One of Russia's most accomplished amateur stars, Sharabutdin Ataev (10-0 including IBA pro bouts), will take another major step in his professional journey when he faces Venezuela’s Jose “Bolivita” Uzcátegui (34-5, 29 KOs) at IBA Pro 19 on July 11th at the VTB Arena in Moscow. Uzcategui is a former IBF interim champion at super middleweight who split two bouts with ex-champ Andre Dirrell and then lost a title shot to Caleb Plant in 2019. The light heavyweight bout supports a card headlined by WBA regular heavyweight champion Murat Gassiev’s title defense against Olympic gold medallist Tony Yoka. It will provide Ataev with an opportunity to establish himself among the sport’s rising professional contenders. Ataev enters the contest carrying an outstanding pedigree. The Dagestani boxer captured gold in the cruiserweight division at the 2023 IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships and later added the European title to his collection in 2024, cementing his reputation as one of the best of his generation. Now transitioning his success onto the professional stage, Ataev faces a dangerous and experienced opponent in Uzcátegui, who has won two straight bouts. The Venezuelan has built his reputation through an aggressive style, heavy punching power and years of experience against high-level opposition. With more than 70 percent of his victories coming inside the distance, Uzcátegui represents the kind of challenge capable of testing every aspect of Ataev’s skillset.