By Alexey Sukachev
Russia - WBC #13 and IBF #14 super featherweight Muhammadkhuja Yakubov (14-0, 9 KOs) showed poise and power in the main event of a multi-fight card in Ekaterinburg, Russia, as he destroyed Filipino Jhon Gemino (20-12, 10 KOs) in just two rounds.
The Russia-based Tajik immediately started his trademark pressure as he tried to corner the upset artist. Gemino, who had wins over 22-1 Carlos Ornelas, 19-0 Toka Kahn-Clary and 16-0-2 JR Magboo in his recent past, was no match to Yaukbov’s finesse and technique.
To his power too. Midst into the second, the Tajik contender threw a picturesque left hook t the liver section of muscular Gemino, putting him down and out at 1:25 of the second.
In a major upset, previously undefeated Russian prospect Mikhail Alexeev (12-1, 4 KOs) was knocked out cold by Filipino traveler Rolland Aldea (14-8-1, 8 KOs) with a minute remaining in the eighth and final round.
Alexeev, 23, is best known for his solid wins over rising prospect Romero Duno and former two-time world champion Malcolm Klaassen in 2016 and 2017. But he hasn’t been seen in the ring since April 2018. Aldea, 25, has seen better days and has been just 1-3 recently.
After the slow first round, Aldea used stinging uppercuts to check Alexeev’s chin in the second. It got through but rusty Alexeev was dazed several times despite that. Round three was a major catastrophe for the Russian when it started as Alexeev ate no less than 30-to-40 unanswered blows at one moment but somehow survived that beating, waiting for Aldea to punch himself out.
The midst of the fight was mostly even but Aldea looked sharper at moments. Alexeev tried hard but his punches weren’t well felt by Aldea. The end was as sudden as they come, however. Alexeev, who competed at lightweight for the first time, went in and ate a crushing left uppercut to the tip of the chin. Alexeev was completely out even before he hit the canvas in face-first style. Time was 1:41. Alexeev was taken out on a stretcher.
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In the first tier of a three-fight international series between Russian and Filipino prizefighters, red Mark “Canelo” Urvanov (16-2-1, 8 KOs) survived the seventh-round knockdown to outpoint tough challenger Marco Demecillo (24-8-1, 19 KOs) with a narrow unanimous decision over eight.
Urvanov started slowly, being rocked a couple of times in the first. Then the local Canelo utilized foot speed and lateral movement to avoid the hard-punching Filipino, while using his jab to trouble Demecillo.
Urvanov took the midst of the fight but was heavily rocked and floored in the seventh, while the Filipino looked better during the last stanza. No scores were announced. BoxingScene had it 76-75 - for Urvanov.
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Recent IBO title challenger Rofhiwa Moemu from South Africa lost his comeback fight at the very same venue, he had been defeated for a championship.
Moemu (18-9-2, 12 KOs) was dominated by Russian super featherweight Russian Kamilov (7-0-1, 3 KOs) over eight in a tough fight. Moemu looked hurt in the closing minutes of the fight but got through with a unanimous decision loss.
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Recent Tajik import Astor Vokhidov (4-0, 2 KOs) destroyed super bantamweight Murad Rabadanov (3-3, 3 KOs) in two rounds. Rabadanov was down twice in the second before a stoppage came at 2:43.
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No winner was defined in a fierce fight between recent debutants Erzhan Turgumbekov of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbek Javokhirbek Karimov. Both combatants produced strong efforts to get a win but neither prevailed, as two judges justified a draw: 57-57 and 57-57, while the third had it 58-56 - for Karimov (now 2-0-1, 2 KOs). Turgumbekov drops down to 6-0-1, 2 KOs.
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Russian welterweight Igor Adleiba - originally from the land of Abkhazia - looked solid, if not spectacular, in a methodical beating he has imposed onto the Russia-based Cameroonian Guerin Soh Fonkou (2-8), dropping him twice - in the second and in the fifth rounds - en route to the sixth-round unanimous decision. Adleiba is now 8-0, 3 KOs.
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Super bantamweight Mukhammad Shekhov (6-0, 3 KOs) made a very short work of overmatched Uzbek import Dostonbek Uljaboev (0-5), stopping him at 1:48 of the very first round.
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