Sosulin KOs Fortea in two then calls for shot at WBA champ Abass Baraou next
Pavel Sosulin produced a breathtaking performance to blow Jorge Fortea away inside two rounds, picking up the IBA Intercontinental super-welterweight title after an electrifying night of action at WINLINE IBA Pro 12 in Samara.
Entering the contest as the number two-ranked super-welterweight by the World Boxing Association (WBA), Sosulin wasted little time in staking his claim for a shot at Abass Baraou’s World Championship belt as he ripped through the defences of Fortea with ease; folding the Spaniard in half after a perfectly-placed right hand to the solar plexus in the second round.
Sosulin (13-0, 7 KOs) flew out of the blocks in typically aggressive fashion, targeting the mid-section of Fortea (25-5-1, 10 KOs) with a series of spiteful hooks that had the Valencia man backing up in a one-sided opener.With the writing seemingly on the wall at the start of round two, Sosulin would close the show in emphatic fashion, uncorking a sickening body-shot finish that brought the raucous Samara crowd to their feet.
Following the victory, Sosulin wasted little time in calling for a shot at WBA champion Baraou.
“Abass Baraou: you’re next!” Sosulin beamed after booking a career-best win.
“I’m the next WBA title contender – and the title belongs to Abass Baraou, so that’s why he is next. I hope in 2026 I’ll get a title shot, I won’t let you down!”
On his stunning stoppage victory, Sosulin said: “We didn’t go out looking for the knockout: it just happened. My opponent was very sharp and very mobile, but I was able to land a punch that we were preparing and we got the job done.”
IBA Pro Promoter Al Siesta also confirmed the pair would be pushing for a shot at the world title in 2026, with Siesta believing it is only a matter of time before the former Russian amateur star picked up championship gold.
“That was a performance that will send shockwaves throughout the entire 154lbs division,” said Siesta.
“[Jorge] Fortea is a tough, rugged contender who has fought all over the world: but nobody has handled him with such ease. Even Xander Zayas [current WBO champion] could not deal with Fortea so devastatingly. That was a massive statement!”
On a potential world title shot for Sosulin, Siesta was optimistic a bout could take place in the first half of 2026.
“Pavel [Sosulin] is ready for a world title now, 100%. I hear people say Baraou will fight Zayas – brilliant. We are ready to fight the winner in 2026 – no problem. Sosulin was ranked number two by the WBA and after that performance, it has to be a big fight next for him.
“Baraou, Zayas, Ennis, Ortiz – guys, we are ready to fight the best! Give me a call!”
Ali Izmailov vs Meysam Gheshlaghi
In the chief support of the evening, unbeaten light-heavyweight star Ali Izmailov returned to the ring with a hard-fought unanimous decision win over rough and ready Iranian foe Meysam Gheshlaghi.
In a back-and-forth bout that was high on drama and full of action, Izmailov’s composure and sharp punch-picking saw him awarded the unanimous decision victory via scores of 97-93 (x2) & 96-94.
Following eight months of inactivity, Izmailov (14-0, 9 KOs) would settle into the fight as the rounds progressed, but the 32-year-old was forced to work hard for victory by the game Gheshlaghi (5-3-1, 4 KOs), who continued to march forward in a bid to upset the heavily-favoured home fighter.
Nevertheless, the result saw Izmailov extend his unbeaten record, with the Malgobek-native now setting his sights on gatecrashing the world scene in a stacked light-heavyweight division.
Undercard
Elsewhere on the card, Pavel Fedorov returned from his first career defeat with a comprehensive six round decision win over Adilet Kurmetov in their six round IBA Pro contest.
Fedorov (3-0, 1 KO & 6-1 IBA Pro) used his superior boxing skill to outwork Kazakhstan’s Kurmetov (5-1, 3 KOs & 0-1 IBA Pro) from the outside, booking a comfortable win on the judges scorecards and banishing memories of his stoppage loss to Georgii Chelokhsaev in March.
Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Davlat Boltaev continued his blistering start to life in the professional ranks as he made quick work of former world title challenger Dilan Prašović, dropping his man twice en route to a highlight reel, first round knockout victory.
Boltaev (5-0, 3 KOs) is considered by many to be one of the hottest prospects in world boxing, and the Tajik star lived up to his lofty billing in a sharp-shooting display that saw Prašović (21-8, 18 KOs) simply overwhelmed from the opening bell.
In arguably the standout fight of the evening, Uzbekistan’s Ulugbek Sobirov picked up the WBA Asia East super-middleweight title with an upset win over Egdard Moskvichev in their highly-entertaining ten round slugfest.
After scoring a thudding knockdown in the opening round, courtesy of a counter left-hook, Sobirov (17-5, 10 KOs) would remain a step ahead of Moskvichev (193-2, 7 KOs) for the majority of the fight, surviving a late surge from the Russian to claim a deserved unanimous decision victory on the judges scorecards.
Heavyweight pair Basir Abakarov and Denis Gubarev produced an entertaining IBA Pro contest, with both men landing a series of heavy blows in a competitive six round showcase.
In the end, it would be the cleaner shots of Abakarov (11-0, 9 KOs & 1-0 IBA Pro) that would see him get the nod on the cards, much to the disappointment of fellow Russian opponent Gubarev (4-2, 2 KOs & 0-1 IBA Pro).
Russian super-welterweight prospect Igor Sviridchenkov sparkled over six with a dominant display against Congolese challenger Mardochee Kuvesa.
Utilising his superior skill-set and mastery of distance, Sviridchenkov (2-0, 1 KO) controlled proceedings throughout, stinging the teak-tough Kuvesa (17-9-1, 2 KOs) several times en route to a comfortable unanimous decision victory.
Featherweight talent Ruslan Belousov battled to a hard-fought six round majority decision win over fellow Russian Amin Abdullin in their IBA Pro clash.
