David vs. Goliath: The Night Dmitry Bivol Took Down a Much Taller Opponent

WBA Super World Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol Defeats Umar Salamov! On Saturday at the KRK “Uralets” in Ekaterinburg, Russia, Dmitry Bivol, the WBA Super World Light Heavyweight champion, secured a dominant victory over Umar Salamov in his first fight in Russia since 2017. The event, promoted by German Titov (Titov RCC/Boxing Promotions), was streamed on ESPN . Bivol, now 19-0 (11 KOs), from Kyrgyzstan and St. Petersburg, Russia, easily outclassed Salamov, 26-2 (19 KOs) from Grozny, Russia, over 12 rounds. From the outset, Bivol controlled the fight with his jab, while Salamov struggled to find his rhythm. In the opening round, Salamov received two warnings for wrestling Bivol to the canvas. By the second round, Bivol’s combinations to Salamov’s chin started to land, exposing Salamov’s lack of accuracy. Throughout the third and fourth rounds, Bivol continued to outbox his opponent, although Salamov landed his first solid punch, a right hand, midway through the fourth. However, Bivol’s dominance remained clear, frustrating Salamov, especially as the crowd cheered in Bivol’s favor. In the later rounds, Salamov’s frustration grew, as he received warnings for a low blow and for using his left hand improperly. Bivol remained in control, landing consistent jabs and combinations. Salamov had brief moments of success, landing a solid right in the seventh round, but Bivol quickly responded with flurries. By the final rounds, Salamov appeared desperate and wild in his swings, possibly edging the twelfth round, but the judges’ scorecards reflected Bivol’s dominance. Scores were 119-109, 118-109, and 118-110. Additionally, in another bout, WBO Inter-Continental Super Featherweight champion Ruslan Kamilov, 12-0-1 (6 KOs), stopped Dmitrii Khasiev, 12-3-2 (6 KOs), at 0:40 of the sixth round in an action-packed fight. Kamilov knocked down Khasiev with a counter right at the end of the first round, and despite Khasiev’s aggressive response in the second round, Kamilov ultimately secured the stoppage.