Imam Khataev and Shamil Khataev are scheduled to fight in Grozny, Russia, on December 7, where the brothers will seek to impress their fans. The main fight of the evening at the Colosseum was scheduled to be the important light-heavyweight bout between Emin Imamov Khataev and unbeaten Cuban contender Yunior Menendez. While on the other side, Shamil Khataev will face Uganda’s Shadiri Musa Bwogi in the co-main event non-title fight. The winners of the night, regardless of the outcome, will be one step closer to challenging for the title.
Imam Khataev: Rapid Rise Through the Ranks
Currently having an 8-0 record with all wins coming by knockouts, Imam Khataev has been steadily rising in the light heavyweight category. This year, he gained popularity with a knockout win over Poland’s Michal Ludwiczak in the second round during the Artur Beterbiev vs. Callum Smith bout. The above was compounded by the sixth-round dominance of a strongly built Ricards Bolotniks of Sydney, Australia. His latest fight was a seventh round defeat of Beijing Olympian Ezequel Maderna in Montreal. These performances have led to him being ranked No. 7 by the IBF as well as No. 13 by the WBC.
Menendez Enters Contest With Unblemished Record
Yunier Menendez comes in with an unbeaten record of 11 fights, 8 of them knockouts, and is fighting from Panama, but he is of Cuban origin. In his career, Menendez has demonstrated the capability to achieve a WBC ranking after a great knockout victory over the seasoned Junior Boada. The fight with Imam Khataev will prove to be a major challenge for both fighters and can be seen as a massive opportunity for Menendez to continue his emergence as one of the top contenders in the 175-pound division.
In the co-main event of the evening, Imam Khataev will have his younger brother, Shamil Khataev “The Warrior”, alongside him. Having had 13 bouts, all of which ended in knockouts and one no-contest, Shamil will soon meet the Ugandan champion Shadiri Musa Bwogi (7-0, 5 KOs), who participated in the 2021 Olympics. This fight is particularly important to Shamil as he plans to extend his winning statistics during the championship hosted in Grozny.
High Stakes For the Khataev Brothers
As for Imam Khataev, victory against Menendez would put the Kazakh on the verge of attaining his dream of emerging as the world champion. He has been consistent with the sport and has been ready to challenge himself against top opponents, and thus has become one of the prominent figures in the division. Also, Shamil Khataev aims to perform great in his title fight to essentially earn the allegiance of the hometown supporters and move up the ladder as one of the top and potentially potent lightweight boxers. Their fans expect thrilling fights in both encounters as the Khataev brothers are determined to put up remarkable shows in their home country.
Conclusion
The fight on December 7 in Grozny will be memorable for the Khataev brothers, in particular, Imam Khataev, who can take a step closer to the championship and become one of the best cruiserweights in the division. At the same time, the young man tries to continue the family’s tradition and gain recognition in a critical fight.
The two fighters are ready to prove that each of them deserves to remain the champion of his home soil and to become even more popular, so an exciting night is expected for viewers as the two can achieve something really remarkable in their careers.
