Written by Sam Brooks
May 18, 2024 18:46, Updated May 18, 2024 19:43
Former two-time light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev was knocked down on the undercard of the heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, losing on points.
In just his second fight since being knocked out by Canelo Alvarez in November 2019, Kovalev stepped up to cruiserweight and faced undefeated Swede Robin Safar in Riyadh, but he was unable to turn back the year. There wasn’t.
Kovalev, who was trailing on the scorecards, was sent to the canvas by Safar’s combination left hook and right hand in the final round.
Kovalev, 41, stood up to hear the final gong, but all three judges scored the fight in favor of Safar.
Throughout the 10-round contest, Kovalev looked like a shell of his former self, and this could spell the end of his stellar career.
Kovalev, nicknamed “Crusher,” was widely considered the best light heavyweight on the planet during his heyday.
He became champion for the first time in the 175-pound weight class in 2013, defeating England’s Nathan Cleverley by knockout in the fourth round.
He went on to win two more belts over the next three years, but lost a controversial decision to American Andre Ward in November 2016.
Ward defeated Kovalev again the following year, this time stopping the Russian in eight rounds, but Kovalev lost to Elider Alvarez in 2018 for the third time in his professional career.
However, he got revenge against Alvarez just six months later and became a two-time champion, and in August 2019 he saw off England’s Anthony Yarde in his home country.
However, his subsequent loss to Canelo led to an extended hiatus, and he did not fight for over two years before returning with a modest victory.
After two more years away from the ring, Kovalev was crushed Saturday night, leaving his career record at 35-5-1.