There were a few glimpses into the boxing future at this evening’s semi-final portion of the IBA 2025 Boxing World Championships in Dubai. From the smaller magicians to some athletic superlative heavies, the session delivered a bit of everything. 

The iconic yet diminutive figure of Hasanboy Dusmatov (Uzbekistan) created a large shadow looming over Rudolf Garboyan of Armenia. Dusmatov secured a unanimous decision victory in this 51kg evening session opener.

In round one, the taller Armenian made sure there was something waiting for Dusmatov every time he ventured inside. A verified distance closer, Dusmatov dealt with a subtle strategy change in round two as Garboyan began pushing the pace.

Dusmatov’s precision earned him the first two rounds and Garboyan tried to offer something different in the third. The Uzbek king won it 5-0.

In the flyweight final, he will face the stylistic conundrum of Russia’s Bair Batlaev, who defeated Zambia’s Patrick Chinyemba in the other semi. 

Batlaev, a sawn-off shotgun southpaw, grabbed the first-round scores over the Zambian, a taller orthodox boxer. The battle of handspeed was real. 

Chinyemba’s backhand was landing in the second, although the judges once again went all in on Batlaev scoring-wise. Batlaev boxed clever in the third round, closing out a contest which harshly failed to reward Chinyemba with anything.

The five judges, from Serbia, Algeria, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Cuba gave it 30-27 across the board to Batlaev.

Kazakhstan’s Orazbek Assykulov will compete in the final at 57kg after outworking Russia’s Andrei Peglivanian over three rounds.

Red-vested southpaw Assykulov used controlled aggression, trying to offset the taller orthodox Russian. Gaining a round one advantage, Assykulov pushed on in the second. The pair ended entwined on more than one occasion, working the referee hard.

The featherweight fisticuffs continued as Peglivanian brought the heat, but not much was landing. Assykulov’s left hand earned him a 4-1 in the second. 

Andrei Peglivanian was unable to deliver the huge round he needed, going down by a score of 5-0 (unanimous decision). Peglivanian took a 4-1 in the final round, took the loss, collected the bronze medal and swiftly exited the ring.

Orazbek Assykulov will return to the ring one final time when he meets Tajikistan’s Khusravkhon Rakhimov in the feather final after Rakhimov overcame Uzbekistan’s Khujanazar Nortojiev 5-0 

Rakhimov showed early on why he was the number two seed at the weight, as these two compact, academic orthodox boxers managed the ring as best they could. Nortojiev worked hard but got scant reward as the judges sided with Rakhimov’s work.

The Tajik took the first round 5-0 and the second 4-1. Rakhimov’s 5-0 UD win was tough to take for the Uzbek, who merited more for his efforts.

The first light-welterweight semi-final saw Omar Livaza (Kyrgyzstan) prevail over Emmanuel Katema (Zambia), in a 5-0 unanimous decision.

It was a scuffle for authority in the early stages as Katema snaked out his long left lead. Livaza pumped his low southpaw hand out repeatedly before committing. 

Livaza’s body work pocketed him a 4-1 first round. He collected the second as well, using the last round as an opportunity to dance around and rest up for the final. Katema could not pin his sprightly foe down.

The second semi-final eventually confirmed, by the narrowest of margins, that Ilia Popov will be waiting to put Livaza to the test after the Russian boxer got the better of Kazakhstan’s Yertugan Zeinulinov. The 4-3 verdict, requiring a bout review intervention, told the story.

Zeinulinov repeatedly found angles to land his shots on Popov, taking a 4-1 lead in the first. The Kazakh was in motion by the second as Popov upped the tempo.

Zeinulinov took the second 3-2 and Popov thumped him with a right hand during the opening moments of the final round. Suddenly, a strategic change was serving the Russian well. It was a classic, competitive last round, ending on a bout review.

Sergei Koldenkov dominated front-foot pressure fighter Bayramdurdy Nurmukhammedov behind his two heavy hands for nine minutes. The 5-0 UD success in this light-middleweight rumble was a formality.

Nurmukhammedov of Turkmenistan rarely does anything in reverse. Russia’s Koldenkov boxed so sweetly in the first that the Serbian judge awarded it to him 10-8.

The sight of Nurmukhammedov being moved on the back foot by the physically imposing Russian told the tale of how this was going in the second round. The Russian fans were enjoying every second of their man’s display.

Koldenkov slid the second round into the back pocket as well, making this high-stakes stage of the tournament look like a preliminary round mismatch.

In the second 71kg dice roll, Ablaikhan Zhussupov (Kazakhstan) outwitted Ikhtiar Nishonov (Kyrgyzstan) for much of their contest, affirming a 5-0 UD win. Nishonov was clenching his fist at the decision announcement, seemingly thinking he may have snatched it.

Sweeping the beginner, Zhussupov was waiting for his opponent to commit. In a dangerous mood, Zhus was intent on punishing every mistake made. 

Nishonov opened his arms in round two, inviting a showboating foe to engage. Zhussupov obliged, sending the Kyrgyzstan firecracker into the ropes with a left hook. Nishonov was lucky the official did not decide to initiate a count, as the ropes broke his fall.

Javokhir Ummataliev of Uzbekistan raised his game to defeat Cuba’s Arlen Lopez by a 5-0 UD at 80kg comprehensively. The winner got it 29-28 on all five cards, grabbing the torch from the Caribbean island veteran.

Two talented light heavyweights at various ends of the career spectrum met in centre ring to determine one half of the 80kg final. Lopez got inside and lazily leaned from side to side as Ummataliev used his youthful busyness to score with shots to the body of the Cuban savant.

The Uzbek won 10-9 across the first-round scores. Despite all of his mental know-how, has Lopez retained the fitness to work hard enough to throw his opponent off their stride?

Not in round two. Lopez launched more towards the end, but wasn’t landing clean. The Cuban needed a massive final round to try and upgrade an expected bronze medal.

Ummataliev showed the composure and maturity to pot shot, hold and see out the last session, in a manner befitting of the opponent he defeated to reach the final. 

In an absorbing, not particularly exciting, second semi-final, Russia’s Dzhambulat Bizhamov used a conservative style to get over the line by 5-0 UD over Gasimagomed Jalidov (Spain). The Russian secured at least a silver by a uniform score of 30-27 on all reckoning.

Born in Dagestan before relocating to Spain, Jalidov’s hands hummed up and down as he looked for opportunities. Bizhamov’s fleet-footed movement impressed the judges as Jalidov stalked with intent in the final round. It wasn’t enough to make a difference.

Up at 92kg, the intrigue levels were bubbling up to boiling point as Turabek Khabibullaev (Uzbekistan) and Loren Alfonso (Azerbaijan) pitted their respective wits against one another. Khabibullaev won a 5-0 UD.

Cuban native Alfonso likes to dictate the rhythm and the Uzbek was tasked with raising the pace to an uncomfortable position on the temperature dial. It was a timid, slow-paced opener.

Khabibullaev broomed up every point in the first, which was a net positive for pulling Alfonso out of his shell. It worked as the Azaberijan resident changed his approach. Alfonso was sucking up the air at the close of a more active second. Still, he didn’t win any of it.

Boxing well ahead, brimming with conviction, Khabibullaev was content walking about, holding and squeezing the sand timer down to empty.

The second heavyweight semi was contested between Enmanuel Reyes Pla (Spain) and Muslim Gadzhimagomedov (Russia). 

The Tokyo Olympic silver medallist had displayed his punching prowess to this point and would need those same attributes in full force to counter Reyes Pla’s abilities.

Setting a fierce pace, Gadzhimagomedov let the jab-right hand flow. Havana-born Spanish rep Reyes Pla stepped forward increasingly as the opener progressed. The Russian won it by a 4-1 split.

Reyes Pla’s evasion of Gadzhimagomedov’s punches looked impressive, but the judges continued to reward the more aggressive fighter. The 28-year-old Serpukhov man was feeling the pace in the final round.

Reyes Pla sensed it too, landing flashing scoring shots to try and turn it around. Gadzhimagomedov did enough to claim a 5-0 UD and yet another Russian success.

The big boys came out for warfare in the 92kg super-heavyweight class. Arman Makhanov (Uzbekistan) needed a bout review to get past Davit Chaloyan (Armenia) 5-2.

In round one, the wiry Makhanov made the big Armenian look a little lumbering. Stabbing the jab to the body seemed to be a reasonable tactic for Chaloyan. Makhanov took the round 3-2.

Whenever they exchanged wild hooks, this bout had the potential for someone to suddenly “go”, such was the sheer size and power of the pair. Makhanov suffered a cut to the right eye from a punch.

It didn’t impact his ability to land clean and effective blows. The Uzbek took the second 4-1. Chaloyan needed a huge final round. The chunky Armenian kept on swinging, but his work was to no avail.

Joining Makhanov in the super-heavy final will be David Surov, who overcame Mahammad Abdullayev by a surprisingly simple 5-0 UD.

Two big units, both relatively mobile for their considerable size, went at it with Russia’s Surov showing an outstanding engine and workrate. 

Azerbaijan’s Abdullayev had his torso regularly smashed as Surov used his adversary’s head for target practice, setting up a fantastic final in two days. Surov scored a couple of 10-8 scores en route to victory.