Paddy Donovan secured a narrow, split-decision victory over Karen Chukhadzhyan in an eliminator bout for the IBF lightweight title in Germany. With this win, Donovan (15-2, 11 KOs) has positioned himself as a strong contender for the lightweight title, having previously failed to claim the vacant belt in a match against Louis Crocker last year.
Two judges scored the bout in favor of Donovan, 114-112 and 115-111, while the third judge scored it even at 113-113.
During the fight, Donovan sent Chukhadzhyan (26-4, 14 KOs) to the canvas twice. The first knockdown came in the sixth round with a powerful counterpunch, while the second was more contentious, as it resembled a slip rather than a knockdown in the eighth round.
Chukhadzhyan did not back down and continued to box aggressively and steadily, while Donovan's pace slowed as the fight progressed. The Irish fighter's movement decreased in comparison to the early rounds. The second half of the bout favored the German-Armenian boxer, but not convincingly enough to secure the final victory.
Paddy Donovan's victory was a close one, but it shows he's still a force to be reckoned with in the lightweight division. Will this be enough to secure the IBF title, or is it just another step in the long journey to the top?