Riyadh Showdown: Sergey Kovalev Succumbs to Robin Sirwan Safar in Cruiserweight Clash
In a highly anticipated cruiserweight bout, former light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev faced a setback in his career as he lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Sweden’s Robin Sirwan Safar at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Kovalev, once a formidable force in the light heavyweight division, struggled to impose his will against the naturally bigger Safar. The 41-year-old Russian, who had fought just once in the past two years, consistently found himself outmatched by the 31-year-old Safar’s relentless attacks to the body in the opening rounds.
“Despite Kovalev’s occasional accurate jabs, he failed to regain his timing and rhythm, as Safar grew increasingly unconcerned about the power that once defined Kovalev’s dominance.”
The Swedish fighter hurt Kovalev towards the end of the ninth round, and the Russian continued to absorb punishment in the 10th until a powerful right hook knocked him down. Kovalev rose to his feet before the final bell, but the judges had already rendered their verdicts, with scores of 97-92, 99-90, and 95-94 in favor of Safar, who secured a deserved victory.
The undercard of the event also featured several other noteworthy results:
- David Nyika stopped Michael Seitz inside four rounds in a cruiserweight contest.
- Daniel Lapin recorded a first-round stoppage victory over Octavio Pudivitr at light heavyweight.
- Isaac Lowe, a friend of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, earned a 10-round decision win over Hasibullah Ahmadi in a featherweight bout.
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