Junior welterweight contenders Shohjahon Ergashev and Batyrzhan Jukembayev will face off in a crossroads bout on May 9 at Humo Arena in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
It will be the third straight fight for Ergashev, 26-2 (22 KOs), in his native Uzbekistan, while Jukembayev, 24-1 (17 KOs), a Kazakh based in Montreal, Canada, will visit his opponent's hometown while seeking his seventh straight victory.
Ergashev is coming off a unanimous decision win on January 4 over Gurpreet Singh, and is looking to regain the standing he had in the division before losing by sixth-round stoppage to Subriel Matias in 2023 for the IBF junior welterweight title, and a split decision to Julian Smith in 2024.
“This fight with Jukembayev is personal for me,” said Ergashev. “We were supposed to meet in the ring two years ago, but destiny had other plans. Now the moment has finally come, and trust me, it’s going to be fireworks. Fans better get ready for an explosive night.”
Jukembayev, who, like Ergashev, is a 34-year-old southpaw, also lost to Matias, being stopped in eight rounds back in 2021. His last fight was in April, when he shut out Kane Gardner in Kazakhstan.
“This fight means a lot to me. On May 9 in Tashkent, I’m not just stepping into the ring for a win — I’m stepping into a new chapter of my career. The fans will see how hungry I am for big fights and big victories, and this fight is going to be truly explosive,” said Jukembayev, who is rated No. 14 by the WBA at 140lbs.
Ziya Aliyev, whose company, All Stars Entertainment, will promote the 10-round fight, expects the show to be a hot ticket in Tashkent.
“Our last show hit over two million views, and that was just the beginning,” said Aliyev.
