After a tentative start in their cagey affair, former IBF cruiserweight world champion Murat Gassiev claimed a secondary strap at heavyweight, uncorking a stunning left hook to finish Kubrat Pulev in six rounds for the WBA "regular" title in Dubai.

Their heavyweight headliner atop a busy IBA card from Duty Free Tennis Stadium was streamed exclusively on DAZN. Pulev (32-4, 14 KOs) was unperturbed by Gassiev's pressure in Rounds 2 and 4, as the Russian whipped shots to head and body, with a left hand, right hook combination among the more noteworthy shots through 12 minutes.

Yet just as the younger man was being criticised for low output against Pulev, who was comfortable conserving his energy by boxing at range, the fifth frame bubbled up nicely.

Pulev's one-two combinations were landing enough to continue throwing them, though Gassiev was biding his time and landed well downstairs. Early in the sixth, Gassiev let fly with a left hand the defending champion didn't see, and just like that referee Rafael Ramos rightly waved off their contest with Pulev unaware what swept him off his feet.

Gassiev (33-2, 26 KOs) had won six of his seven previous heavyweight outings since his first defeat to Oleksandr Usyk during their 200-pound unification in July 2018, though a high-profile upset decision loss by Otto Wallin in September 2023 had many wondering aloud whether he had much of a future among the division's power players.

Now with newfound leverage and a version of world title honours, they have their answer as WBA's No. 1-rated contender Moses Itauma will be lurking in the new year.

In the evening's chief support, Bakhodur Usmonov rallied from a sluggish start to overwhelm Maxi Hughes late and win their WBA lightweight world title eliminator via 12-round majority decision.

Glenn Feldman (115-113) and Rafael Ramos (116-112) cancelled out Guillermo Perez Pineda's 114-114 scorecard after an absorbing contest where neither man could complain about the potential outcomes.

Usmonov (12-0, 5 KOs) was forced to make in-fight adjustments during the Tajiks' first 12-round contest against a bullish visitor in Hughes (29-8-2, 6 KOs), whose coach Sean O’Hagan spoke of his banana skin potential.

That much was clear from the off: Hughes the more active, accurate puncher through four rounds, banking them with output and intelligently varying his attacks against an upright fighter giving him openings to exploit.

Yet the 27-year-old wore the Yorkshire southpaw down as time wore on, catching him more in their gruelling exchanges, unafraid to slug shots at close-range and Hughes desperately needed a second wind heading into the final three rounds.

Although the home fighter had never boxed beyond 10 rounds, he needed to dig deep as their back-and-forth jostling to stand out in the judges' minds continued.

Hughes' corner barked continuously and at the final bell, their exhausted faces spoke volumes - there could be no confidence either had done enough to win a competitive battle.

In the end, Hughes didn't bank a big enough lead over the first-half as Usmonov's work intensified and he relished their close-range battles to wear on a man eight years his senior.

Florida-based Russian welterweight contender Vadim Musaev timed Tulani Mbenge perfectly to floor him with a left hand, before repeating the trick early in the third round to dismiss the credible contender with aplomb.

Musaev (14-0, 9 KOs) ended his 2025 campaign with three victories in eight months, while South African spoiler Mbenge was stopped for the first time in his decade-long career.

Russian junior welterweight Khariton Agrba has bounced back from his career-first stoppage defeat in style with two points wins, first over 10 and now 12 rounds against the man who gave him an early night in July -- Argentina's Ruben Nestor Neri Munoz.