Bakhodur Usmonov starts slow, but wears down Maxi Hughes in close win

DUBAI – Bakhodur Usmonov overcame a slow start to claim victory in the co-main event at the Duty Free Tennis Stadium, defeating English lightweight veteran Maxi Hughes via majority decision.

Usmonov, a 27-year-old from Tajikistan, won on two cards, 115-113 and 116-112, with one judge seeing a draw at 114-114.

The first session was cagey. Hughes landed the better shots, mostly with his sharp southpaw left, as the South Yorkshire veteran made a composed and disciplined start.

Hughes was accurate and rapid, moving well and able to evade much of what was coming back at him in round two.

Usmonov shrugged off another left hand in the third, but Hughes continued to score and land effectively to the body.

Usmonov was punished with a right hook for losing his shape and becoming ragged in the fifth. The bout was clearly becoming Hughes’ to lose.

But, sure enough, as the bout wore on, Usmonov started to come into it more.

Hughes started to slow. Usmonov began to invest more into Maxi’s body and the Englishman presented an increasingly static target, to the extent that he was caught by back-to-back left hooks in the 10th.

Hughes was tagged by lefts in the 11th that he would have comfortably avoided earlier in the night and there was a new predictability about his attacks and defense.

Usmonov looked fresher in the last round. Hughes wore the heavier legs. The bright start felt like a long time ago. That is not to say Hughes had become a sitting duck: He spat out defiant left hands but he was, by now, either being countered or outworked.

Neither celebrated at the bell, either both spent or simply uncertain who would get the verdict. Usmonov had done just enough.

He is now 12-0 (5 KOs) while Hughes is 29-8-2 (6 KOs).