Bakhodir Jalolov vs. Agron Smakici set for April 14th in Humo Arena, Toshkent.

Nice fight. Id like Jalalov to fight 3 times this year

 

He will probably fight professionally twice, this one and another more meaningfull at the end of the year. As he is competing at the olympics, in a few months.

 

Pointless fight again that he learns nothing from. But with the Olympics this year I guess they don't want him in with anyone that could injure him and disrupt his preparation for it.

But I have to admit I'm losing my patience with his pro career. He turned pro in May 2018 so has been a pro for almost 6 years but has only 14 fights and hasn't even stepped up beyond facing journeymen. If he loses at the Olympics and the winner turns pro he won't even be seen as the top prospect anymore. How can you still be a prospect after 6 years? Even Hrgovic who's pro career has crept along at like a snail like pace had fought Zhang within the same frame in his 15th fight, yet we have Jalolov still fighting complete unknowns.

He has to win the Olympics again and then immediately step up and fight someone with some proven track record even if it's someone like Hunter, Fa, Takam, Lerena, it's still better than him fighting hand picked guys who literally have zero chance of even being competitive let alone winning.

He's going to become irrelevant if he doesn't start making some waves in the division. If he ends 2024 still fighting guys like Smakici even with a 2nd Olympic gold he might struggle as Hrgovic has, too much risk no reward and also fans not even caring when he fight because they know who he fights will be garbage again.

 

Different situations though. Hrgovis is being avoided while Jalalov is focusing on amateurs

 

Unlikely given he's fighting in the Olympics and he in general is so inactive. He only fought twice last year even without an Olympics and as a pro has averaged only 2.4 fights per year. Best hope is he fights Smakici, fights at the Olympics which ends in August and then fights again at the end of the year.

 

Him vs Pulev at the end of the year

 

That would be an appropriate first step up. Pulev has name value even if he is well past his best. I just hope Top Rank start to accelerate his career after the Olympics. I'd hate to see him waste his obvious talent.

 

Unless he becomes an American or British citizen, he'll never have much of a career.

 

Would be interesting to know his relationship with Saudi, seeing as he's a HW Olympic gold medalist who is a Muslim from an Islamic country.

 

If they were going to give him big paydays and opportunities, he wouldn't be headed back to the Olympics. The Saudi's are trying to leverage influence with the west by sponsoring sports. The istan countries need not apply.

 

I thought he signed with Top Rank? Did that get nixed?