Murat Gassiev did not just keep the WBA heavyweight belt in Moscow. He beat up Peter Kadiru until Kadiru’s corner decided there was no reason to send him back into more punishment.
Gassiev stopped Kadiru in Round 6 at IBA Pro 19 inside VTB Arena, moving to 34-2 with 27 knockouts. Kadiru, who entered as a late replacement challenger, fell to 23-2 with 13 knockouts. The official story of the fight was simple: Gassiev took control early, kept forcing Kadiru backward, and finished the job before the title fight reached the second half.
The fight-ending clip is below:
MURAT GASSIEV STOPS KADIRU!!! #GassievKadiru x #IBAPro19 pic.twitter.com/JUz9Re4MRr
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) July 11, 2026
Another result clip from fight night:
SIX AND DONE
Murat Gassiev makes a successful first defence of his WBA World Heavyweight Title with a sixth round stoppage of late replacement Peter Kadiru.
WATCH NOW ON @DAZNBoxing
#GassievKadiru | #BoxingNews | #Knockout pic.twitter.com/Dv0yCtDJAN
— IFL TV (@IFLTV) July 11, 2026
Ring Magazine also posted the result:
Murat Gassiev STOPS Peter Kadiru in round six to retain his WBA heavyweight title pic.twitter.com/J5GSCcPJLo
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) July 11, 2026
Another angle from the Gassiev finish:
GASSIEV DEFENDS TITLE
Murat Gassiev stops Peter Kadiru in Round 6 to make the first defence of his WBA Heavyweight Title pic.twitter.com/MslXChmUFY
— Tokkeru (@ATokkers5) July 11, 2026
DAZN also posted Chisora and Gassiev after the result:
Derek Chisora goes head to head with Murat Gassiev #GassievKadiru x #IBAPro19 pic.twitter.com/z5q6l1Mt4z
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) July 11, 2026
How Gassiev Broke Kadiru Down
Gassiev started by stalking Kadiru behind compact pressure instead of chasing a wild early knockout. He worked the body with right hooks, forced Kadiru to keep a high guard, then brought left hooks and uppercuts through the middle when the challenger stopped answering cleanly.
Kadiru had moments where he tried to punch back, especially with uppercuts and a left hook when Gassiev stepped in. They were not enough to change the pattern. Gassiev kept taking the center of the ring, kept making Kadiru reset, and kept landing the heavier shots whenever the exchange lasted more than one punch.
By the middle rounds, the fight had turned into a pressure test. Gassiev was landing to the ribs, coming back upstairs with hooks, and using short uppercuts when Kadiru shelled up. Kadiru showed toughness and tried to hold his ground in spots, but the cleaner work was coming from the champion almost every time.
The Towel Came In During Round 6
The finish came after Gassiev backed Kadiru toward the ropes and unloaded a sustained attack. Kadiru was still upright, but he was absorbing unanswered punches and not giving his corner enough back. The towel came in during the sixth round, ending the fight as a technical knockout for Gassiev.
That detail matters more than any pre-fight setup. This was not a one-shot knockout where the challenger got caught cold. Gassiev built the stoppage round by round with pressure, body work, and cleaner power shots until Kadiru’s corner had seen enough.
The win gives Gassiev his first successful defense as WBA heavyweight titleholder and keeps him in the heavyweight title mix after Oleksandr Usyk’s latest heavyweight move. The bigger question now is whether Gassiev gets a more meaningful heavyweight name next, because this fight ended exactly the way a champion-versus-late-replacement bout is supposed to end: clean, controlled, and without needing scorecards.
