BAKHODIR JALOLOV is in no hurry to accelerate his progression in the professional ranks, it seems, as yet another mediocre heavyweight, this one in the form of Vitaly Kudukhov, has stepped up to face him.
It was announced just yesterday that the pair will square off on October 6, featuring on an IBA.PRO card in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Jalolov, 15-0 (14 KOs), to his credit, is still regarded as one of his divisionโs most promising talents, yet a lack of urgency to gain valuable experience has seemingly led him down a path towards obscurity.
But still, the two-time Olympic champion has built an unblemished, albeit padded, professional record, while also shining brightly at the last two Summer Games.
In Tokyo, Jalolov defeated both Frazer Clarke and Richard Torrez Jr to eventually claim gold, before repeating the feat three years later after meeting Teremoana Teremoana Jr in the Paris Olympic quarter-finals.
As a pro, however, it is fair to say that the โThe Big Uzbekโ has hardly set the world alight, with his two most notable victories arriving against limited gatekeepers Kamil Sokolowski and Curtis Harper.
His next opponent, meanwhile, has amassed a rather uninspiring record of 7-3 (3 KOs), fighting exclusively in Russia while taking on mostly little-known opposition.
But nevertheless, Jalolov, at 31 years old, will hope to extend his unbeaten run when he faces Kudukhov on the undercard of Sergey Kuzmin vs Murad Khalidov in just over two weeksโ time.
The main event, in fairness, should deliver a far more intriguing affair, with Kuzmin โ a seasoned and typically durable operator โ looking to introduce the unheralded Khalidov to his toughest assignment yet, albeit in a heavyweight contest that is scheduled for just eight rounds.
