IBA World Boxing Championships 2023 bronze medallist, Tajikistan’s undefeated Bakhodur Usmonov (9-0, 4 KOs) will step into the ring on 23 May in Dushanbe headlining the IBA.Pro 6 event for a 10-round bout contesting the vacant WBA Gold lightweight title. Filipino southpaw Albert Pagara (35-1, 24 KOs), who has claimed the WBO Intercontinental, IBF Asia and IBF Intercontinental crowns over the course of his career, is to become his opponent.

Usmonov is currently ranked as the top lightweight in Tajikistan and sits inside the global top 50; he previously held the WBO Oriental title. Pagara — ranked No. 1 among Filipino fighters on BoxRec and No. 56 worldwide — has spent most of his career fighting at home, capturing the WBO Intercontinental, IBF Asia and IBF Intercontinental belts along the way.

Co-main event of the Dushanbe fight card will see 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Davlat Boltaev (4-0, 2 KOs) of Tajikistan challenge Cameroonian African champion Zacharie-Serge Mvogo Amougou (1-2, 1 KO) in an eight-round heavyweight contest for the IBA.Pro Intercontinental title. Fellow Tajik prospect Akmal Ubaidov (5-0, 5 KOs) will also be in action on the undercard.

IBA.Pro 6 Dushanbe full fight card

• 67 kg, six rounds:
 Yevgeny Kool (Russia) vs. Fariozbek Khakimov (3-2, 3 KOs, Uzbekistan)
• 57.2 kg, six rounds, IBA.PRO:
 Akmal Ubaidov (5-0, 5 KOs, Tajikistan) vs. Erzhan Zalilov (13-4-2, 7 KOs)
• +90.7kg, six rounds, IBA.PRO:
 Murad Khalidov (10-0, 5 KOs, Russia) vs. Khalimjon Mamasoliev (9-1, 3 KOs, Uzbekistan)
• 90.7 kg, six rounds, IBA.PRO:
 Basir Abakarov (11-0, 9 KOs, Russia) vs. Halimjon Mamasoliev (2-0, 2 KOs, Uzbekistan)
• 66.7 kg, ten rounds:
 Maxim Chernichuk (8-0-1, 1 KO) vs. Michael King (6-3-1, 4 KOs, Luxembourg)
• 90.7 kg, eight rounds, IBA.PRO Intercontinental:
 Davlat Boltaev (4-0, 2 KOs, Tajikistan) vs. Zacharie-Serge Mvogo Amougou (1-2, 1 KO, Cameroon)
• 61.2 kg, ten rounds, WBA Gold:
 Bakhodur Usmonov (9-0, 4 KOs, Tajikistan) vs. Albert Pagara (35-1, 24 KOs, Philippines)