Bivol methodically rolls past Salamov to retain light heavyweight title in Russia

In Dubai, Edwards retains flyweight title, Nietes held to draw and Jalolov returns to pros after winning Olympic gold medal

Dec 11, 2021

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Dmitry Bivol easily retained his WBA light heavyweight title for the eighth time in a dominating unanimous decision against Russian countryman Umar Salamov on Saturday in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

The judges had it 119-109, 118-110 and 118-109.

Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs), 30, relied heavily on a left jab that he rammed into Salamov’s face time and again in a non-competitive fight. Salamov (26-2, 19 KOs), 27, had no answers for anything Bivol threw at him.

“I was really surprised by his toughness and really surprised by his endurance. Umar is a very tough guy and all the props to him,” said Bivol, adding that his goal is unify titles.

Bivol next appears likely to face top contender and former super middleweight titlist Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (42-0, 28 KOs), who is poised to become his mandatory challenger if he beats underdog Yunieski Gonzalez (21-3, 17 KOs) on Dec. 18 in San Antonio.

Salamov was initially due for a rescheduled mandatory challenge against WBO titlist Joe Smith Jr. in January, but when Salamov was unable to get a visa to get into the United States, and it appeared he would not be able to for the foreseeable future, he accepted the offer to face Bivol.

The co-feature of the card, a junior middleweight fight between rising contender Magomed Kurbanov (22-0, 13 KOs), 26, of Russia, and former world titlist Patrick Teixeira (31-2, 22 KOs), 31, of Brazil, was canceled shortly before the ring walks and may be rescheduled for early 2022. Teixeira was in his dressing room wrapped and warming up but Kurbanov was ill with a fever in his dressing room and the fight called off.

Edwards retains title

Sunny Edwards cruised to a unanimous decision over mandatory challenger Jayson Mama on Probellum’s inaugural show on Saturday at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.

Edwards, who was making the first defense of his IBF flyweight title, won 118-109, 118-10 and 117-110 in a fight that he dominated from start to finish.

Edwards (17-0, 4 KOs), 25, of England, consistently beat Mama (16-1, 9 KOs), 24, of the Philippines, to the punch and troubled him with his jab. Edwards suffered a cut on his hairline by an accidental head butt in the second round but it did not interfere with his dominance.

“In the second round my right eye was completely covered in blood at one point, but I'm a warrior and came through it,” Edwards said. “I came here to fight Mama, and I did that and prepared hard and trained diligently, but I want to be in the big fights now. I want the Ring Magazine and WBC belt. That was my mandatory, and now I want (WBC titlist) Julio Cesar Martinez.”

Mama made no excuses.

“I'm sorry I didn't get the win,” he said. “I did my best but it wasn't enough. Sunny Edwards is a great champion and a talented boxer. He's smart and fast, but next time I will come back stronger. I promise you all I will go back to the Philippines and train hard for the next opportunity.”

Nietes, Jimenez fight to draw

Also on the card, former four-division titlist Donnie Nietes (43-1-6, 23 KOs), 39, of the Philippines, and two-time world title challenger Norbelto Jimenez (30-9-6 16 KOs), 30, of the Dominican Republic, fought to a split draw in a junior bantamweight fight. One judges had it 96-94 for Nietes, one had it 96-94 for Jimenez and one had 95-95.

After the 10th round ended, confusion reigned. Jimenez thought it was a 12-round fight but it was only 10 rounds, even though it was supposed to be a WBA 115-pound eliminator. Official eliminators are 12-round bouts.

“I felt I controlled it from the first round, then in the seventh round he was running around the ring,” Nietes said. “I noticed that he fights really dirty. I'm 39-years-old, and the key to this game is discipline.”

Jimenez also felt he won, saying, “I feel all the crowd know that I should have been the winner. The fight was meant to be 12 rounds and they put it down two rounds because they don't trust their fighter. If Nietes wants to win a world title, then he has to face me again.”

Jalolov flattens foe in 46 seconds

Uzbekistan’s Bakhodir Jalolov returned to the pro ring after winning the Olympic super heavyweight gold medal at this past summer’s Tokyo Games and blasted out Julio Cesar Calimeno in the first round.

The 6-foot-7, 250-pound Jalolov (9-0, 9 KOs), 27, a southpaw, who outpointed American Richard Torrez Jr. in the gold medal match, needed only one powerful overhand left to knock out Calimeno (4-2, 4 KO), 32, of Colombia, in 46 seconds.

“I am absolutely ready for the world heavyweight championship,” Jalolov said. “It doesn't matter who will be the champion. It doesn't matter if it's (Oleksandr) Usyk, (Anthony) Joshua, (Tyson) Fury, anybody. I am ready. I will keep on winning, and keep on performing at my best.”

Butler-Agbeko canceled on fight day

In an unusual turn of events, the vacant WBO interim bantamweight title fight between former world titleholders Paul Butler and Joseph Agbeko that was supposed to headline the Probellum card canceled on fight day. Butler was supposed to challenge WBO titlist John Riel Casimero, but he pulled out on Friday after going to the hospital with what he said was gastritis.

The WBO then approved the interim title bout between Butler (33-2, 15 KOs), 33, of England, and Agbeko (38-5, 28 KOs), 44, of Ghana, who was on hand as a standby opponent, and the fight was announced later Friday. But Butler and his team, expecting to fight Casimero for the full title, had second thoughts on changing opponents and not fighting for the full title, so Butler pulled out, a source with knowledge of the situation told Fight Freaks Unite.

Quick hits

Probellum announced it has signed Brazil’s Hebert Sousa, 23, who won the middleweight gold medal at this past summer’s Tokyo Olympics. The gold capped an amateur career in which Sousa claimed a silver medal at the 2019 Pan American Games and bronze medals at the 2019 World Championships and 2018 South American Games. “I am delighted to announce that I am signing with Probellum,” Sousa said. “I was proud to win a gold medal at the Olympics earlier this year, and now it's time to show what I can do as a professional. The chance to compete not only in Brazil but around the world is something I am very excited for, and I can't wait to get started in the near future.”

Former three-division titlist Kosei Tanaka Kosei Tanaka (16-1, 9 KOs), 26, of Japan, claimed a split decision over countryman Sho Ishida (29-3, 15 KOs), 30, in a junior bantamweight fight on Saturday in Nagoya, Japan. Tanaka won 96-95, 96-94 on two scorecards while one judge gad it 96-94 for Ishida, who held a four-inch height advantage and got off to a strong start before Tanaka became more aggressive and began scoring with body shots. The fight was Tanaka’s first since losing the WBO junior bantamweight title by eighth-round knockout to Kazuto Ioka on Dec. 31, 2020.

Bivol photo: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

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