Murodjon Akhmadaliev successfully defended his IBF and WBA super bantamweight belts by halting Ronny Rios in round 12 with an injured left hand.
Murodjon Akhmadaliev showed how tough he is as a boxing champion when he beat Ronny Rios in round 12 of their fight on June 25.
Akhmadaliev improved to 11-0 with eight knockouts. Rios entertained the crowd, but Akhmadaliev was too powerful and talented.
He put on a memorable show for the crowd at Tech Port Arena in San Antonio, Texas, as well as for those at home on DAZN.
According to Wynnbet.com, Akhmadaliev was a 5-1 favorite, but Rios was eager and boxed well during the first few rounds. In round 4, Rios almost lost his balance after taking a left uppercut from Akhmadaliev.
Rios managed to keep upright despite being beaten during the round. However, he persevered and began to show some signs of life in round 7.
Murodjon Akhmadaliev beat Ronny Rios by a technical knockout in the 12th round, even though Rios had hurt his left hand early on.
Prior to round 7, Akhmadaliev’s corner disclosed that his left hand was hurt, according to DAZN analyst Chris Mannix. Rios attempted to profit from Akhmadaliev’s injury, and while he had his chances, he was unable to do so.
For the majority of the battle’s last rounds, Akhmadaliev’s lead right hand out of the southpaw posture hurt Rios, but his left hand later returned and ended the fight.
In round 12, Akhmadaliev overpowered Rios. Rios was shocked by a right hook, but Akhmadaliev quickly unloaded a barrage of left hooks to the body, forcing Rios to kneel.
Rios woke up again, but he kept getting hit until the referee stopped the fight and gave Akhmadaliev the TKO victory in round 12.
Rios loses, dropping to 33-4, and is unlikely to make another title run. The 32-year-old from Santa Ana, California, gave it everything he had, but Akhmadaliev was simply too skilled.
A rising talent, Akhmadaliev. The 27-year-old Uzbek who won bronze at the 2016 Olympics still appears to be the real deal.
The other two titles in the division are held by Stephen Fulton, who recently expressed his desire for an upcoming unification match with Akhmadaliev on FanSided.
The undisputed super bantamweight title match between Akhmadaliev and Fulton is very alluring. Hopefully, the higher-ups will approve of it.
