Kalajdzic Drops Richards in London Points Victory

Radivoje Kalajdzic beat Craig Richards by unanimous decision at London’s Copper Box Arena on Saturday night, putting the home fighter down with a right hand in the closing seconds of their ten round light heavyweight contest. Richards beat the count and heard the final bell, but all three judges returned scores of 97 to 92 for Kalajdzic. It was an emphatic verdict at the end of a fight in which both men had taken turns to hurt the other.

Richards was boxing in his home city for the first time since 2024. He had stopped Padraig McCrory and Dan Azeez in his previous two outings and came in seeking another route towards a world title challenge. Kalajdzic had ambitions just as pressing. Earlier this year he had climbed off the canvas twice against former champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk before knocking him out. That result established both the danger in his right hand and his capacity to recover when a fight turns against him.

Kalajdzic began with his jab, using it to keep Richards occupied and set up his heavier punches. He appeared to stun the Londoner near the end of the opening round and continued to box neatly in the second. Richards found some success with his own jab and caught Kalajdzic when the American came within range. Neither man was content to give ground without answering, though Kalajdzic was settling into his work more quickly.

Richards landed a forceful shot in the third that momentarily checked Kalajdzic. The response came in the fourth, when Kalajdzic hurt Richards and pursued him around the ring with a series of heavy punches. Richards was in trouble, but he did not spend the remainder of the round merely surviving. He recovered enough to drive Kalajdzic back towards the ropes and finish the session throwing the harder shots himself. It was a useful reminder that the man under pressure in one exchange might be doing the pressing in the next.

Kalajdzic’s jab remained an important weapon as the fight developed. Richards could land when he got his timing right, but he had to negotiate that lead hand before bringing his own stronger punches into play. Kalajdzic was also the quicker to seize an opening. In the sixth he caught Richards with a heavy shot that made the Londoner hold on. Richards steadied himself and fired back, and the last part of the round became a fierce exchange, with both men landing before the bell.

Richards carried that urgency into the seventh. Two right hands forced Kalajdzic to retreat, and a left hook to the body plainly troubled him. For a spell it appeared that Richards might make his pressure count. Kalajdzic found his jab again in the latter part of the round, however, and prevented the challenger’s attack from becoming a sustained one. It was an important recovery. Richards had shown he could hurt him, but Kalajdzic would not let him dictate the contest for long.

The fight reached its most dramatic point in the final round. Richards landed a heavy left hook to the body and followed Kalajdzic towards the ropes, aiming further punches downstairs and hard crosses at his head. Kalajdzic held when he needed to. Richards, sensing the chance of a finish, kept coming forward. The home fighter’s attack had force behind it, but it also brought him within reach of the punch Kalajdzic had been dangerous with all night.

Kalajdzic suddenly answered with a combination, then landed a straight right that sent Richards backwards and down in the final seconds. Richards rose, visibly unsteady, and the bell ended the contest before Kalajdzic could follow up. It was a startling end to a round Richards had begun so well. The knockdown gave Kalajdzic a ten to eight round and confirmed a victory the judges had already seen taking shape across the earlier exchanges.

The matching scorecards were wider than the changing fortunes of individual rounds might suggest, but Kalajdzic earned the decision. He established his jab early, repeatedly found Richards with the more consequential punches and recovered when the Londoner threatened to take charge. He improves to 31 wins and three defeats. Richards, now 20 wins, five defeats and one draw, fought back with courage and had Kalajdzic in difficulty in the closing round. His homecoming nevertheless ended with him getting up from the canvas to hear the result go the other way.

I thought Richards had the tools to make Kalajdzic work harder, but he let the American settle behind his jab. Once that happened, Richards was often starting his attacks a step too far away. He had good spells when he timed the right hand and dug a hook into the body, yet he never held the ground he won.

Kalajdzic was hurt himself, but he kept finding his range again. That’s good ring craft. Richards went after him late and left himself square in front of the right hand that put him down. I’ve got no argument with the decision. Richards showed heart, but Kalajdzic did the better work and finished like a man who still knew exactly where the opening was.