Highlights and results: Murodjon Akhmadaliev stops Ronny Rios in 12

Murodjon Akhmadaliev overcame an harm to his left hand to show up the warmth and cease Ronny Rios in spherical 12, retaining his WBA and IBF junior featherweight titles in San Antonio.

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The stoppage got here formally with 54 seconds remaining within the struggle. Rios (33-4, 16 KO) was certainly down huge on the playing cards — each of BLH’s unofficial playing cards had Akhmadaliev up 108-101 going into the ultimate spherical — however he’d had possibilities to get extra into the struggle, he simply didn’t execute.

Akhmadaliev (11-0, 8 KO) proved able to hurting Rios, and whereas Rios had his moments, the bossing of the struggle just about all got here from the titlist from Uzbekistan.

Akhmadaliev had appeared to harm his hand within the fourth spherical or so, it was confirmed that he for certain damage it within the sixth, after which after the struggle, he stated it initially occurred even earlier.

“Within the second spherical, I damage my hand. I landed on his brow and damage my hand. I used my entrance hand and it was very profitable, however I used to be fearful about the remainder of the struggle,” stated Akhmadaliev by way of an interpreter. “However they advised me they needed me to cease him, so I let it go. There’s no thirteenth spherical, so if it’s going to worsen, we’ll get well after the struggle.”

Akhmadaliev didn’t completely cease throwing his left hand till the seventh spherical, however he was nonetheless profitable rounds, and as he stated, determined to simply let each go within the twelfth spherical. He clubbed away at Rios, who lastly took a knee, after which was completed standing not lengthy after.

“Actually, my nook advised me to go forward, you may end him, simply overlook concerning the ache, don’t fear concerning the hand and we’ll fear about it later,” Akhmadaliev stated. “I needed to danger it a little bit bit, as a result of Ronny is a warrior and had been within the struggle.”

With interviewer Chris Mannix mentioning a doable undisputed struggle with WBC/WBO titleholder Stephen Fulton Jr, MJ stated, “I’m prepared for anybody. Any struggle. It doesn’t matter to me. No matter Eddie Hearn says, we’ll go that manner.”