Murat Gassiev marks his first defense of the WBA heavyweight title by stopping Peter Kadiru in the sixth round on Saturday. The fight ends after a sustained attack by Gassiev, after which Kadiru’s corner throws in the towel. The result improves Gassiev’s record to 34-2.
Gassiev originally was scheduled to face Tony Yoka for the WBA’s secondary heavyweight championship. However, he receives an upgrade to the full WBA heavyweight title and faces a new opponent after unified champion Oleksandr Usyk vacates his belts last month. The change places Gassiev in a direct title-defense situation rather than an alternate WBA championship fight.
Both the stoppage and the circumstances around the title match reflect the shifting landscape in the heavyweight division following Usyk’s decision to vacate his belts, leading to new matchups and opportunities for Gassiev to claim and defend the WBA heavyweight crown.
