On 13 June 2019, Bektemir Melikuziev made his professional debut against the experienced Argentinian Martin Fidel Rios.
14 Facts About Bektemir Melikuziev
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Bektemir Melikuziev won the bout after knocking Rios out with a left hand to the body in the opening round.
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Bektemir Melikuziev secured a first round win after dropping his Mexican opponent on the canvas twice following a series of strong body shots, Bektemir Melikuziev was declared the winner after Luna Flores was unable to recover from a second time on the canvas.
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On 2 November 2019, Bektemir Melikuziev fought professionally for a third time on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez vs Sergey Kovalev against Clay Collard.
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Bektemir Melikuziev won via fourth-round technical knockout after slowly wearing his opponent down with a number of heavy body shots.
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Bektemir Melikuziev was taken the distance for the first time as a professional when he fought Vaughn Alexander on 13 December 2019.
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Bektemir Melikuziev won via wide unanimous decision after winning every round on each of the three scorecards.
8.
Cortes landed few shots throughout the bout and Bektemir Melikuziev eventually dropped his opponent for a second time in the round with a heavy shot to the body, following the second knock down, referee Edward Hernandez Sr called an end to the fight.
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Bektemir Melikuziev had been scheduled to fight former light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev on 30 January 2021, but the bout was canceled when Kovalev tested positive for a banned substance.
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Bektemir Melikuziev instead fought Morgan Fitch on 13 February 2021 and won via third-round knockout after knocking Fitch down twice in the bout.
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On 19 June 2021, Bektemir Melikuziev fought his toughest opponent yet, American veteran Gabriel Rosado.
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Bektemir Melikuziev dropped Rosado in the first round and looked to be in control of the fight, but Rosado unexpectedly caught Melikuziev in the third round with a powerful overhand right that sent him to the canvas.
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Bektemir Melikuziev was unable to recover in time and he suffered a major upset loss, with commentators and analysts opining that the stoppage was a contender for Knockout of the Year.
14.
Bektemir Melikuziev won the fight via unanimous technical decision, after the fight was stopped in the eighth round due to cut above his left eye.