By Vince Dwriter: On the November 5 Bivol-Ramirez undercard, Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov won the vacant IBF junior lightweight title as he rallied back to defeat Zelfa Barrett (28-2, 16 KOs) by way of a ninth round TKO, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates.
Initially, Rakhimov was the mandatory challenger for the then-champion Joe Cordina, but unfortunately, Cordina had to pull out of the match due to a hand injury. The IBF proceeded to strip Cordina of the belt, and then a match was set between Rakhimov and the late replacement Zelfa Barrett.
Rakhimov started the bout trying to immediately close the distance by cutting off the ring, but Barrett was able to maintain his range by utilizing swift movement and sharp changes in direction. Zelfa Barrett used his jab and precise counterpunching to win the opening round.
A determined Rakhimov started the second round by continuing to press forward, trying to get inside to throw his shots. Rakhimov was executing his game plan in regards to applying pressure, but Barrett was doing an excellent job of boxing off of his back foot, as he consistently found a home for his left hook to Rakhimov’s head and body.
Zelfa Barrett had a fantastic third round as his counterpunching continued to be on point. While operating primarily in reverse, Barrett caught Rakhimov charging in, and he hit him with a right uppercut that sent Rakhimov down to the canvas.
In the fifth round, Rakhimov finally made a subtle adjustment. For the first four rounds of the fight, he was a stationary target, but he started the fifth round by using head movement and feints. The adjustment seemed to pay dividends as Rakhimov was able to land some nice combinations, and he concluded the round by landing a solid left hand to the head of Barrett.
Rakhimov appeared to get into a rhythm as he continued to experience success off his front foot by pressing forward and using his jab to set up his offense. After his opponent was able to put together two good consecutive rounds, Barrett bounced back with a nice seventh round. He used his footwork to set up his combinations, and he capped the round off with a solid right hand counter.
Barrett was moving fluidly during the first eight rounds; then, he allowed himself to get forced against the ropes in the ninth. After getting hit with a four-punch combination, Barrett appeared to have difficulty with his right leg. It’s unknown if the leg problem was the result of a punch or an injury suffered during the course of the round.
With mobility being an issue for Barrett, Rakhimov turned up the pressure, and he hit Barrett with a flurry that sent him down to the canvas. Zelfa Barrett was able to get up, but without the use of his legs, he was forced to stand in the pocket and trade shots with Rakhimov.
Barrett proceeded to sit down on his shots and try to trade with Rakhimov, but unfortunately for Barrett, he was partaking in the strength of his opponent. Rakhimov was able to maneuver Barrett into a corner and unleashed an all-out assault on Barrett’s body and head. Barrett’s corner threw in the towel, but the referee didn’t see it.
During the course of the all-out attack, Rakhimov knocked Barrett down with a left hook, and the referee immediately put a halt to the contest and declared Rakhimov, the winner by TKO. With the win, Rakhimov improves to a record of (17-0-1, 14 KOs) and he also collects the vacant IBF junior lightweight title.
Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov is the new IBF junior lightweight champion, and his next move may already be set as his first title defense will more than likely be a matchup against the former champion Joe Cordina.
