Former IBF junior lightweight champion Shavkatdzhon “Shere Khan” Rakhimov (17-1-1, 14 KOs) will return to the ring under the Sampson Boxing promotional banner when he faces Justin “The Million Dollar Man” Pauldo (17-2, 8 KOs) in a ten-round lightweight special attraction on Saturday, February 8th at Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas. The bout will be streamed live on ProBox TV. The show will also feature super bantamweight Ramon “Dinamita” Cardenas (25-1, 14 KOs) fighting in his hometown against Bryan “Latino” Acosta (20-0, 8 KOs) of Mexico in the ten-round main event. Also on the show, Guatemalan super middleweight Lester Martinez (18-0, 15 KOs) faces Joeshon “Shontime” James (9-0-2, 5 KOs) of Sacramento in a ten-round batlle of unbeatens. 

 

Rakhimov, originally of Bokhtar, Tajikistan, and now fighting out of Downey, California, won the IBF 130-pound title via TKO over Zelfa Barrett in Abu Dhabi in November 2022. The 30 year-old southpaw will return to the ring in his first sanctioned appearance since losing his title in his first defense 22 months ago, via split decision to hometown challenger Joe Cordina of Cardiff, Wales, at the Cardiff International Arena.

 

“I am grateful to be returning to the ring for a new promotional company,” said Rakhimov. “My opponent a good, tough fighter, which deserves respect, but he is no match for me and my drive to return to the world championship.”

 

In his nine-year pro career, Rakhimov also fought to a majority twelve-round draw with Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz in a February 2021 in an IBF championship fight that saw an overweight Diaz lose his title on the scales the day before the draw. 

 

 

“‘Shere Khan’ Rakhimov is back and looking to return to the top of the rankings where he belongs as soon as possible,” said new promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz. “We will put him in tough fights like these, which he needs to make a quick climb back to the top of the division for a world title challenge in the near future.”