Ruslan Vladimirovich Fayfer vs. Seyedsina Ghalehbandi RBR

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...how's that for a clarion roll-call?

 

The main event was supposed to be Umar Isaevich Salamov vs. Obinna Joseph "Wiseman" Mathew in a somewhat interesting cruiserweight ten-rounder. You'll all remember the moderately skillful and powerful Salamov at the very least from his unsuccessful challenge of Dmitry Bivol for the WBA light heavyweight title in 2021 (in which he didn't actually do that bad, despite the wide scorecards). His mooted Nigerian opponent brought on paper a perfect record of 23-0 with 23 knockouts - but of course padded up entirely can-crushing on the African continent, so to be taken with a grain of salt.

That one got scrapped day-of, no details have yet emerged but guessing the usual sort of thing (visa issues jamming up Mathew from entering the country). That wasn't the only major change on the lineup; Ghalehbandi himself is a last-minute replacement for Vitaly Viktorovich Kudukhov. Ruslan's countryman only has a slightly better pro record than does the Iranian in to substitute, but he does boast amateur victories over the likes of Filip Hrgović and Artur Szpilka, so this is probably a downgrade for Fayfer.

 

Ruslan Vladimirovich Fayfer vs. Seyedsina Ghalehbandi, 8 rounds @ cruiserweight

 

Round 1

Lots of grappling to start. Body flurry by Ghalehbandi. Fayfer scrapes the side of his neck with a couple of slow jabs. Both look very slow and sluggish, as if the air conditioning in the arena isn't switched on. Fayfer lands a couple of body shots and Ghalehbandi trips over his own crossed legs and falls while attempting to clinch. Not ruled a KD. Fayfer tossing hooks off the jab falling in. Ghalehbandi winging wide punches in reply as they collide into clinches repeatedly. God awful opener.

10-9 Fayfer

 

Round 2

Ghalehbandi keeps pushing in with his feet splayed wide apart, arms folded in front of him, and grabbing onto Fayfer's flanks to toss a wet blanket over any combinations he starts putting together. Ghalehbandi literally hanging from Fayfer's neck at times, hooking it in his left wrist and just staying suspended until the ref removes him like fishbait. Fayfer getting the best of things when they're at mid-range or further exchanging jabs. Ghalehbandi pressing in, making things awkward, slapping around the rear of Fayfer's guard with wide hooks. Fayfer chopping at him with right hands coming in but the Persian has a big hard nose and is smothering effectively, even if he isn't producing any meaningful offense.

10-9 Fayfer

20-18 Fayfer

 

Round 3

Ghalehbandi gets held at bay behind the Fayfer jab for a bit. Over half a minute until the first clinch of this round. Fayfer punishing Ghalehbandi now, prying him off with his right glove pushing into his throat and then leaning back for extension and jabbing him in the face. Ghalehbandi holding nonstop, but digging into the body now and then so the ref isn't ordering any breaks. Very sloppy climbing combos from Ghalehbandi. Fayfer turns southpaw and continues jabbing Ghalehbandi's face off at distance, now with a right jab. Clinch. Ref orders a break as Ghalehbandi has stopped even keeping up a pretense of slapping Fayfer's body. The commentator saying the word "cleench" in English now every 5-10 seconds and chuckling disheartedly every time.

10-9 Fayfer

30-27 Fayfer

 

Round 4

Ghalehbandi taking big lunging steps inside without even loading up a punch. Ghalehbandi seems intent on keeping it a messy phonebooth affair. Ghalehbandi slamming himself bodily into Fayfer, sometimes eating a jab or chopping right on the way in, and clattering hooks from Fayfer's hips to his head. Ghalehbandi down, slip. Ref escorts Ghalehbandi to his corner to check on his glove tape. Pretty silly with only twelve seconds in the round. Time in, and it's another clinch. Fayfer lands a jab, Ghalehbandi misses a couple of haymakers.

10-9 Fayfer

40-36 Fayfer

 

Can't call it aught but a shutout halfway through.

Ghalehbandi, despite doing enough to make it a hideous fight and cause Fayfer to not look too hot, hasn't come within sniffing distance of winning a round.

 

Round 5

Ghalehbandi grabbing whenever possible. Fayfer now tries to rush him with a ramrod jab on the face and then scuttle out before he can be snatched to reset and do it again. It works a few times. Ghalehbandi now twirling his left forearm around Fayfer's jabbing arm (currently his right as a southpaw) and lassoing him into clinches, then flapping uselessly at his elbows. You can hear in the ref's voice how sick and tired of yelling "break" he is.

10-9 Fayfer

50-45 Fayfer

 

Round 6

Some kind of delay starting the round, issues with Ghalehbandi's gloves. Ghalehbandi starts aggressively, throwing underhanded combos at the belt line instead of clinching for once. Fayfer drops his lead shoulder and bucks into him to create space. Ghalehbandi goes low and is warned. Fayfer feathers in a couple of right hooks and is grabbed and tied up. Fayfer looks tired. Ghalehbandi with some body shots and point blank hooks while wrestling Fayfer across the ring into the ropes. Lead right upstairs and left hook on the gut combo by Fayfer, by far his best sequence of the round coming with less than a minute left. Fayfer gets his right arm wedged under Ghalehbandi's left armpit and around his back and wrenches him onto the canvas. Correctly ruled not a knockdown. Moments later they clinch again and Fayfer, frustrated, flings Ghalehbandi off him and onto the mat again. Fayfer flirting with at least a warning here, you have to imagine. That was pretty flagrant.

10-9 Ghalehbandi, close

59-55 Fayfer

 

Fayfer had the cleanest and most eye catching couple of shots in the sixth; had he not let himself get dogwalked around the ring and outworked he could've won that. Not loving his body language, though, and the consecutive judo flips speak to him being not just fatigued but on the verge of a mental collapse.

 

Round 7

Ghalehbandi getting inside, hooking the body, and holding Fayfer. Rinse and repeat, pretty predictable but Fayfer seems unable to avoid it. Fayfer noodling out arm-weary 1-2s; Ghalehbandi easily marching through them and clasping onto his shoulders, shaking him or simply stalling until the ref gets in. Very ugly round. Fayfer lands a couple of clean jabs on the mush late between Ghalehbandi's gloves, which would have probably swung it his way were it not for a BIG left hook by Ghalehbandi with just five seconds to go.

10-9 Ghalehbandi, close

68-65 Fayfer

 

Round 8

They touch gloves. Ghalehbandi gets inside and swipes the body with hooks. Fayfer flurries very lightly, carrying both arms low. Clinch. Break. Looping right by Fayfer smacks Ghalehbandi around his guard. Clinch. Break. Both throw punches and miss, mashing together headfirst. Wild can opener right by Ghalehbandi, missing. Body taps by Ghalehbandi. Awkward clinch and they both tumble nearly between the middle ropes. Ghalehbandi wrestled onto the ground again. Lots of clinching, arm over arm and hand fighting. Fayfer suddenly explodes with some hooks, planting his feet and putting some starch on them. Ghalehbandi slightly rocked but hangs in. Ghalehbandi grinding in close as Fayfer catches him with two-pieces, opening up some swelling on Ghalehbandi's right eye.

10-9 Fayfer

78-74 Fayfer