(October 7, 2020) — Lightweight contender Viktor Kotochigov will defend his WBC International belt against British contender Maxi Hughes in the 10-round main event Friday, Oct. 9 from Caesars Bluewaters Dubai. Kotochigov-Hughes and undercard contests — the Rotunda Rumble IV — will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ beginning at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT.
Kotochigov (12-0, 5 KOs), from Kazakhstan, won the vacant WBC International belt last July with a unanimous decision over Jairo Lopez. A world traveler, he’s fought in seven countries since turning pro in December 2015. He last fought Aug. 23 and knocked out Belarusian veteran Andrei Isayeu in three rounds. Hughes (21-5-2, 4 KOs), from Rossington, England is coming off an upset decision victory Aug. 12 over longtime contender Jono Carroll. The Carroll win marked a turning point in the 10-year career of Hughes, who previously fell short in bids for the British super featherweight, WBC International super featherweight and WBO European lightweight titles.
In other streaming action on ESPN+:
- Armenian amateur superstar Hovhannes Bachkov will make his professional debut in an eight-round junior welterweight bout against 28-fight Venezuelan veteran Samuel Gonzalez (22-6, 13 KOs). Bachkov, a two-time World Championships bronze medalist (2017 and 2019), represented Armenia at the 2016 Rio Olympics and won a gold medal at the 2017 European Championships in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
- Junior welterweight knockout artist Faizan Anwar (4-0, 4 KOs), a 19-year-old from Calcutta, India, will take on JR Mendoza (11-19, 5 KOs) in a six-rounder. The durable Mendoza has not been knocked out since 2012.
- Junior bantamweight prospect Blane Hyland (3-0), from Liverpool, England, will fight Mohamed Salah Abdelghany (3-2) in a six-rounder.
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