Joe Cordina has become the IBF super-featherweight champion for a second time with a thrilling split-decision victory over Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov.
The Welshman only lost the title that he won last year due to a broken hand, leading to Rakhimov winning the vacant belt against Zelfa Barrett at the end of 2022.
However, Cordina regained his world crown in what will go down as a Cardiff classic, dropping the champion in the second before having to withstand constant pressure and guts from his opponent.
There was gasps in the crowd as Rakhimov was remarkably given a 116-111 verdict on one of the scorecards, but the other two judges scored it 115-112 and 114-113 in Cordina's favour.
While the fight swung back and forth, it felt like the short left that floored Rakhimov during the early stages could ultimately make the difference, and that is how it proved to be on the final card.
✌️ TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMP! 👑@JoeCordina_91 decisions Shavkat Rakhimov to win back the IBF World Super-Featherweight Title!
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) April 22, 2023
📝 115-112, 114-113, 111-116#RakhimovCordina pic.twitter.com/dekHwzysbL
At various stages in the fight, Cordina looked on course to stop Rakhimov, frequently landing with the greater accuracy and leaving the champion with a heavily-swollen left eye.
By the end of the seventh, Cordina appeared to be in full control and should have been clear on all three scorecards, yet Rakhimov found a second wind as his corner did tremendous work to enable him to regain greater sight in his eye.
Although Cordina continued to pick his shots with more thought, Rakhimov had the better of the final five rounds, building on staggering Cordina in the fifth by pushing the home fighter back with relentless combinations.
The Tajikistani fighter ultimately ran out of rounds, and energy as he required medical attention after the final bell, but this was an occasion where both fighters raised their stock and may be on course for a rematch in the future.
Darren Plant
