Vasiliy Lomachenko secured victory over George Kambosos Jr in the 11th round, claiming the IBF lightweight title at the RAC Arena in Perth. With this win, he is now a four-time world champion across three different weight classes.
After a year-long hiatus following a controversial defeat to Devin Haney, the two-time Olympic gold medalist from Ukraine made a triumphant return. He dominated his opponent for 10 rounds before delivering a decisive blow in the early moments of the 11th. Although Kambosos managed to rise after the count, Lomachenko swiftly ended the bout with a series of body shots, prompting his opponent's corner to intervene and throw in the towel.
Lomachenko, 36, delivered a masterclass performance in front of 14,147 fans, dominating virtually every minute of every round. According to Compubox's punch statistics, he outlanded Kambosos by a significant margin of 175 to 40.
“My plan was to adjust to my opponent,” Lomachenko commented after the fight. “This is what I did in the fight. Toward the end of the rounds I needed to finish strong. In the last three rounds, I was trying to find his body.”
Following the match, Lomachenko responded to a tweet from Gervonta Davis during the fight, suggesting that they would be facing each other next, possibly after Davis's upcoming bout with Frank Martin next month.
“You know, during my boxing career I’ve never run around and I’ve always taken fights,” Lomachenko stated. “After I rest a little bit, we can talk about the future.”
Kambosos skyrocketed to fame in 2021 with a remarkable upset victory over Teófimo López, claiming the IBF, WBA, and WBO lightweight titles at 135lbs. However, he relinquished these titles in a four-belt unification match against Haney the following year.
“This guy is one of the best of all time,” Kambosos remarked after the fight. “We tried our best, but he’s a good champion. He deserves that belt. I gave it my all."
“I’m still alive, I’m still standing. I ain’t dead.”
