UAE - Amateur star and rising cruiserweight/heavyweight prospect Muslim Gadzhimagomedov (3-0, 2 KOs) got his biggest career win so far (as a prizefighter) by stopping former IBF cruiserweight title challenger Artur Mann in nine rounds.
Gadzhimagomedov, 26, was ranked #13 by the WBA in the newest "super cruiserweight" division (WBC calls it bridgerweight). Gazdhimagomedov took the first two rounds, being better than his German opponent in general. He was a bit faster, a bit more assertive, and his punches carried precision which was lacking in Mann's attacks. The German, fighting behind tight guard, responded with solid performance in rounds three and four.
In the fifth, Gadzhimagomedov did considerably better, upped the pace and started delivering with more conviction. One of his punches, a lengthy right cross, wobbled Mann to the ropes, forcing him to take a knee. He got up and survived the round. The sixth was relatively quiet, Muslim not upping the tempo again. Yet in the seventh, he went on with drubbing of Mann, who became more and more defensive with each fought round. It didn't help him much, as he took a number of hard shots. It culminated in a big right hand to his spleen, which forced the Kazakhstan-born German to take a knee one more time.
In the eighth, the fight became increasingly one-sided, Gadzhimagomedov punching at will from all possible angles and ranges. Mann took the beating courageously, but he wasn't doing anything on the offensive. His corner opted not to continue a hopeless contest and retired Mann after eight complete rounds. His record drops down to 20-4, with 11 KOs.
Mann challenged Kevin Lerena for the IBO cruiserweight belt in 2019 and Mairis Briedis for the IBF cruiserweight title in 2021, being stopped in four and three rounds respectively.