The knockout streak continues. Artur Beterbiev, — boxing’s only world champion with a 100 percent KO ratio — knocked out the hard-hitting Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kalajdzic in the fifth round in front of 10,105 fans at Stockton Arena.
Beterbiev (14-0, 14 KOs) retained his IBF light heavyweight world title for the second time and now has his sights set on unification bouts.
"I worked very hard for this fight. I went 100 percent in the gym. Maybe one day I’ll show my boxing skills," Beterbiev said. “I want unification fights. It doesn’t matter who it is. I am happy to be working with Top Rank and ESPN."
Beterbiev knocked down Kalajdzic (24-2, 17 KOs) at the end of the third round, and Kalajdzic stumbled back to his corner. The two exchanged haymakers in the fourth, as both men were stunned at times in the round.
Beterbiev came out intent on finishing the show in the fifth and did just that. He pinned Kalajdzic to the ropes, unloaded to the head and body, and referee Dan Stell stepped in to end the fight.
And just like that, boxing's KO king remained unblemished.
Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum wants Beterbiev to unify, and his company promotes WBC champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk and has options on WBO champion Sergey Kovalev, who is Beterbiev's amateur rival.
“Of course, Kovalev is somebody I want to fight. But I want all of the champions at 175,” Beterbiev said.
Arum was impressed with what he saw.
"I told Beterbiev that if someone hit him over the head with a baseball bat, he wouldn't feel it. We promote all of the great light heavyweights, so there are fights to be made," Arum said.
