Ryan Burnett vs Zhanat Zhakiyanov

Ryan Burnett united the IBF and WBA Super bantamweight championships with a unanimous points victory over Zhanat Zhakiyanov at Belfast’s SSE Arena on October 21, 2017. Before a sellout home crowd, the 25-year-old remained unbeaten through eighteen professional contests, but his first defence of the IBF championship demanded considerable physical effort. Zhakiyanov forced much of the fight into close quarters, where Burnett had to withstand sustained pressure before his accuracy and stronger finish established a clear advantage.

Burnett had won his championship from Lee Haskins in June, dropping the Bristol southpaw twice during a commanding performance. Zhakiyanov, aged 33, brought a record of 27 wins and one defeat, with eighteen victories inside the distance. He had secured the WBA championship by beating Rau’shee Warren in February. There was a further connection between the opponents: Ricky Hatton, who trained Zhakiyanov, had previously trained Burnett. The Belfast boxer was now working with Adam Booth, making this a meeting between fighters familiar with one another from their earlier gym work.

Zhakiyanov advanced immediately, closing the distance and denying Burnett an easy opportunity to settle behind his jab. The opening exchanges involved considerable holding and wrestling, with both men working whenever their arms became free. Burnett found room for short body punches and a right hand, while Zhakiyanov’s eagerness to get close sometimes restricted his own punching space. The second followed a similar pattern. Burnett used his jab as the Kazakh approached and landed a left hook downstairs, but Zhakiyanov answered with a hard left hook of his own. In the third, the visitor connected with an uppercut and followed with hooks and a right hand, enjoying a productive spell without forcing Burnett to abandon his replies.

Burnett began finding a better rhythm in the fourth. His jab created brief opportunities for cleaner punches, and he occasionally drove Zhakiyanov backwards rather than continually yielding ground. In the fifth, the visitor again pressed him into a corner and attacked the body. Burnett returned towards the centre, met the advance with his jab and timed a left hook over Zhakiyanov’s right. Neither man could maintain comfortable separation for long. The distinction lay increasingly in the placement of Burnett’s punches, although the Kazakh remained competitive and continued making the champion work at close range.

Before the sixth, Hatton instructed Zhakiyanov to leave enough room to deliver his punches. An uppercut early in the round showed the value of that advice. Burnett then briefly stopped punching and reached towards his left shoulder, an outward sign of the neck trouble reported afterwards. Zhakiyanov maintained his attack and had one of his better rounds, although Burnett resumed trading and finished the period with resistance. The seventh and eighth remained physically demanding. Burnett continued finding the more precise openings, while Zhakiyanov’s pressure kept the contest crowded and prevented any prolonged respite.

The balance moved more firmly towards Burnett over the closing rounds. Before the ninth, Booth reminded him of his stated intention to break down his opponent. Burnett responded with forceful hooks and began using his feet more effectively to establish punching distance. As Zhakiyanov’s attacks slowed, the younger man’s jab and straighter punches became more influential. He carried that advantage through the tenth and eleventh, combining his work at range with accurate punches when the fight returned inside. Zhakiyanov continued pursuing him and attacking the body, but Burnett was now controlling more of the exchanges. Both men fought through the final round, the visitor still pressing and the home boxer answering rather than merely protecting his lead. Neither suffered a knockdown.

All three judges awarded the contest to Burnett. Valerie Dorsett scored it 118–110, Pasquale Procopio 116–112 and Carlos Sucre 119–109. The verdict recognised Burnett’s cleaner work and his superiority over the latter stages, although contemporary reports considered the contest more competitive than the widest margins suggested. Burnett improved to 18–0, with nine knockout victories, while Zhakiyanov’s record became 27–2. The winner acknowledged afterwards that his original intention to box at distance had required adjustment because of his opponent’s strength and persistent pressure.

The celebrations were interrupted by concern over Burnett’s condition. Complaining of pain in his ear and neck, he was taken from the arena on a stretcher while conscious, at Booth’s insistence, and examined in hospital. He was released within hours after receiving clearance concerning his head. Booth subsequently reported a suspected ruptured neck ligament, giving further explanation for the discomfort visible in the sixth round. Burnett had completed the contest despite that difficulty, securing both championships through a performance built on accurate punching, adaptation and sustained effort.

I rate this above Burnett’s win over Haskins because it asked different questions. Haskins tested his boxing; Zhakiyanov tested whether he could work with a strong opponent planted on his chest. The Kazakh had already beaten Rau’shee Warren with that pressure, so his threat was well established.

Burnett spent too long accepting the close exchanges for my liking, but his short hooks downstairs and cleaner combinations earned their keep. When he created space and brought the jab into play, the difference in accuracy became clearer. That’s what impressed me: he could compete inside, then change the terms as Zhakiyanov slowed. Belfast got an entertaining contest.

I’ve no argument with Burnett winning unanimously. I do have an argument with 119–109. Zhakiyanov made too many rounds competitive for that. The right man won, but the widest card gave the beaten champion far too little credit.