Akhmadaliev conquers Roman
Murodjon Akhmadaliev validated that a limited professional resume didn’t deter his world championship aspirations.
Leading into his title bout against defending champion Daniel Roman Thursday night, Akhmadaliev believed his lengthy amateur background and solid ring skills were sufficient preparation to dethrone Roman.
Akhmadaliev’s blueprint worked. In his eighth professional bout, Akhmadaliev won a split decision to become the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation super-bantamweight champion at the Meridian at Island Garden in Miami.
“I’ve been through so much in my life,” Akhmadaliev said as he fought back tears. “To become world champion is something very special.”
A native of Uzbekistan, Akhmadaliev (8-0) kept pressure on Roman (27-3-1) for the majority of a close 12-round bout. Many of the rounds perhaps swung on the combinations landed by the fighters in the closing seconds. Judges Carlos Sucre and Nelson Vazquez scored the bout for Akhmadaliev 115-113. Roman won on judge Rodolfo Aguilar’s card 115-113.
“He’s a strong fighter,” said Roman, who lost the title in his fifth defense. “He was the better man tonight.”
Roman finished the final round landing uppercuts and rights to the head. Akhmadaliev chased Roman in the closing seconds and scored with combinations to the head.
In the 11th, Akhmadaliev remained busy for all three minutes, chasing Roman and connecting with combinations to the head. Roman reduced his punch activity, especially the body attack, which enabled him to build scoring shots earlier in the bout.
Akhmadaliev maintained pressure throughout the ninth and 10th rounds and scored with combinations to the head. Roman landed a left uppercut and scored with rights to the head in the eighth. Akhmadaliev managed to cut ring distance and connected with combinations to the head.
In the seventh, Roman landed a solid right uppercut and continued scoring with rights to the body that he initialized from the early rounds of the bout. Roman maintained a busy pace in the fifth with rights to the head and body. In the closing seconds of the round, Akhmadaliev landed two lefts to the head.
The pace intensified in the fourth as Roman connected with a right to the head and body. Late in the round, Akhmadaliev landed with a left to the body. Akhmadaliev scored with a lead left to the head and followed with a right to the head in the second round. Roman maintained distance to avoid additional combinations from the challenger.
Earlier, women’s featherweight champion Amanda Serrano scored a thirdround technical knockout over Simone DaSilva in a non-title bout. Serrano (38-1-1, 28 KOs) repeatedly pinned DaSilva (17-15) on the ropes and scored with solid head and body shots. Early in the third, Serrano again caught DaSilva on the ropes and connected with unanswered combinations.
With a defenseless DaSilva unable to counter, referee Sam Burgos stopped the bout at 53 seconds of the round.
“I wanted to finish it early because I wanted to watch the other fights,” Serrano said. “This opportunity also allowed me to prepare for bigger fights that I am targeting this year.”
In other bouts: Supermiddleweight Alexis Espino scored a TKO over Vincent Baccus at 1:49 of the third round; supermiddleweight Roamer Angulo won a split decision over Anthony Sims; middleweight Austin Williams scored a TKO over
Donald Sanchez at 2:51 of the fourth round; lightweight Otha Jones scored a TKO over Juan Santiago at 1:29 of the second round; junior-welterweight Movladdin Blyarslanov knocked out Nicolas Velazquez at 2:37 of the second round; juniorfeatherweight Avril Mathie knocked out Angelina Hoffschneider at 58 seconds of the fourth round.