Hovhannes Bachkov to Fight at IBA Pro 7 in Istanbul

Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist, Armenian boxer Hovhannes Bachkov (7-0, 6 KOs), will return to the ring on July 2 at the large-scale IBA Pro 7 Champions’ Night tournament in Istanbul. He will face a dangerous opponent from Uzbekistan — Shohjahon Ergashev (25-2, 22 KOs) — in a 63.5 kg ranking bout under IBA professional boxing rules.

Shohjahon Ergashev is an experienced puncher with 22 knockout victories. This bout will be a serious test for the undefeated Bachkov, who has made a confident start to his professional career after a stellar amateur background.

IBA Pro 7 will blend professional boxing with bare-knuckle fights. The main event will feature Tokyo Olympic champion Albert Batyrgaziev (12-0, 8 KOs) taking on former IBA champion, Briton James Dickens (35-5, 14 KOs), for the WBA Interim and IBA Pro super featherweight titles.

Fans can also look forward to a bare-knuckle fight between Turkish media star Murat Kazgan (“Lord Pitbull”) and American Will Chope (“The Kill”), who once fought Max Holloway in the UFC and has a strong background in MMA, boxing, and BKFC.

Additionally, on June 21 in Saint Petersburg, another member of the Armenian national team, Artur Bazeyan (2-0), will face two-time European champion from Russia, Vsevolod Shumkov (2-0).