Former cruiserweight champion Murat Gassiev scored his first major victory in nearly eight years earlier today, knocking out Kubrat Pulev to claim the WBA “world” heavyweight title.
Gassiev (33-2, 26 KO) has long struggled to stand out since moving up to heavyweight, notably losing to Otto Wallin in 2023 and looking like a shadow of his former self despite being in his early 30s. It looked like to be another disappointing night for “Iron” as Pulev (32-4, 14 KO), aging but still sharp, outboxed him
through the first five rounds.
Early in the sixth, however, Gassiev drew out Pulev’s rear hand with a jab feint before stepping in with a monstrous left hook that send the Bulgarian crashing to the canvas. Pulev somehow woke up after a few seconds, but didn’t even come close to getting to his feet, prompting the referee to wave things off.
Assuming the WBA follows through on its word, which is a dicey proposition at the best of times, Gassiev’s first defense will pit him against the winner of Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin. Either way, it’s good to see Gassiev punch his ticket to a major opportunity.
The show also saw Bakhodur Usmonov power through a slow start to edge out Maxi Hughes, Khariton Agrba avenge his lone career defeat, and Nico Ali Walsh return to the win column.
