Aslambek Ilyasovich Idigov vs. Ryan Kurtiss Allan Ford & Apti Ustarkhanov vs. Andrey Sirotkin RBR

Aslambek Ilyasovich Idigov vs. Ryan Kurtiss Allan Ford, 10 rounds @ super middleweight

 

Round 1

Idigov jabbing into the bald pate of Ford and turning him clockwise on a spit. Idigov working the 1-2-3 sharply as Ford struggles to get faced up to him and get a shot off edgewise. Ford all defense, tightly bundled.

10-9 Idigov

 

I only just barely made it, still wiping crumbs from the corners of my damn mouth - this was 20 minutes earlier than advertised! Thanks for the heads-up, @SladeW ..

 

Round 2

Idigov has the jab and 1-2-3 dialed in to perfection now, halting Ford in his tracks with a thumping jab & cross into the chest and then hooking into his ribs while creating space and resetting outside. Ford is following, guard up, elbows squeezed together, and only flapping inefficiently at the sides of Idigov once they have ground together on the inside (usually after Ford takes a few jabs deflecting off his forehead).

10-9 Idigov

20-18 Idigov

 

Round 3

Idigov goes on, frankly, giving the Canadian a boxing lesson. Fairly redundant action from one minute to another..

10-9 Idigov

30-27 Idigov

 

Par is seven rounds, should Idigov want to become the second man to stop Ford and outdo Buatsi. Halfway there already.

 

He seems content, however, to pop double jabs and dash around his quarry, tracing ellipses and getting behind Ford in just 2-3 fluid sliding lateral steps. Ford not getting any chances, and Idigov not taking any. Yawn.

40-36 Idigov

 

So, my hunch was vindicated: Ustarkhanov vs. Sirotkin was >>> this.

(and should've probably been the main event)

 

Idigov comes out with renewed purpose in the 5th, now seemingly hungrier for the KO.

The moment subsides within half a minute, and they resume the pattern of Ford spinning & high-blocking, occasionally lunging with lead rights or cutting the air with fat hooks, while Idigov dances around slipping punches and poking with counter jabs.

50-45 Idigov

 

There's simply nothing to report. Idigov easily outboxes Ford, continuously...

Oh, now and then Idigov has begun to introduce a long swabbing uppercut on the waist from outside. As much a useless and non-damaging bit of point-scoring fluff as the rest of his arsenal...

Ford clinching when he can. Slapping with slow heavily loaded hooks, 100% blocked or dodged.

60-54 Idigov

 

Ford has found a working formula in the seventh. He's kicking his front leg out and planting his big toe inside the lead foot of Idigov, and slicing jabs out from the chest into the Groznyan's face. Idigov tired, carrying his arms low, swinging wide at the body, with Ford easily able to pick off his shots by drooping his elbows to intercept. Ford with his own somewhat effective body shots marching Idigov down.

Eh, I'll give it to him.

10-9 Ford, 69-64 Idigov

 

Ford's coach seems optimistic about how things have begun developing, tells him to stay relaxed and disciplined, not to get himself psyched into just showing out with "heavy stuff".