Vartan Arutyunyan TKO6 Georgiy Yunovidov... On Saturday night at the Traktor Ice Arena in Chelyabinsk, Russia, Armenia’s Vartan Arutyunyan stopped hometown titleholder Georgiy Yunovidov in the sixth round to capture the WBA interim bridgerweight title. Yunovidov (12-3 including IBA pro fights) really wasn't much of a champion, as he was coming off a loss to a little-known heavyweight but was allowed to keep his 224-pound title by the WBA. Yunovidov opened the bout boxing behind technique and range, looking to control distance and tempo. But Arutyunyan disrupted that rhythm early, pressing forward with intent and forcing exchanges that favored his heavier artillery. The turning point came in the fifth round. A sharp combination from Arutyunyan dropped the defending champion, shifting momentum dramatically. Although Yunovidov rose to finish the frame, the fight had clearly swung in the challenger’s direction. At the start of the sixth, Arutyunyan came out with urgency. He backed Yunovidov to the ropes and unleashed a barrage of punishing hooks. With the Russian offering little in return and absorbing clean, unanswered shots, the referee stepped in to wave it off. The win positions Arutyunyan on a direct collision course with the division’s regular champion, Muslim Gadzhimagomedov.

 

Elnur Samedov TKO11 John Lennon Gutierrez... As part of the same show, hometown fighter Elnur Samedov claimed the WBA interim junior lightweight title with an eleventh-round TKO over Colombia’s John Lennon Gutierrez in a grueling battle defined by pace, persistence, and punishment. From the opening bell, Samedov set a suffocating tempo. He cut off the ring with precision and forced the taller Colombian to fight at close quarters. Gutierrez tried to establish distance behind his reach advantage, but the Russian’s relentless pressure began breaking him down by the middle rounds. The first major breakthrough came in the seventh. Samedov detonated a sharp combination that sent Gutierrez to the canvas for the first time. To his credit, the Colombian rose and showed tremendous grit, remaining competitive over the next few rounds despite absorbing heavy fire. But in the eleventh, the dam finally broke. Samedov unleashed a sustained assault, scoring another knockdown and trapping Gutierrez along the ropes with unanswered shots. Seeing no effective return and with the challenger defenseless, the referee stepped in to halt the contest. With the victory, Samedov improves to 22-1 while Gutierrez falls to 11-1 in his European debut.