Russian welterweight boxer Khabib Allakhverdiev is emerging as a promising talent. He is still unbeaten after getting win number 16 over Colombian Ignacio Mendoza in Moscow last night.

Many were expecting the fight between Allakhverdiev and Mendoza to be a cagey one in the first rounds of the bout. Both had a lot on the line, with Allakhverdiev risking his unbeaten start to professional boxing and Mendoza risking losing his WBA belt.

Indeed, that was the case in the first couple of rounds. Mendoza, a sprightly boxer, matched everything Allakhverdiev had to offer. He even seemed to be edging the fight through the judges’ eyes. But after seeing his three fellow compatriots win all of their bouts prior to the night’s main event, the Russian light welterweight turned up the heat in the fourth.

Increasingly, Mendoza was put on the back foot by some nifty flurries of jabs and punches from Allakhverdiev. But it was the 29-year-old Russian, who was carrying the open wounds and splashing the ring with blood at the end of the 5th round. And then, in the 6th round, the animal emerged.

Seeing an opportunity, Allakhverdiev unleashed a vicious number of punches to put Mendoza against the ropes. The Russian fighter thought it was all over at one point, raising his arms in the air only to be brought back to Earth by the bell.

Mendoza looked half the man that had entered the ring and, with another savage onslaught by his opponent, had to be protected by the referee, bringing an end to the bout in a technical knockout.

Allakhverdiev gladly received the WBA belt, but seemed more pleased in retaining his unbeaten status and the manner of his victory.