Kubrat Pulev will put his WBA secondary heavyweight title on the line against Murat Gassiev on Friday, December 12 at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium in the United Arab Emirates. The bout headlines a card co-promoted by IBA Pro and Epic Sports and Entertainment.
The 44-year-old Pulev will make his first defense of the belt he captured last December, when he scored a unanimous decision win over Mahmoud Charr in Bulgaria. Since suffering a split-decision loss to Derek Chisora in 2022, the Bulgarian veteran has rebounded with three consecutive victories. “It’s been a long and challenging wait, but I’m thrilled to finally defend my world title,” Pulev said in a press release. “I respect Murat Gassiev - he is a powerful and dangerous opponent - but I am ready, focused, and eager to give fans a great fight.”
Gassiev, the 32-year-old former unified cruiserweight champion from Vladikavkaz, Russia, enters the fight on a two-bout knockout streak, stopping Jeremiah Milton and Kem Ljungquist following a split-decision loss to Otto Wallin in 2023. Confident and motivated, Gassiev vowed to make the most of his opportunity: “Kubrat Pulev is a tough, experienced opponent, but I am built for this moment. I believe I have the power to knock out any heavyweight on the planet - so I will be bringing the heat to Dubai.”
Alongside the heavyweight main event, fans at the Duty Free Tennis Stadium will see two crucial championship bouts that perfectly capture the promoter’s vision of true fifty–fifty fights.
Britain’s Maxi Hughes meets undefeated Tajik prospect Bakhodur Usmonov in a WBA lightweight eliminator that pits experience against momentum. Usmonov, a composed 11-0 talent, kept his message brief: “Thanks to everyone, I will do my best to show good boxing.” Hughes, however, offered a veteran’s edge in confidence, suggesting the unbeaten fighter is “chinny; a bit fragile around the whiskers,” and insisting his experience will be the deciding factor. Still motivated by the controversial loss to George Kambosos Jr. in Oklahoma, Hughes is determined to take the outcome out of the judges’ hands. “I’m the away fighter here but that’s what fires me up… I’m going to come over here and show these boys,” he said.
The card also features the first defense of Thulani Mbenge’s IBO welterweight title, as the South African champion takes on Russia’s unbeaten Vadim Musaev. A late opponent switch forced Mbenge to adjust his preparations, but the 34-year-old remains unfazed. “Each fighter requires a unique approach, so adapting has been key,” he said. Aware of Musaev’s southpaw threat, Mbenge sees the bout as a chance to show the intelligence behind his aggression: “This fight will be tactical… Experience has made me a smarter fighter.”
Despite the magnitude of the event, Mbenge insists the belt itself adds no pressure. “I don’t dwell on the title. I focus on the next challenge,” he said. Discipline, he believes, is what keeps a champion hungry. “Winning a title is never easy, and keeping it is just as challenging. It takes hard work, hunger, and relentless grit.”
Fight card:
▪️Kubrat Pulev vs. Murat Gassiev, 12 rounds, for Pulev’s WBA “regular” heavyweight title
▪️Bakhodur Usmonov vs. Maxi Hughes, 12 rounds, WBA lightweight title eliminator
▪️Nico Ali Walsh vs. Jeremiah Sserwadda, 6 rounds, middleweight
▪️Dave Penalosa vs. Daud Alaev, 10 rounds, lightweight
▪️Faizan Anwar vs. Khuseyn Baysangurov, 10 rounds, welterweight
▪️Khariton Agrba vs. Nerii Munoz, 12 rounds, super lightweight, WBA title eliminator
Prelims:
▪️Vadim Musaev vs. Tulani Mbenge, 12 rounds, for Mbenge’s IBO welterweight title
▪️Yoel Finol vs. Shakhobidin Zoirov, 12 rounds, bantamweight
▪️Stanley Wright vs. Artem Suslenkov, 8 rounds, for Wright’s IBA Pro Intercontinental heavyweight title
▪️Samuel Carmona vs. Immanuel Josef, 8 rounds, bantamweight
▪️David Dzukaev vs. Madiyar Saydrakhimov, 6 rounds, heavyweight
▪️Estelle Mossely vs. Ellen Simwaka, 8 rounds, lightweight
