Igor Mikhalkin vs Timur Nikarkhoev

It's just over a year since Igor Mikhalkin (24 fights, 22 wins, 10 knockouts) entered the hallowed halls of the Madison Squarden Garden Theater to become World Champion. Compared to him, Sergey Kovalev - a man you can undoubtedly count among the best light heavyweights ever. A monumental experience for Mikhalkin, who for over a decade had explicitly worked towards such a chance. Although it was not enough to win in the end, the 34-year-old Russian licked blood that night in New York.