HEAVYWEIGHT powerhouse Bakhodir Jalolov refuses to abandon his dream of becoming a three-time Olympic champion at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
Just three boxers have tackled the enormous feat, with László Papp, Teófilo Stevenson and Félix Savón somehow managing to claim three gold medals in their respective careers.
But while he would love to follow in the footsteps of those decorated Olympians, Jalolov, 14-0 (14 KOs), equally has a promising professional career to focus on.
After amassing 14 ruthless finishes in the paid ranks, ‘The Big Uzbek’ returned to the Olympics last year to claim his second gold medal.
Before that, Jalalov shone brightly in Tokyo, defeating both Frazer Clarke and Richard Torrez Jr to become an Olympic champion in 2021.
But now, with his last outing taking place against Spain’s Ayoub Ghadfa in Paris, the 30-year-old is seemingly determined to replicate his success as a professional.
His first assignment of this year was scheduled to take place last month but, after withdrawing from that fight due to an illness, he will instead return to the ring on April 5.
And while an opponent is yet to emerge, Jalolov is nonetheless gearing up to feature on the undercard of unified middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, who returns to face Anauel Ngamissengue in his home nation of Kazakhstan.
Of course, it is still early days in his professional development but, with boxing restoring its place at the Olympics in 2028, there could be an opportunity for the fearsome Uzbek to have one last roll of the dice in amateur boxing’s most prestigious competition.
“We’ll see what happens,” Jalolov told Boxing News. “I don’t know what to say but, when it comes [to making a decision], we will think about Los Angeles.
“I would want to become a three-time Olympic champion to make history, but my professional career is important for me now.”
