IBA Champions’ Night comes to Moscow’s International Boxing Center to host a packed card on January 31st. WBA briderweight Muslim Gadzhimagomedov will feature in the ten-round main event against Thabiso Mchunu of South Africa. [It is unclear if this will be a world title fight or not]. Gadzhimagomedov is unbeaten in eight pro bouts (including the World Series of Boxing) and last defeated Leon Harth unanimously in October. Mchunu (23-7) is a seasoned veteran who has stood in the ring against some of the best fighters in the world and will prove to be a difficult challenge for the Russian. Also on the main card, hometown favorite Artem Suslenkov meets Belgium’s Jack Mulowayi over 10 rounds in the cruiserweight division for the IBF European title.
Suslenkov (12-0) holds a win over Michael Hunter and then won a unanimous decision against Germany’s Christian Hammer. Mulowayi (15-3-1) will be looking to make it five wins on the trot, having knocked out his opponent in all four since his last loss two years ago.
Russian Dmitry Zakharov and Saidjamshid Jafarov from Uzbekistan are to meet in the middleweight division over six rounds, bringing together two of the best at their weight category. Zakharov recently won his first professional match by a unanimous decision convincingly against Wang Lequan of China, but Jafarov (3-1) is another level of challenge. The IBA World Championships silver medallist and two-time Asian champion lost on his professional debut by a split decision against Yoenli Hernandez in Abu Dhabi in 2022 but has since defeated Sewon Okazawa from Japan, Kazakhstan’s Talgat Shayken and Russia’s Gor Oganesyan.
Flyweight Samuel Carmona from Spain is slated to meet Russia’s Artur Nagapetyan over eight rounds. His opponent (3-1) has done well in Russia, winning all three of his fights there, with his only defeat coming from Zambia’s Patrick Chinyemba at IBA Champions’ Night Dushanbe in 2023.
In the only women’s contest of the evening, Kazakhstan’s Angelina Lukas meets Ayisat Oriyomi from Nigeria in the super flyweight division. Lukas (11-1) has been on a six-match winning run since a majority decision loss to Daniela Asenjo in 2023. Of those six matches held last year, she won by knockout on three occasions. Oriyomi fights outside her home country for the first time as a professional when she comes to Moscow but currently holds an impressive nine-match winning streak.
Russia’s Ruslan Belousov is to compete in the featherweight division against Gabriel Santisima from the Philippines over six rounds. Belousov (1-1) vanquished Kazakhstan’a Zholdas Zhengissov in Serpukhov in February 2024, then came up short in Cuba to home favorite Saidel Horta. In his third IBA contest, he is to meet Santisima (7-0-1) who is known as the “Iron Punch” for his high return of knockouts, forcing the match to end early on six occasions.
Finally, Tamerlan Ozdoev from Russia and Mouhamed Oumarou of Cameroon will start the evening off with a six-round bout at junior welterweight. Ozdoev recently made his professional debut in December with a unanimous decision victory over Javokhir Juraev in St Petersburg, while Oumarou has three victories from three so far, all coming out of his home nation.
