Top Heavyweight contender Arslanbek Makhmudov made his United States debut with a knockout to move closer to a mandated shot at Tyson Fury.
The Montreal-based wrecking ball moved to 17-0, 16 KOs on the Jared Anderson undercard. In the process, Makhmudov retained his NABF heavyweight crown to set up a potential clash with Anderson next.
Heavyweight ranking
Makhmudov, ranked number five by the WBC, blasted out the previously unbeaten Raphael Akpejiori in the second round. Akpejiori dropped to 15-1, 14 KOs after his loss.
The two entered the contest with a combined record of 31-0, but Makhmudov’s amateur experience paid dividends.
The 34-year-old dropped Akpejiori with a flurry initiated by a right uppercut, a punch he landed frequently.
He dropped Akpejiori again in the final seconds of the opening stanza, but the Nigerian survived despite wobbling to his feet.
After another knockdown in the second round, referee Wes Melton deemed Akpejiori unable to continue.
Makhmudov could battle Anderson and be ranked number three by the time Deontay Wilder vs Andy Ruiz Jr. happens next.
The WBC final eliminator sanctioned by President Mauricio Sulaiman would see Makhmudov rated as the new number one once the pair finalize their duel.
Anderson vs Martin results:
Lightweight: Cleveland-born southpaw Abdullah Mason (9-0, 8 KOs) defeated Brazil’s Alex de Oliveira (20-5, 14 KOs) via second-round TKO.
In the opening round, the 19-year-old phenom peppered Oliveira with quick jabs before tagging him to the body. In the following round, he ended the bout with a series of consecutive left hands.
Mason said, “It was amazing. I felt amazing. I felt great in this camp. Right now, there is no cap on my ceiling. I’m just focused, and I’m going hard.”
Junior Welterweight: 2020 U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson (9-0, 5 KOs) turned away another stiff challenge tonight by outpointing Jonathan Montrel (15-2, 10 KOs) via an eight-round decision.
Johnson fought a disciplined fight and buzzed Montrel with stiff right hands in the later rounds. Scores: 80-72 3x.
Light Heavyweight: Cleveland-born puncher Dante Benjamin Jr. (7-0, 5 KOs) scored an emphatic first-round TKO over Mirady Zola (4-3, 1 KOs).
Benjamin landed a left hook, followed by a right that floored Zola. He was soon stopped after a flurry of unanswered shots. Time of stoppage: 1:56.
DeAndre Ware
Super Middleweight: Toledo native DeAndre Ware (16-4-2, 9 KOs) delivered an action-packed performance for his hometown fans as he beat Decarlo Perez (19-9-1, 6 KOs) via a six-round unanimous decision.
Ware dominated the action on the inside, punching around Perez’s guard to land hooks and uppercuts. Scores: 58-56 and 59-55 2x.
Junior Middleweight: Rance Ward (8-5-1, 2 KOs) handed Husam Al Mashhadi (6-1, 5 KOs) his first professional loss with a six-round majority decision victory.
Al Mashhadi started the fight well with a sharp southpaw jab. But he tired in the middle rounds as Ward controlled the action with crisp combos. Scores: 57-57, 58-56, and 59-55.
Junior Lightweight: Toledo native Tyler McCreary (18-2-1, 8 KOs) defeated veteran Colombian Deivi Julio (26-14, 16 KOs) by a six-round unanimous decision.
McCreary worked from a low guard and landed stinging combinations on the durable southpaw. Scores: 59-54 and 57-56 2x.
Junior Middleweight: Puerto Rico’s Nicklaus Flaz (11-2, 7 KOs) notched an upset eight-round majority decision win against Jahi Tucker (10-1, 5 KOs).
Flaz pressed the action from the start, forcing Tucker to fight off his back foot and often while on the ropes. Furthermore, scores read: 76-76, 78-74, and 77-75.
