Ukraine will host a championship fight in boxing for the first time in just over two years. Sports Palace – for the first time in almost 16 years

Big box returns to Ukraine. A large-scale evening organized by the promotion company Sparta Boxing Promotions, which will take place on January 20 at the Kiev Sports Palacewill be crowned fight for the WBF junior welterweight title between Ukrainian Aram Fanian and Mexican Francisco Mercado. For the capital of Ukraine, this is the first championship fight in just over two years, for the Sports Palace – in almost 16 years. Only four world champions fought in Ukraine. Let’s remember how it was.

Five fights of Dalakyan

So far, the last Ukrainian to hold a championship fight in our country in general, and in Kyiv in particular, was WBA flyweight title holder Artem Dalakyan. In February 2018, the Ukrainian won the belt in an away match with Brian Viloria, and before the start of a full-scale war he managed to make five defenses in Ukraine. Four – at the Parkovy concert center, one – at the ACCO exhibition center. There could have been more protections, but the coronavirus pandemic intervened, plus the reluctance of top fighters to meet with a dangerous Ukrainian.

However, let us record: on December 20 at the ACCO exhibition center, Dalakyan defeated Panamanian Luis Concepcion ahead of schedule, and this fight became the last championship fight in Ukraine. Dalakyan, by the way, defeated Costa Rican David Jimenez in London last January, and on January 23 he will defend his title in Japan, in a duel against Seyigo Akui.

Pioneer Nuzhnenko

The now famous coach Yuriy Nuzhnenko became the first to “bring” a title fight to Ukraine. Let it be for the belt of the “temporary” champion. In December 2007, Nuzhnenko won it in France, defeating local boxer Frederik Klose on points by unanimous decision, and four months later he defended it in Kyiv and at the Sports Palace.

The fight with Puerto Rican Irving Garcia was not easy. The fight itself was stopped in the 10th round after Nuzhnenko was cut due to a clash of heads. At the time the fight was stopped, the cards of two judges were a draw – 95:95, while one had Nuzhnenko winning 96:95. Thus, the Ukrainian retained the title of interim champion, and a few months after Antonio Margarito was declared Super Champion, he already became the owner of a full belt, which he lost in April 2009.

Donetsk battles Senchenko, Lviv – Kotelnika

The world champion title was taken from Nuzhnenko by another Ukrainian, Vyacheslav Senchenko, in Donetsk, in the Druzhba Sports Palace, which was destroyed by Russian militants back in 2014. Senchenko won the fight against Nuzhnenko by unanimous decision – 116:112 (twice) and 118:100, and then made three successful title defenses. One of them is at the Donbass Arena.

At the Donbass Arena, Senchenko lost the title, losing ahead of schedule to the American Paul Maliyanji in April 2012.

In 2008, the champion fight was held in Lvov by the then WBA junior welterweight title holder Andrei Kotelnik. The Ukrainian, who was perhaps our most underrated fighter of his time, twice fought for the world title. In the first case, the judges openly rejected Kotelnik, two controversial draws in the fight with Souleymane Mbaye (114:114, 115:113 and 112:117) and leaving the title to the Frenchman. In the second, in March 2008, he simply knocked out Gavin Reese in the 12th round in the last round, so as not to leave everything to the referees. True, at the time the fight was stopped, the Ukrainian was in the lead on the notes of all three judges.

In September 2008, Kotelnik made his first title defense in his native Lviv, defeating Noiro Kimura on points. Then he defended himself again, winning against the very dangerous Argentinean Marcos Maidana (yes, the same one who gave Mayweather problems), and then lost the belt, losing on points to Amir Khan.

Who did Ukrainians fight with in championship fights in our country?

Aram Fanian’s opponent, Francisco Mercado, will become the first Mexican to hold a championship fight in Ukraine. Previously, our boxers fought with representatives of seven countries in title fights.

Three boxers from Venezuela came to Ukraine to claim their belts, two each from Japan and Thailand, one each from Puerto Rico, the USA, the Dominican Republic and Panama.

A large-scale boxing evening at the Kiev Sports Palace on January 20 will be a charity event. The goal is 5,000,000 hryvnia to restore the Nikolaev sports school. During the event, a charity auction will be held, all proceeds from which will go to the needs of the consolidated paramilitary patrol police unit named after. Nestor Makhno and the Shock Company of the BPAK “Combat Khrushchi”. As part of the boxing evening, there will be performances by star artists: Kozak Siromakha, Svetlana Tarabarova, Alena Omargalieva.

The free broadcast will take place on the MEGOGO platform. Tickets can be purchased via the link in profile header organizing company.