Bektamir Melikuziev claimed victory by decision after a fierce battle.

Professional boxer from Uzbekistan, Bektemir Melikuziev (15-1, 10 KOs), fought a qualifying match for the WBA championship belt against American David Stevens (14-2, 10 KOs) in the super middleweight category (up to 76.2 kg).

Stevens struggled to keep up with Melikuziev's speed. The Uzbek boxer aggressively targeted his opponent's body, focusing on close-range crosses. His opponent missed several opportunities, despite being able to anticipate them, and moved relatively slowly.

Occasionally, Stevens landed some punches. He even broke the nose of the fight's favorite with a powerful blow, forcing him to work harder on his feet. By the middle of the fight, Melikuziev also appeared fatigued, struggling to breathe and making some questionable decisions. For instance, he exchanged punches at mid-range several times, which made the fight seem more even.

He then resumed attacking his opponent's body. Despite his face being battered, his technique, agility, and ability to corner his opponent secured him the victory. Stevens failed to replicate his successful body shots from earlier rounds. It seemed that the American should have gone all-in, knowing he was trailing on the judges' scorecards, but he did not.

In the end, one of the judges managed to award the victory to Stevens, who clearly lost. Nevertheless, Melikuziev won by split decision (118-110, 117-111, 112-116).

Following this victory, our boxer became the official mandatory challenger for the WBA championship belt in super middleweight.

This marked Bektemir Melikuziev's 15th career victory.

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