Ali Akhmedov takes next step towards contention against Encarnacion Diaz
Ali Akhmedov is ready to enter the mix of contenders at 168 pounds.
Akhmedov will square off against Encarnacion Diaz Thursday night at Wayne State FieldHouse in Detroit, Michigan. The 10-round bout will take place on the Big Time Boxing USA card that will be headlined by the heavyweight bout between Jermaine Franklin and Devin Vargas.
At Wednesday’s weigh-in, Akhmedov weighed in at 171.6 pounds. Diaz weighed in at 169.6 pounds.
Promoter Dmitriy Salita believes Akhmedov could be fighting some of the best fighters in the super middleweight division later this year.
“Ali is one of the most talented fighters in the super middleweight division from Kazakhstan,” Salita told The Ring Tuesday afternoon. “(He is a) world class talent (who) is a fight or two away from fighting the best in the world. Big Time Boxing USA will give the fans an opportunity to see him develop under trainer Jonathan Banks in Detroit, (which is) one of boxing’s historic homes.”
Akhmedov (20-1, 15 knockouts), who now resides in Los Angeles, last fought on April 27, stopping fringe contender Carlos Rivero of Venezuela in the second round. In his previous fight in September 2022, Akhmedov defeated Gabriel Rosado by unanimous decision.
The 28-year-old has won his last four bouts since a December 2020 knockout loss to Carlos Gongora. At the time of the stoppage, Akhmedov was up on all three judges’ scorecards.
Akhmedov also has knockout victories over DeShon Webster, Marcus McDaniel, and David Zegarra.
Diaz (18-4 1 No contest, 11 KOs), who is originally from Nicaragua and now resides in San Jose, Costa Rica, stopped journeyman Celso Ocampo in the second round of his last fight on March 16.
The 40-year-old Diaz has not lost since losing by knockout to fringe contender Bilel Latreche on October 31.
Franklin (22-2, 14 KOs) weighed in at 254 pounds. Vargas (22-10, 9 KOs) came in at 235.2 pounds.
In a compelling eight round clash between unbeaten lightweight prospects, Joshua Pagan (9-0, 4 KOs) of nearby Grand Rapids will face Roger Hilley (13-0, 8 KOs) of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Both Pagan and Hilley weighed in at 135.4 pounds.
Salita noted tonight’s card is a mix of fights between top unbeaten prospects and contenders fighting in showcase fights, looking to solidify their standing or move up the rankings in their respective weight classes.
“This series is a combination of Tuesday Night Fights and ShoBox, with a goal of being the premier talent development platform in the United States,” said Salita.
Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached at santio89@yahoo.com
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