site.btaKubrat Pulev Loses WBA Regular Heavyweight Title after Sixth-Round Knockout

Bulgarian professional boxer Kubrat Pulev failed to defend the WBA regular world heavyweight title on Friday. He was knocked out in the sixth round by Russia's Murat Gassiev, who sent him to the canvas with a left hook.

For the 44-year-old Pulev, this was the fourth defeat in 36 professional bouts, alongside 32 wins. Gassiev, who is 12 years younger, now has 33 victories in 36 fights. This was his 26th knockout in the professional ring.

The bout in Dubai began with a very cautious approach from both boxers, but in the first round Pulev was nonetheless the more active of the two. He managed to land several punches to Gassiev's body and did not allow him to launch attacks. In the following round, Gassiev showed slight signs of increased activity, but again failed to put his Bulgarian opponent under pressure.

The action began to pick up after the third round, once the feeling-out process between the two had ended. Pulev preferred to throw numerous light jabs with his left hand, while Gassiev appeared to be waiting for opportunities to land more powerful blows. In the fifth round, both boxers landed several heavy punches, and it looked as though the fight was entering its most contested phase.

At the start of the sixth round, however, Gassiev landed a right-left combination, with the second punch delivering a left hook flush to Pulev's chin. The Bulgarian went down, and seconds later the referee brought the contest to an end.

In comments to bTV after the match, Pulev said: "I feel great, but in boxing one punch can decide everything. With these small gloves, that is how it is. I am upset because I could not make the Bulgarians happy. The important thing is the Olympic principle - we came, we saw, and we tried."

"I thank all the Bulgarians who came to support me. Many thanks for the constant support," he added.

His younger brother Tervel Pulev, also a professional boxer, said that Kubrat had put in a great performance until the decisive blow. "Kubrat boxed brilliantly until the knockout punch. But in boxing, one punch decides the fight. This is not football or basketball, where you concede one goal or one basket. Here, one punch sends you into a knockout," Tervel Pulev said.