The Russian duo of Murat Gassiev and Artem Suslenkov emerged victorious in key heavyweight fights Saturday.
In a DAZN doubleheader, Gassiev stopped Germany’s Peter Kadiru in Round 6 to retain his WBA heavyweight world title, while Britain’s Joe Joyce quit in Round 11 in the co-feature, handing Suslenkov the signature win of his career at the VTB Arena in Moscow.
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Gassiev (34-2, 27 KOs) was originally supposed to defend his secondary WBA belt against Tony Yoka. In late June, however, Oleksandr Usyk vacated his heavyweight titles, including the WBA (Super) championship, making Gassiev the full WBA heavyweight beltholder. But just seven days out from the fight, Gassiev was left without an opponent after a back injury ruled out Yoka. Kadiru was eventually named his replacement.
Gassiev spent the opening round touching Kadiru’s guard and looking for openings with hooks off both hands. Gassiev made Kadiru’s soft torso his target in the early going, focusing on landing body shots without expending too much energy. In Round 2, the champ became more comfortable with what Kadiru (23-2, 13 KOs) had to offer and started to let combinations go and loaded up with power shots on the inside.
Gassiev enjoyed a sustained spell of success in Round 3 with power shots to body and head, which was noticeably troubling Kadiru and forcing him to back up.
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Retired — or maybe not — heavyweight Derek Chisora took Kadiru’s lack of success as an opportunity to voice his opinion on the fight.
“You’ve got your money, bro,” Chisora shouted at Kadiru from ringside. “Just chuck in the towel and go home.”
Kadiru, however, did not take Chisora’s advice and continued with the fight. It was more one-way traffic in Round 4, as the combination punching from Gassiev increased. Kadiru finally started to let his hands go to begin Round 5. The pair took part in some back-and-forth exchanges in the first half of the round, but Kadiru ultimately found himself along the ropes in the final minute of the frame, eating thudding blows.
In the deciding frame, Gassiev backed up Kadiru with a barrage of shots — and as the Russian was letting his hands go, searching for a flurry that would force Kadiru down, the challenger’s corner decided their man had taken enough punches and threw in the towel.
In the night’s co-feature, Suslenkov (15-0, 10 KOs) took control in the early rounds against Joyce (16-5, 15 KOs), finding a home for his left hook on the Brit’s chin. But it was a powerful right hand that rocked Joyce in Round 4 and forced him to hold on.
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Joyce managed to weather the storm and come back into the fight as the bout approached its second half. With the pair starting to tire, the pace slowed, and the contest became scrappy at times.
Entering the championship rounds, Suslenkov realized the bout was tightening, and thus he needed to assert some control in Round 11. The Russian knocked back Joyce’s head with a left hand to begin the session, and then opened up with power punches. Joyce was eating heavy punishment and forced onto the ropes.
Coming off four defeats in his past five fights, Joyce decided he was content with another loss.
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The 2016 Olympic silver medalist stepped back and waved his hand at Suslenkov, indicating that he wanted to quit. Suslenkov continued to throw punches, and with Joyce no longer defending himself, the referee was left with no choice but to step in and stop the fight.
Check out complete Gassiev vs. Kadiru results and highlights below, as well as Uncrowned’s round-by-round play-by-play of the final two fights.
Main card
WBA heavyweight title: Murat Gassiev def. Peter Kadiru via sixth-round TKO | Watch video
Heavyweight: Artem Suslenkov def. Joe Joyce via 11th-round TKO | Watch video
Super welterweight: Pavel Sosulin def. Eddy Colmenares via unanimous decision
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Bantamweight: Vyacheslav Rogozin def. RV Deniega via unanimous decision
Heavyweight: Arslan Yallyev def. Murad Khalidov via third-round TKO | Watch video
Light heavyweight: Sharabutdin Ataev def. Jose Uzcategui via unanimous decision (119-109 ×2, 118-110)
Cruiserweight: David Dzukaev def. Aleksei Egorov via split decision
Heavyweight: Muslim Gadzhimagomedov def. Kevin Martinez via eighth-round TKO (corner stoppage)
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Darshan Desai
Join us now as we build up to the return of Conor McGregor later tonight in Las Vegas.
UFC 329 live results: Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2 updates, round-by-round scoring, highlights
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Darshan Desai
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Darshan Desai
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Darshan Desai
Nice left hook for Kadiru to open Round 6. Hooks from both sides thudding in from Gassiev. An uppercut through the middle. Kadiru is backed up in a corner of the ring. A barrage goes in from Gassiev and it’s over! The towel comes in!
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Darshan Desai
Left hook connects for Kadiru to start Round 5. He is letting his hands go early in this frame. Gassiev breaks the guard with a hook. Lovely uppercut through the middle. Combination follows. Kadiru takes it and fights back. It’s been his best round of the fight. Gassiev welcomes that invests to the body. Kadiru is backed up onto the ropes and taking some shots. Hook upstairs and the body for the Russian in the closing seconds of Round 5.
10-9, 50-45 Gassiev
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Darshan Desai
Into Round 4. Kadiru has shown very little intention of wanting to try and win. It’s one-way traffic in Round 4 as another body shot thuds in from the Russian champ. He opens up with a combination. Great combination from Gassiev upstairs. Finally, some resistance from Kadiru. He is punching now, but coming off second-best by quite some distance in these exchanges. Kadiru is in the southpaw stance now. Uppercut to end the frame for Gassiev.
10-9, 40-36 Gassiev.
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Darshan Desai
A combination for Kadiru now is a positive sign. But Gassiev continues to plod forward. He is working smartly, letting his hands go in with hooks to body and head. Kadiru is backed up by several right hooks around the guard. Double left hand. A left hook breaks the guard. Now a right hook. Gassiev is throwing power shots to head and body. Good moments for him in the second minute in Moscow.
Derek Chisora is shouting to Kadiru mid-round, “You’ve got your money bro, just chuck in the towel and go home.”
10-9, 30-27 Gassiev
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Darshan Desai
Gassiev touching head and body to begin Round 2. Body shots being exchanged by both. Nice left hook to the body for Gassiev. Clubbing hooks from both hands for the Russian. A sustained attack from Gassiev with little response from Kadiru but he does cover up well. Gassiev is really letting his hands go now, though. Into the final minute. Combination breaks the guard and then a pair of overhand rights forces Kadiru off of his spot. Gassiev is comfortable loading up and throwing in punching range.
10-9, 20-18 Gassiev
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Darshan Desai
Russia vs. Germany for the WBA heavyweight title in Moscow.
Kadiru – allegedly – is coming into this fight with zero training. He was a short-notice replacement and apparently was not in camp for a fight when he got the call to replace Tony Yoka.
Gassiev is looking for the right hook around the body early doors. He is just touching Kadiru’s guard, searching for a reaction or an opening. He has thrown that body hook a few times and now does so with the left. Hooks from both sides going in from Gassiev up close upstairs. Uppercut breaks the guard from Gassiev. Nice uppercut in response for Kadiru. Gassiev pushes him back with the jab and throws a clubbing right.
10-9 Gassiev
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Darshan Desai
It’s time for our WBA heavyweight title fight!
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Darshan Desai
Newly crowned champion Murat Gassiev defends his WBA heavyweight title against Peter Kadiru.
Gassiev (33-2, 26 KOs), a former unified cruiserweight champion, was elevated to full WBA heavyweight champion after Oleksandr Usyk relinquished his titles last month.
Germany’s Kadiru (23-1, 13 KOs) has won nine bouts since his lone career defeat, a first-round knockout loss to journeyman Marcos Antonio Aumada in late 2022. Kadiru was last in action this past May, winning a competitive decision over Senad Gashi
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Darshan Desai
Appears that Joyce did quit!
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Darshan Desai
Suslenkov knocks back the head of Joyce with a left. He is trying to go on the front foot and bring the fight to Joyce. Right-hand to left hook two-piece. Suslenkov getting through with a combination of power punches on the inside. More power shots connecting for the Russian up close. This is the best round for either man in quite some time. Suslenkov is letting his shots go. Joyce is against the ropes and eating heavy punishment. Joyce is no longer defending himself – and the referee has stopped it. WOW!
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Darshan Desai
Final nine minutes. Suslenkov is using his physicality to come forward, let his punches go, drive Joyce backward and ultimately hold onto the bigger man and recover after punching. Two-piece for Suslenkov. Left hook on the inside. Body work follows. Another hook on the inside. Joyce returns with some lefts of his own. Head and then body for Suslenkov and then he sustains an attack downstairs.
10-9 Suslenkov, 97-93
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Darshan Desai
Four rounds to go in this one. Joyce walks Suslenkov into some clubbing punches on the inside. It’s a war of attrition now and Joyce is holding his own. Suslenkov is certainly slowing down. But now he leads with a right-hand that connects. Right-hand to left hook two-piece on the inside for the Russian. Joyce returns with a shot on the inside. A difficult round to score that one. Both had spurts of success. Joyce is much more competitive in the second half of this fight.
10-9 Joyce, 87-84 Suslenkov
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Darshan Desai
Some success on the inside for Joyce. Suslenkov is tired and lacking some defense on the inside as he gets caught in-between punches. But then he’ll swing in an overhand right and there’s no risk of Joyce dodging that. Body shot for Joyce. He does it again and finishes upstairs with a hook. Right connects for Suslenkov. Joyce drives him back with a combination.
10-9 Joyce, 78-74 Suslenkov
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Darshan Desai
Into the second half of this fight. Round 6 was by far the scrappiest of the fight. Both men are starting to feel fatigued now, and it’s getting messy. But if Joe Joyce is going to win this fight, now is his time to take over.
Strong right for Joyce. Suslenkov walked right into that one. But now the Russian drives Joyce backward and connects with a left hook. Jab and a hook for Joyce. A right for Suslenkov knocks back the head of the Brit.
More holding in the final minute of the seventh round. Suslenkov is having more success when the action resumes, though.
10-9, 69-64 Suslenkov
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Darshan Desai
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Darshan Desai
Suslenkov continues to force Joyce back and has success with left hooks on the inside. SugarHill Steward, Joyce’s new trainer, tells him to take center ring and push the Russian back. Suslenkov has some success with the jab. Body work from both in the second minute. Lead left hook finds a home again. Nice right knocks back Joyce’s head. Suslenkov has landed plenty of power punches, but Joyce’s chin is still keeping him up.
10-9, 50-45 Joyce
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Darshan Desai
Slower start to Round 4 for Suslenkov. Joyce had some success with some straight shots. Now a combination at the end of the first minute for the Russian. The body work continues to prove fruitful for Joyce. Body shot for the Russian, and he follows upstairs. HUGE right from Suslenkov and Joyce was ROCKED! The Russian is letting shots go. Joyce is losing his shape. Suslenkov seems to have more in the gas tank. It is Joyce who is being driven back and outworked.
10-9, 40-36 Suslenkov
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