Ukraine’s Vasyl Lomachenko on Saturday knocked out Roman Martinez to grab the World Boxing Organization super featherweight world title — his second world belt in just his seventh pro bout.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Lomachenko sent Puerto Rico’s Martinez sprawling on his back with a devastating left uppercut-right hook combination to win by knockout 1 minute, 9 seconds into the fifth round.
He improved to 6-1 with three knockouts — and became the fastest fighter to gain world titles in two weight divisions.
Photo: AFP
Japan’s Naoya Inoue, a reigning super flyweight title holder, won a belt in a second division in his eighth pro fight.
Lomachenko, who compiled an amateur record of 396-1 and Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012, insisted he is still learning the pro game.
“I need more fights. It’s not enough fights for me. I need fights to get better,” he said, adding that he wanted to take on the best of the 130-pound ranks.
Photo: AP
“The reason I like Olympic boxing is that all the best fighters come together and find out who the best fighter is,” he said. “I want to do the same in professional boxing. I want to line up all the best fighters in the 130 division and see who the best fighter is.”
Lomachenko won his first world title in June 2014, dominating former US Olympian Gary Russell to win his in his third pro bout. He matched Saensak Muangsurin’s record for fewest fights needed to win a world championship.
The only blemish on his pro record was a loss to Mexico’s Orlando Salido in Lomachenko’s second professional fight — when the then-vacant WBO featherweight title was on the line.
Salido was ringside at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, and Lomachenko said he was game for a rematch.
“Let’s do it,” he said.
Brazil has four teams, more than any other country, in the expanded Club World Cup that kicked off yesterday in the US, but for SE Palmeiras, the competition holds a special meaning: winning it would provide some redemption. Under coach Abel Ferreira since 2020, Palmeiras lifted two Copa Libertadores titles, plus Brazilian league, cup and state championships. Even before Ferreira, it boasted another South American crown and 11 league titles. The only major trophy missing is a world champions’ title. Other Brazilian clubs like Fluminense FC and Botafogo FR, also in the tournament, have never won it either, but the problem for Palmeiras
Badminton world No. 3 Anders Antonsen clinched his first Indonesia Open title yesterday after beating Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen, while South Korea’s An Se-young won her second championship in Jakarta. The 28-year-old Dane sank world No. 7 Chou at the Indonesian capital’s Istora Senayan arena, winning 22-20, 21-14 in a 60-minute match to secure the prestigious Super 1000 event. Antonsen came out on top in a tightly contested first game before cruising to victory in the second. In a more closely fought women’s singles final, South Korean ace and world No. 1 An fought back from one game down to beat China’s
‘STILL’: In front of a packed New Jersey arena attended by Donald Trump and Mike Tyson, UFC 316 delivered high drama as Merab Dvalishvili retained his title Georgia’s Merab Dvalishvili scored a second-round submission win over Sean O’Malley to retain his bantamweight title at Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 316 on Saturday, with Kayla Harrison also winning by submission in the co-main event, tapping out Juliana Pena to claim the women’s bantamweight crown. In front of a packed crowd at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, which included US President Donald Trump and retired heavyweight great Mike Tyson, Dvalishvili, a 34-year-old from the country of Georgia, won the belt in a convincing, although not aesthetically pleasing, unanimous decision. Dvalishvili (19-4) sat on top of the cage and shouted
Manchester City on Monday completed the signing of left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a reported ￡31 million (US$41.8 million). The 24-year-old Algeria international has signed a five-year contract and will be available for the FIFA Club World Cup, which begins later this week. Ait-Nouri is expected to be just one of a trio of new City faces for that tournament with deals close to completion for AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and Olympique Lyonnais playmaker Rayan Cherki. After missing out on a major trophy in the recently completed season for the first time since 2016-2017, City are hoping
RSS