The eight quarter-finalists of the WBC Boxing Grand Prix featherweights have been found
All the WBC Boxing Grand Prix Phase 2 featherweight results can be found below, along with the eight quarter-finalists, as the competition dwindles down in numbers and ramps up in quality.
All the action took place today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, live on DAZN.
Quarter-Finalists
Bekizizwe Innocent Maitse (South Africa) 8-1, 3 KOs
Ayubkhon Bakhtiyorov (Uzbekistan) 8-0, 5 KOs
Muhamet Qamili (Italy) 16-0, 7 KOs
Yoni Valverde Lopez (France) 15-0, 3 KOs
Yusuf Adisa Adeniji (Nigeria) 16-0, 10 KOs
Troy Nash (USA) 5-0, 1 KOs
Brandon Mejia Mosqueda (Mexico) 10-0, 9 KOs
Iman Joshua Lee (USA) 14-0, 8 KOs
innocent (8-1, 3KO) vs Juma Ramadhani Choki (10-1-1, 3KO)
In a highly technical bout where both fighters stuck closely to their game plans, Bekizizwe Maitse emerged victorious by unanimous decision.
The opening round saw a cautious start, with both African boxers using the time to size each other up. The action picked up in the final moments when the clapper signaled 10 seconds remaining. Maitse landed a sharp left hand that shook Choki and nearly ended the fight, but time ran out before he could capitalize.
In the second round, both fighters began to showcase flashes of their offensive arsenal. As in previous fights, Choki unleashed a powerful right hook that hurt Maitse, but he couldn’t finish him off.
Though the contest remained close, the judges felt Maitse had done enough to edge ahead on the scorecards. Choki focused on landing another big right hook to turn the tide, but it never came.
By the fourth round, the pace was set: both boxers would throw a quick combination and immediately retreat from each other’s range. The round ended with little action.
Open scoring revealed one judge had the fight even, while the other two had Maitse ahead. With both fighters now aware of the punches that had caused damage earlier, they moved with greater caution. Maitse landed the cleaner shots of the round.
The bout went into the final round, where Maitse executed his strategy to perfection. Sharp punches to Choki’s head, mixed with solid shots to the body, kept the Tanzanian fighter from breaking through his guard.
Bekizizwe Maitse claimed the win by unanimous decision.
Ayubkhon Bakhtiyorov (8-0, 5KO) vs Jhon Sebastian Bolaño Mendoza (9-1, 8KO)
In the second bout of the night, Uzbekistan’s Ayubkhon Bakhtiyorov went toe-to-toe in a brutal slugfest against Colombia’s Jhon Sebastian Bolaño.
Both fighters traded power punches from the opening bell to the final one. Ultimately, it was Bakhtiyorov’s relentless forward pressure and willingness to take the fight to his opponent that earned him the victory.
South America’s campaign kicked off with this showdown between Bakhtiyorov and Bolaño. The opening round was explosive, with the Uzbek fighter coming out aggressively, only to be met by sharp countershots from Bolaño. As the round progressed, both boxers stood their ground and exchanged heavy leather in the center of the ring, delivering bombs with unrelenting intensity.
In round two, Bakhtiyorov kept marching forward, applying pressure and landing shots to the head and body. Bolaño responded with heavy hands of his own, but found himself at times trapped on the ropes. Things weren’t looking easy for the Colombian, especially as the broadcast revealed he was fighting through a right shoulder injury.
The third round began with no drop in intensity. Both men unleashed their most punishing punches, testing each other’s chin and stamina. They took as much as they gave, standing tall despite the onslaughts.
Despite both showing immense power, by round four, it was clear Bakhtiyorov was throwing and landing more punches. The bout remained a war of attrition, with both fighters continuing to trade in the pocket, neither willing to take a step back or take any steam off their shots.
In round five, the gloves kept cracking with violent exchanges. Both warriors swung with knockout intent, trying to end the bout early, but they stood like walls, absorbing and returning fire in a grueling battle.
Then came the final round. Bolaño fought off the back foot but continued landing crisp, accurate combinations. The Uzbek kept pressing forward with jabs and crosses that landed dangerously. The final bell rang, leaving the decision in the hands of the judges.
Victory went to Ayubkhon Bakhtiyorov of Uzbekistan, who added another win to his record and moved one step closer to claiming the “José Sulaimán” trophy in this WBC Boxing Grand Prix.
Holy Dorgbetor (14-1-1, 8KO) vs Muhamet Qamili (16-0, 7KO)
In a high-paced, high-volume fight full of intensity, a cut, and plenty of smart boxing, Muhamet Qamili outclassed his Ghanaian opponent to secure the win.
The action kicked off fast and strong in the opening round, with solid exchanges between both fighters. Qamili looked for ways to close the distance, as Dorgbetor had a clear reach advantage. An accidental clash of heads left Qamili with a cut above his eye.
From the start, it was clear this would be a fast-paced and dynamic bout. Qamili focused on pressuring Dorgbetor, cutting off the ring and throwing combinations with impressive volume. One of Qamili’s punches even knocked Dorgbetor’s mouthguard out. Meanwhile, the Italian’s cut was bleeding heavily.
The intensity kept rising as the rounds went on. In the third, Qamili inflicted the most damage, once again knocking out his opponent’s mouthguard. Dorgbetor responded with hooks to the face, clearly targeting Qamili’s wound.
Most of the round was fought along the ropes, with Qamili pinning his opponent down. Dorgbetor showed speed but lacked precision. Qamili found openings to land clean shots, though he also took some solid punches in return.
Open scoring showed Qamili was ahead. Both fighters began to tire, and although the intensity dipped slightly, the punch output remained high. Qamili skillfully slipped many of Dorgbetor’s shots but still absorbed a few clean punches. The round ended with both fighters going strong.
The final round—arguably the least eventful—allowed Qamili to seal the deal and secure his win.
Muhamet Qamili won by unanimous decision.
Oleksandr Solomennikov (16-2, 8KO) vs Yoni Diego Lorenzo Sebastien Valverde Lopez (15-0, 3KO)
French fighter Yoni Valverde stepped into the ring against Ukraine’s Oleksandr Solomennikov, who took the fight on short notice, replacing Tyshawn Denson of the United States after the latter had to withdraw due to an allergic reaction. Despite the circumstances, the bout turned out to be a highly competitive and evenly matched contest, with both fighters trading power shots throughout. In the end, the judges saw it as a close fight, awarding Valverde a majority decision victory.
Solomennikov, coming in as a late replacement, faced a fired-up Valverde who came out aggressively from the opening bell. The Frenchman immediately took command of the bout, pushing the pace and trying to impose his rhythm. He made it clear in round one that he was hunting for an early stoppage.
In round two, Valverde continued to set the tone, overwhelming Solomennikov with pressure. The Ukrainian struggled to find his rhythm and read the aggressive style of his opponent. By that point, two of the judges had the fight even, while the third gave the edge to Valverde.
The third round saw Valverde turn up the heat, coming forward with increased aggression. However, Solomennikov began to find his openings, landing effective counters and showing that he wasn’t going to back down, making it a very close round.
As the fight progressed, Solomennikov began to grow in confidence. By the fourth round, he looked more composed, slipping punches and landing cleaner shots. Meanwhile, Valverde started to show signs of frustration, swinging wide in his attempts to land something big.
Before the fifth round, the scorecards revealed that Valverde was ahead on two cards, with the third still even. Both fighters knew the fight was up for grabs and came out swinging, launching heavy artillery in a final push for victory. Neither man was willing to back off, understanding just how close the fight was.
In the final round, both warriors left it all in the ring in front of the fans in Saudi Arabia. The exchanges were fierce, with Valverde’s uppercuts doing visible damage, but Solomennikov refused to let the opportunity slip through his fingers. In the final 30 seconds, both fighters emptied the tank. When the final bell rang, it was up to the judges—and they awarded a majority decision win to France’s Yoni Valverde Jr.
Yusuf Adisa Adeniji (16-0, 10KO) vs Alexandr Kovrigin (8-2, 6KO)
In the bout originally meant to feature Mexican fighter Ángel Sauceda—who had to withdraw due to injury and surgery—Alexandr Kovrigin stepped in as a late replacement. After a scrappy, hard-fought contest, Yusuf Adeniji came away with a majority decision victory.
The fight started with high intensity. In the opening round, Adeniji accidentally pushed Kovrigin to the canvas—it initially appeared to be a knockdown caused by a punch. The Kazakh fighter tried to break through Adeniji’s long reach, but it proved difficult.
Every time Kovrigin attempted to close the distance, Adeniji kept him at bay with stiff jabs. One of those jabs even dropped Kovrigin briefly, as he began to show signs of frustration at being unable to get past the Nigerian’s defense.
Open scoring revealed that Adeniji was ahead. It was clear the Nigerian was looking to land that same jab that had worked so effectively in the previous round. That strategy continued to trouble Kovrigin, and Adeniji got the better of most exchanges.
Kovrigin fought with more aggression and urgency, but the reach disadvantage remained a problem. Midway through the round, after landing a good punch, both fighters became tangled and fell to the canvas together.
With the pressure mounting and knowing he was behind on the cards, Kovrigin desperately searched for a fight-ending shot. Adeniji, however, managed the distance well, and when Kovrigin did get inside, the Nigerian resorted to clinching—something that visibly frustrated his opponent.
While Adeniji showed solid footwork, his main response to any close-range danger was excessive holding, which eventually cost him a point deduction in the final round. The fight ended on a less-than-thrilling note, with Kovrigin unable to find his jab and Adeniji playing it safe, knowing he was ahead.
Yusuf Adeniji won the fight by majority decision.
Zholdas Zhengissov (9-1, 4KO) vs Troy Nash (5-0, 1KO)
From the opening bell to the final round, it was all Troy Nash. The American fighter showcased superior defense and pinpoint accuracy, completely nullifying his opponent’s offense. With a style that seemed straight out of the Floyd Mayweather playbook, Nash cruised to a unanimous decision victory, leading on all three scorecards from start to finish.
Continuing the featherweight action, this bout pitted the United States against Kazakhstan. Right from the first round, Nash established control, working behind a sharp jab and using excellent footwork to navigate the ring, all while making himself a hard target for Zhengissov’s offense.
In round two, Nash continued to frustrate Zhengissov with slick head movement and defensive awareness. Though his style wasn’t flashy, it was highly effective, allowing him to dictate the pace and distance of the fight.
The third round was more of the same. Zhengissov struggled to break through Nash’s tight defense, while the American picked his shots, landed clean counters, and kept the risk factor to a minimum—all of which gave him a clear edge on the scorecards.
In round four, Nash stayed composed, sticking to his game plan and refusing to trade recklessly. Zhengissov, growing desperate, began lunging with wild punches, trying to close the gap. But the judges’ scorecards reflected Nash’s consistent dominance—he swept every round.
The fifth round was a mirror image of the previous ones, though Nash began adding more sting to his shots. He mixed in body work and, in the final 30 seconds, connected with a series of heavy blows to Zhengissov’s face that clearly rattled the Kazakh fighter.
By the sixth and final round, Zhengissov knew he needed a knockout to win—but Nash’s defensive skill set made that an impossible task. The American stayed elusive, even appearing to go for the finish himself in the closing seconds. The result was never in doubt: a dominant unanimous decision win for Troy Nash.
Brandon Mejia Mosqueda (10-0, 9KO) vs Gully Powar (12-1, 1KO)
Arguably one of the best fights of the night, Brandon Mosqueda earned a hard-fought victory over a relentless Gulraj Powar, who never stopped coming forward.
As expected, the bout began at a furious pace with a high volume of punches. Early in the first round, both fighters were sizing each other up—until, just before the 30-second warning, Mosqueda dropped Powar with a powerful left hand.
After feeling the Mexican’s power, Powar approached the fight with more caution. Mosqueda continued to get the better of the exchanges until, in the final 30 seconds of the second round, he slipped. Powar seized the moment, gaining confidence.
The third round was delayed as the judges deliberated whether Mosqueda’s fall had been caused by a punch. It was ruled a slip. The round itself was action-packed, with both men landing strong shots, though frequently broken up by clinching. It ended with a thrilling exchange in which Mosqueda once again looked sharper.
Mosqueda kept throwing dangerous overhands, but Powar’s head movement helped him avoid the worst of them. Every time Powar attacked, Mosqueda responded instantly—moving forward with speed and power. It was turning into a true war.
Open scoring showed Mosqueda was ahead, which prompted Powar to push the pace, coming in faster and more aggressive. Mosqueda responded with improved footwork and head movement, making it harder for Powar to land cleanly. Still, the Brit found success when he backed Mosqueda into the ropes.
Despite being ahead on the cards, Mosqueda continued looking for the knockout, firing heavy overhands at Powar’s head. While Powar was able to dodge some of them, he also engaged in fierce exchanges. The final 30 seconds reflected the spirit of the fight—pure intensity to the last bell.
Brandon Mosqueda won by unanimous decision.
Iman Joshua Lee (14-0, 8KO) vs Héctor Alejandro Munguía Calderón (15-1-1, 9KO)
American fighter Iman Joshua Lee punched his ticket to the quarterfinals in the featherweight division, securing a unanimous decision victory over Mexico’s Héctor Munguía. Despite constant pressure from the Mexican, Lee’s slick defensive style ultimately proved too much to overcome.
This was the final featherweight clash, with the winner earning the last spot in the next phase of the tournament. In round one, both fighters started cautiously, using it as a feel-out round to study each other’s rhythm and range before unleashing their full arsenals.
In the second round, Lee fought off the back foot, working to stay off the ropes and avoid becoming an easy target. Munguía brought the heat, looking to cut off the ring and close the distance. His aggression forced Lee into some exchanges, but the Mexican still needed to press harder—by that point, all three judges had him behind on the cards.
Coming out for round three, Munguía turned up the pressure, aware he was trailing and facing a slippery opponent. Though he kept coming forward, landing clean on Lee proved difficult, as the American’s movement and defensive sharpness made him a tough puzzle to crack.
In round four, Munguía kept charging forward, not giving Lee any room to breathe. That forced Lee to stand and trade more than before. The Mexican tried to shorten the distance and cut off the angles, knowing that giving Lee space would mean handing over control of the fight.
Heading into the fifth round, the judges had only given Munguía one round. He needed to take the final two to have any chance of pulling it out. He went back to pushing the pace, but maintaining that tempo against a defensive specialist like Lee wasn’t easy.
The sixth and final round arrived, and with it, Munguía knew a knockout was likely his only shot at victory. In the final minute, he turned into a whirlwind of punches, throwing everything he had in a last-ditch effort to earn a spot in the quarterfinals. But it wasn’t enough—Iman Joshua Lee stayed composed, weathered the storm, and walked away with a clear-cut unanimous decision win.