Yoseline Perez  was the first, and so far only, American to make it through to the medal rounds at the 2025 World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, England. The Team USA competitor from Houston claimed a split decision victory on Wednesday over Uzbekistan’s Nigina Uktamova, a Paris 2024 Olympian, in bout two of the opening session. Perez was excellent from the opening bell against her Uzbekistan foe and consistently used her length to land scoring shots. While shorter than Perez, Uktamova utilized her aggressive style to force combinations from the United States’ representative. Perez was prepared for Uktamova’s game plan and adjusted with steady uppercuts and hooks, which kept the Uzbekistan boxer off balance throughout the bout.

 

After closing the opening round with a 4-1 score, Perez narrowly captured a 3-2 score in the second round, placing the bout at 2-0 overall with three minutes left in the competition. While some athletes would have been shaken by a narrow second round, Perez rose to the occasion and stamped another 3-2 scorecard in the final round, securing the final 3-2 decision and a spot in the semifinals. The win marks her second consecutive victory over a Paris 2024 Olympian.

 

After guaranteeing herself yet another medal for the year, Perez will now shift her focus to Italy’s Sirine Charaabi in the semifinals. That matchup is scheduled for Saturday.

 

Naomi Graham (women’s 165 pounds) and Malachi Georges (men’s cruiserweight) also competed for the United States on Wednesday but were defeated in their respective quarterfinal matchups.