Fights this Week

[bart]

He has come back by fighting ugly...maybe wearing the guy out...
Andrei looks like he could ko'd anytime though

[jamieson2]

I'm surprised we're into the 6th, Mikhailovich showing his heart. His corner advice is terrible, giving him nothing useful on what he should be doing.

[bart]

staring to thik has champion injuried his hand not throwing hard

[jamieson2]

I personally think Alimkhanuly is intentionally prolonging the beating.

[bart]

I dunno think he won't be enjoying getting smothered so much. I just think maybe his left is hurt because he really could have ended it if he carried on round 2

[jamieson2]

That's it. Ref waves it off in the 9th.

[diehard]

Alimkhanuly still IBF/WBO champion

Unified WBO/IBF middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly (16-0, 11 KOs) retained his world titles with a ninth round TKO over Andrei Mikhailovich (21-1, 13 KOs) on Friday night at the Star in Sydney, Australia. Alimkhanuly dropped Mikhailovich hard in round two and Mikhailovich looked done but Alimkhanuly let him off the hook. After that, Mikhailovich gamely pressured Alimkhanuly and made the champion work hard, but it was Alimkhanuly who landed the harder shots. Alimkhanuly rocked Mikhailovich again in round nine and the bout was waved off by the referee. Time was 2:45.

[diehard]

https://www.boxing247.com/boxing-news/ja...lts/282733

[diehard]

Andrei Mikhailovich beaten by Janibek Alimkhanuly in IBF world middleweight title bout
Christopher Reive

Andrei Mikhailovich has come up short in his bid to dethrone IBF middleweight world champion Janibek Alimkhanuly.

Getting his first shot to clinch a world title, Mikhailovich fell to a ninth-round TKO with the referee quickly waving the bout off after a heavy left hand sent the Russian-born Kiwi stumbling into the ropes.

Mikhailovich will likely have complaints about the stoppage, but it might have been a case of the referee having him on a short leash after the damage he had sustained earlier in the fight - highlighted by a second-round onslaught in which Alimkhanuly appeared to have Mikhailovich on the verge of a proper knockout.

It was a lefthand uppercut that stung Mikhailovich and put him on wobbly legs midway through the second round and once Alimkhanuly realised he had Mikhailovich hurt he went on the hunt.

Alimkhanuly was patient in his approach, though; looking to set his power shots up properly. Mikhailovich wore several but managed to survive. He not only survived, but he didn’t hit the canvas until the final second of the round.
That drew the referee’s count, which Mikhailovich beat to end the round.

After a slow start, Mikhailovich did well to scrap his way back into the contest, looking to get in close, land and clinch. It led to some scrappy but entertaining rounds through the middle of the fight, with both men landing good shots and finding patches of success.

Alimkhanuly’s class showed through his combinations, as he was frequently tagging Mikhailovich with two or more shots in quick succession, while Mikhailovich was most often landing punches in singles, but threw his shots with more venom.

The Kiwi made the fight into a good contest and likely picked up some of the middle rounds, but the tide began to turn in favour of Alimkhanuly again in the eighth round as he ramped up his output.

Ultimately, Alimkhanuly caught Mikhailovich with a left hook on the counter after Mikahilovich missed a left hand of his own. Alimkhanuly then loaded up and clobbered Mikhailovich with another left hook, catching Mikhailovich around his guard and sending him stumbling.

That was the last action of the fight, with the referee having seen enough and handing Mikhailovich the first loss of his professional career.

Earlier in the night, Mea Motu made a statement in a non-title fight as she stopped Australian Shannon O’Connell in the fourth round.

It was a bout that came up on short notice after Motu’s super bantamweight world title unification fight against Ellie Scotney later this year was called off due to an injury to her opponent, and fought at a catchweight.

It meant IBO super bantamweight champion Motu wouldn’t be putting her belt on the line against former bantamweight world title challenger O’Connell, but the bout was an opportunity for the Kiwi to stay active.

In the end, she was too much for O’Connell, who was cut open early after a clash of heads.

Motu came out firing from the outside, throwing with power and volume to put the pressure on O’Connell. Both women had some success with their shots, but Motu was able to walk through anything she wore from O’Connell and answer in kind.

By the fourth round, O’Connell’s team had seen enough and threw in the towel to protect their fighter from any further damage.

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12:24 am
Official result: Janibek Alimkhanuly beats Andrei Mikhailovich via TKO (9)

Mikhailovich won't be happy to have his shot at claiming a world title end like that. He had done well to get back into the fight after a terrible second round, and didn't hit the canvas from the shot that finished it - saved by the ropes sure.

It did seem like he was quick to call it off, but Mikhailovich had taken plenty of damage and was likely on a short leash after the second round.

12:20 am
IT'S OVER
Alimkhanuly catches Mikhailovich with a right hand after Mikhailovich missed with a left which appeared to stun the Kiwi.

He loaded up and clobbered Mikhailovich with a left hook, catching Mikhailovich around his guard and sending him stumble onto the ropes.

The referee stepped in immediately, waving the fight off.

12:17 am
The two are trading shots; Mikhailovich continually coming forward and trying to make Alimkhanuly uncomfortable.

Alimkhanuly doing well to double up on shots when he does land. Mikhailovich usually just landing one at a time.

12:15 am
Alimkhanuly appears to barely register it.

12:15 am
Round 9
Good right hand in close from Mikhailovich clips Alimkhanuly's on the chin.

12:14 am
End of 8
Alimkhanuly coming on strong again as we head towards the last four rounds.

12:12 am
This has turned into quite the fight.

12:12 am
Good hand speed Alimkhanuly and he's connecting with multiple shots in his combinations. Mikhailovich is taking them well, and keeps coming forward

12:11 am
Round 8 (of 12)
Isaac Peach tries to rev his fighter up as they return to the middle.

12:10 am
End of 7
Alimkhanuly takes that one. Both men landed some good shots in that one, but the champion made his ones count.

[bart]

I think to me it shows the danger of basing yourself exclusively down under- the step to world level is too wide
Sure Andrei people and fans will say how he guts it out etc but the gulf was wide, I really think Alimkhanuly injured his left in the 2nd round so really shelved it for the rest of the fight allowing Andrei some leeway to grab and smother which wore him down some but really they were leagues apart in class.
Andrei could still forge out a career but to me should head overseas for training and opposition opportunities
Mea Motu seems different - her power is real although O'Connell is shot to bits and has been since Bridges iced her... Shannon did show skill and I felt was setting traps for Mea that would have paid some dividends had she had some speed and power to pull the trigger, so to me with Mea its really when she fights an elite prime fighter that we see what level she is - until then jury is out.
I do think she can rattle some heads though but again will fighting at home be exposed when she steps up.?