-0, 6 KOs) acquired his first professional title but failed to impress against limited and fellow undefeated Frenchman Anthony Arimani (10-1, 7 KOs). Stocky featherweight Djelkhir started the bout fast by going right to Arimani's body and pressed the action since the first round. He hurt his taller opponent several times in the first couple of rounds but ate his share of uppercuts and left counters as well.
Rounds three and four were in favor of Arimani who wisely stretched the distance and peppered astrained Djelkhir with the jab. From round five on, it was all Djelkhir as he was able to break down Arimani in methodical fashion. Anthony Arimani did his best to answer in time but his bursts of activity became more and more sparse. Yet, Djelkhir's aggression and determination wasn't enough to score a stoppage. Both fighters were deducted a single point each in the ninth for head clashes.
The decision was unanimous - in Djelkhir's favor - which allowed him to become a new French 126lb champion. BoxingScene scored it 96-92 - for a newly crowned titleholder.
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