The Mexican Russian Wins IBF Featherweight Title in Split Decision Upset
By Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media Correspondent
Mashantucket, Connecticut( March 2nd, 2013)– Fighting on four weeks notice, Evgeny ‘The Mexican Russian’ Gradovich of Russia scored a split decision upset over defending champion Billy Dib of Sydney, Australia to win the international Boxing Federation Featherweight championship in his sixteenth professional bout on the ESPN2 Friday Night fight telecast at MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut, on March 1, 2013.
Gradovich, 26, a Russian training in Robert’s Garcia’s Big Bear training camp in Big Bear, California, now 16-0 with 8 knockouts, moved forward recklessly and aggressively and fought his way inside to win a power punch war. Frequently both fighters would exchange left handed power punches to the head, but Gradovich landed additional follow up overhand right shots to Dib’s head and was way ahead by fight’s end on the considerable power punch count of both fighters. There was a lot of wrestling and holding on the inside whenever the two fighters got tangled up.
Both fighters were deducted a point by referee Eddie Claudio for holding on the inside. Gradovich’s face was somewhat swollen, while Dib’s face was cut up. The top of Dib’s head was cut from an accidental elbow from Gradovich. By round twelve, Dib was bleeding badly from the corner of the right eye.
Dib had better foot movement moving side to side, but Gradovich had better inside penetration. Gradovich was relentless in forcing Dib to fight it out with him or hold. Gradovich appeared to win the championship rounds 10, 11 and 12 by beating Dib to the punch and putting more rounds in the bank. One judge scored the fight for Dib. Had Dib not lost a point after Gradovich lost a point in round eight, the bout would have been much closer. Dib, who took his opponent to a 12 round decision for the fifth time since he decisioned Robert Oyan in Australia in 2005, just could not win the championship rounds.
Trainer Robert Garcia beat Dib for the second time, having trained WBO Featherweight champion Steve Luevano for his October 2008 win over Dib. Television commentator Teddy Atlas spoke correctly when he stated referee Eddie Claudio could have given both fighters more of a chance to punch themselves out during holding, but Claudio made a statement not to hold during a championship bout to both fighters, and maintained control of the action and the tempo in the ring. Dib, now 27, fell to 35-2 with 21 knockouts and one no-contest.
In a preliminary mismatch bout preceding the Dib versus Gradovich main event, light middleweight Willie Nelson of Cleveland, Ohio, 20-1-1 with 12 knockouts, made the first defense of his North American Boxing Federation Light Middleweight title with a first round stoppage of Michael Medina. Nelson knocked down Medina twice in the first, causing referee Arthur Mercante Jr. to wave a halt to the contest. It appeared Medina suffered an injury to his lower right leg, and had to be removed from the ring on a stretcher. Medina, Los Angeles, California, fell to 26-4-2 with 19 knockouts.
Result: Evgeny Gradovich Win Split Decision 12 Billy Dib
Gradovich Wins the International Boxing Federation World Featherweight Title
Scoring: 114-112 Gradovich, 114-112 Gradovich. 114-112 Dib
Referee: Eddie Claudio
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