By: Sean Crose
Super middleweights Bektemir Melikuziev and Pierre Dibombe took part in a scheduled 12-round bout on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Initially, the 22-0-1 Dibombe fought patiently against the 13-1 Melikuziev, deciding to stay on the sidelines for much of the opening round. However, Dibombe had a serious cut at the end of the round. And indeed it was a serious cut, right above the left eye. That being said, the fighters continued to throw and move patiently in the second round. A doctor examined Dibombe’s eye before the end of the round, although he allowed the fight to continue.
Despite the cut, Dibombe proved to be a match for Melikuziev’s game, using hit-and-run tactics and counter-attacking in ways that Melikuziev might have found surprising. Melikuziev became more aggressive in the fourth round. Dibombe’s cut came from a headbutt, not a punch, but if the fight is stopped early it’s still up to the referee. That means Dibombe has to fight through blood like his opponent. Without the cut, it could have been a completely different fight.
A quick shot sent Dibombe to the mat momentarily in the fifth round. However, Melikuziev now had a very bad cut. Both fighters could have been fighting around the clock at this point in the fight. To make things even stranger, Melikuziev pushed Dibombe to the mat twice in the round. And, in addition, the fight was almost stopped before the end of the round, as Dibombe was now weakened and suffering from Melikuziev’s heavy blows. A slip caused Dibombe to fall to his knees in the sixth round. Once again, the man stood up. He even landed well. However, Melikuziev now took control of the fight.
By the seventh round, Melikuziev really started throwing punches. To his credit though, Dibombe did return fire. This man is nothing if not impressive in his courage and ability to fight. The doctor stopped the fight in round eight after examining Melikuziev’s cut. The fight then went to cards. Needless to say, the judges ultimately ruled in Melikuziev’s favor.
