Kubrat Pulev vs. Murat Gassiev live results, round-by-round updates, ring walks for WBA title fight

Murat Gassiev (33-2, 26 KOs) scored an incredible, one-punch, walk-off knockout against Kubrat Pulev (32-4, 14 KOs) on Friday, Dec. 12 atop a competitive IBA Pro card on DAZN that took place at the Duty Free Tennis Stadium in Dubai, UAE.

With the win, Gassiev announced himself as a heavyweight player, having excelled at cruiserweight, and would have likely been regarded as the No.1 guy at that time had it not been for the generational exploits of Oleksandr Usyk.

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Since moving to heavyweight, Gassiev had struggled to replicate the highs of his time in the 200-pound weight class, but, bang, all it took was a sweet step-in left hook that separated Pulev from his senses in an instant, slumping him to the floor in a remarkable scene. Pulev regained consciousness and tried to get to his feet like the warrior he is, but it was all over. The referee waved it off, and Gassiev earned the WBA (regular) heavyweight world title in style.

As for what’s next, that is not yet clear, but Al Siesta, the IBA Pro promoter who organized the show, has alluded to a possible future showdown against Britain’s fast-rising slugger Moses Itauma, which would complement an already considerable schedule for Q1 2026.

Earlier in the show, Bakhodur Usmonov came-from-behind to out-point Maxi Hughes in a lightweight 12-rounder, Daud Alaev scored a thunderous win over Dave Penalosa, and Nico Ali Walsh beat Jeremiah Sserwadda, who boxed well behind a jab and expert defensive movement.

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Check out full results and highlights below, as well as Uncrowned play-by-play of the main card.

Results

WBA (regular) heavyweight championship: Murat Gassiev def. Kubrat Pulev by 6th RD KO | Watch the finish

Lightweight: Bakhodur Usmonov def. Maxi Hughes by MD (114-114, 116-112, 115-113)

Middleweight: Nico Ali Walsh def. Jeremiah Sserwadda by UD (59-55 and 58-56 x 2)

Lightweight: Daud Alaev def. Dave Penalosa by 6th Rd TKO | Watch the finish

Super lightweight: Ruben Nestor Neri Munoz def. Khariton Agrba by UD (117-111, 119-109, and 120-108)

Welterweight: Vadim Musaev def. Tulani Mbenge by 3rd Rd KO

Live coverage is over60 updates

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 1:05 PM PST

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 12:58 PM PST

  Alan Dawson

  Considering where both guys are in their career, and looking at what Gassiev just did to Kubrat Pulev, a fight between the new WBA regular heavyweight champion against Moses Itauma is a hot fight that could easily add to an already hulking schedule Q1 2026.

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 12:55 PM PST

  Alan Dawson

  If it weren’t for Oleksandr Usyk, then the recent era at cruiserweight might have belonged to Murat Gassiev, who is a former unified champion in that division, with wins over Denis Lebedev, Krzysztof Włodarczyk, and Yuniel Dorticos. His time in heavyweight hasn’t had any real notable moments, so far, but, boy, has that now changed.

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 12:52 PM PST

  Alan Dawson

  I want to keep watching that knockout again and again.

  Pulev was likely ahead at the time of the knockout but Gassiev feinted, stepped to his left, and then changed pace to launch a brutal left hook at Pulev, who seemed to lose consciousness immediately, slumping to the canvas. Pulev regained his senses, and tried to get up but just couldn’t make it. What a finish!!! INCREDIBLE!

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 12:50 PM PST

  Alan Dawson

  Gassiev with an awesome right hand to the body, but Pulev responds with a beautiful three-shot combo consisting of a left jab, right cross, left uppercut — great sequence! AND OH MY GOSH! GASSIEV WITH A WALK-OFF LEFT HOOK! MY GOD!

  That came out of nowhere and then BANG!!! Pulev just couldn’t get up! What a shot! What a finish!

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 12:47 PM PST

  Alan Dawson

  We were in danger of watching a one-paced fight but the tempo has picked up in the fifth, with Pulev forcing the action based on early success in the round but Gassiev matches the action. This is far better! Pulev keeps whacking Gassiev with a step-in two-shot combo. But Gassiev battles back! This is heating up! Pulev with a right cross up top that Gassiev could surely have gotten out of the way of. Pulev’s one-two is just such a reliable sequence right now.

  Round 5: 48-47 — Pulev

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 12:44 PM PST

  Alan Dawson

  Oh! Gassiev lands the sequence of the night with a left hook-right hand, and though Pulev seemed to just shrug it off, the shots literally punched the sweat and spit out of him.

  Round 4: 38-38

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 12:40 PM PST

  Alan Dawson

  What’s remarkable is that, despite the gap in years, it’s actually Gassiev who looks like the older, more sluggish boxer, as he can’t seem to get out of the way of Pulev’s shots. He landed to the body, but we’re still waiting for the activity to pick up here.

  Round 3: 29-28 — Pulev

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 12:36 PM PST

  Alan Dawson

  Gassiev stepped in with jabs and right hands, one of which he whipped into Pulev’s body, as he sought to punish the ribs. Gassiev boxed with far more purpose in the second. Pulev had advantages with his lead left hand, which he varied to use as a decoy, or as it’s own standalone shot. Gassiev kept his elbows tucked to prevent body hosts.

  Round 2: 19-19

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 12:32 PM PST

  Alan Dawson

  It’s a tentative opener in the WBA title fight, with Pulev taking the center of the ring, but both happy to plant their feet, feint, and figure the other out. Though neither really stormed ahead, Pulev likely took the opening round due to a greater frequency of power punches that landed.

  Round 1: 10-9 — Pulev

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 12:28 PM PST

  Alan Dawson

  Kubrat Pulev vs Murat Gassiev!

  The stakes are real. Promoter Al Siesta has already said he’d want to position the winner into a fight against Britain’s fast-rising Mike Tyson-esque heavyweight, Moses Itauma.

  Gassiev has a considerable age advantage, considering he’s 12 years younger than Pulev, but both of these guys have considerable experience at this level.

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 12:13 PM PST

  Alan Dawson

  So it seems like as good a time as any to look ahead at the broader boxing schedule on DAZN, and it’s popping off in the next couple months. Out of all those listed, I like the Inoue vs Picasso event in Saudi Arabia on Dec. 27, The rematch between Rocha and Curiel, as I was ringside for the first fight and it was ab anger, together with Teofimo vs Shakur. But there’s a fair few sleeper hits outside those marquee shows, too.

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 12:03 PM PST

  Alan Dawson

  … and Usmonov takes it!

  There is one card that was scored a 114-114 draw, which seems reasonable, but they’re overruled with scores of 116-112 and 115-113.

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 12:00 PM PST

  Alan Dawson

  Hughes closed the show well, winning, I think, both of the championship rounds to pull ahead once again, but this was a tight fight to score.

  Round 12: 115-113 — Hughes

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 11:56 AM PST

  Alan Dawson

  Hughes perhaps showed off his 12-round experience in the 11th, preventing a near-capitulation, as he took advantage of the fact Usmonov had never boxed longer than 10 before in his career, popping his right hand into his opponent’s skull, returning to the craft that saw him win the early rounds.

  Round 11: 105-104 — Hughes

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 11:51 AM PST

  Alan Dawson

  Hughes had done so well in the first five rounds, sweeping the early action, but has surrendered the next five all to Usmonov. It’s a grueling contest, but Hughes took his foot off the gas and we’re surely level, or close to it, at a critical time in the fight.

  Round 10: 95-95

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 11:48 AM PST

  Alan Dawson

  Usmonov clatters Hughes with a clever one-two to the body and head, with an uppercut at the end of the sequence. Hughes is trying his best to dampen Usmonov’s momentum but it’s still the Tajikistani’s round.

  Round 9: 86-85 — Hughes

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 11:45 AM PST

  Alan Dawson

  Both fighters swapping slugs and combination of shots from close range. Usmonov back on his jab, and power shots, and Hughes needs to find an answer to a lot of the mid-fight questions that he’s asking, before this valiant comeback is complete.

  Round 8: 77-75 — Hughes

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 11:43 AM PST

  Alan Dawson

  Usmonov is now closer and closer to walking Hughes down and this fight looks VERY different in the seventh, than it did in the first four to five rounds. Range, and punch selection, are Usmonov’s assets.

  Round 7: 68-65 — Hughes

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 11:37 AM PST

  Alan Dawson

  Usmonov was in desperate need of a momentum switch and it had gradually been coming, as he finally wins the sixth, and starts closing the gap on the British road warrior.

  Round 6: 59-55 — Hughes