IBA Bare Knuckle from Moscow to Miami: Abdyrakhmanov and Kudryashov marked the fifth tournament
IBA Bare Knuckle 5, held on 27 June 2026 at Moscow's CSKA Arena, served as the final major test before this combat platform's American debut, scheduled for 18 July 2026 in Miami. According to an announcement by the International Boxing Association, the main fight of the evening was marked by a rematch in which Kyrgyz fighter Samat Abdyrakhmanov defeated Russian fighter Islam Kadiev by unanimous decision after five rounds. In its official event summary, the IBA also highlighted the successful bare-knuckle debut of Dmitry Kudryashov, after the Russian boxer stopped Iranian fighter Hasan Yousefi by technical knockout in the third round. This gave the Moscow tournament a dual role: in sporting terms, it closed one chapter of the series, while organizationally it opened the way toward entry into the American market.
The evening in Moscow carried broader significance than the results themselves, because IBA Bare Knuckle tried, within a short period, to bring together fighters from boxing, MMA, kickboxing, combat sambo and other disciplines under one competitive format. According to the IBA's official report, notable guests in the arena included former UFC champions Jon Jones and Petr Yan, UFC heavyweight Aleksandr Volkov, leading UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan, and Adlan Amagov, a Russian MMA fighter who competed in the UFC and Strikeforce. Such a guest list further emphasized the project's ambition to position itself beyond the narrow framework of the regional combat-sports scene. For the IBA, this is especially important because the next event in the series, IBA Bare Knuckle 6, will no longer take place in Russia, but in one of the most competitive combat-sports and entertainment markets in the world.
Abdyrakhmanov controlled the rematch and confirmed his status as the main story of the evening
Samat Abdyrakhmanov entered the main fight of the evening with a clear task: in the rematch against Islam Kadiev, he had to confirm that he could impose his rhythm through all five rounds, and not merely look for a single decisive strike. According to the fight description published by the IBA, Abdyrakhmanov changed tempo from the start, stopped his opponent with the lead straight and entered short combinations of two or three punches. Kadiev tried to maintain pressure and close the distance, but the Kyrgyz fighter gradually took increasing control of the space in the ring. Particularly important was his work with the lead hand, which made it harder for Kadiev to enter the desired range and prevented him from turning the fight into a messy exchange.
In the second and third rounds, Abdyrakhmanov continued to build his advantage through more precise entries and better timing in attack. The IBA states that Kadiev had sustained a cut by the third round, while Abdyrakhmanov increased the number of clean shots and remained calmer in the exchanges. Kadiev showed durability and did not give up trying to change the course of the match, but in the final rounds he did not find enough answers to the distance control and angles from which his opponent attacked. After five rounds, the judges unanimously awarded the victory to Abdyrakhmanov. In the context of the series, this was an important victory because the main fight provided a clear sporting conclusion to the evening and further strengthened Abdyrakhmanov's position as one of the prominent names of the IBA Bare Knuckle project.
Kudryashov survived a difficult start and finished the job in the third round
Dmitry Kudryashov, a boxer known for his powerful punch, made his debut in the bare-knuckle fighting format in Moscow against Hasan Yousefi. According to the IBA report, the beginning was not easy for the Russian fighter because Yousefi opened the match actively, landed several accurate punches and forced Kudryashov to look for the right moment to take the initiative. This part of the fight was important because it showed that the transition from classic boxing to the bare-knuckle format cannot be reduced merely to punching power. A different rhythm, a different risk when entering exchanges and the greater visibility of injuries make this format tactically demanding even for experienced boxers.
Yousefi continued to press in the second round and, according to the IBA, managed to push Kudryashov toward the ropes. But the Russian fighter withstood the pressure, began to find space for counterattacks and gradually wore down his opponent. The decisive moment came in the third round, when Kudryashov sent Yousefi to the canvas with a powerful punch. The Iranian managed to get up, but soon absorbed another heavy blow after which he could not continue the fight. The IBA described the victory as a memorable and successful debut for Kudryashov, which was especially valuable for the organizers because, in the co-main fight, they gained a name with boxing recognition and a finish that easily fits into the promotional narrative ahead of Miami.
Results that broadened the picture of the Moscow evening
Although Abdyrakhmanov and Kudryashov were at the center of attention, the IBA's official summary shows that the Moscow event had several fights that built the impression of a diverse international program. Yakov Bukin of Russia quickly finished his match against Tajik fighter Suleyman Makhmadov after a powerful left hand, while Sulambek Shakhgiriev knocked out Cuban fighter Yassel Reyes in one of the most intense exchanges of the evening. Belarusian fighter Aleksandr Nekrash stopped Italian fighter Riccardo Allegretti by technical knockout, and Russian fighter Oleg Zharkov defeated Iranian fighter Keyvan Safari by unanimous decision after a demanding finish. Kazakh fighter Bekzat Saabyr was better than Matvey Kokorev, Farid Yadullaev unanimously defeated Armenian fighter Seryozha Harutyunyan, and Maksim Butorin defeated Brazilian fighter Joilton Lutterbach by judges' decision.
One of the more emotional matches of the evening was the meeting between Aleksandr Perevyazko and Sulim Bisultanov. According to the IBA, Perevyazko sent his opponent to the canvas twice already in the first round, but Bisultanov managed to return to the fight and continued attacking. The report states that between the first and second rounds there was also an extended pause after the ropes were damaged during the celebration following one of the exchanges. Despite the pressure, Perevyazko remained more precise and ultimately earned a unanimous decision from the judges. Such details further shaped the image of the event as an evening in which the organization relied on a combination of knockouts, tactical decisions and dramatic moments in the ring.
Famous guests and the message from the arena
Jon Jones's presence in Moscow was especially important because the IBA had previously announced that one of the most famous MMA fighters of the modern era had joined the project as a global ambassador. Also in the Moscow arena was Petr Yan, who, according to the IBA report, emphasized that bare-knuckle fighting is not for everyone and that it is a personal choice of established athletes. His statement was important because, alongside support for the fighters and the audience, it also opened the question of the risk that is inseparable from this format. Bare-knuckle fights attract audiences with the directness and simplicity of their rules, but at the same time they require especially strict medical, safety and regulatory standards.
On the project's official website, the IBA states that the International Bare Knuckle Boxing League was launched in July 2025 as a global project under the umbrella of the International Boxing Association. The organization claims that it bases the development of the discipline on unified rules, medical standards, mandatory insurance and legal protections for participants. Such wording is part of an effort to present bare-knuckle fighting as a structured professional sport, and not merely as a spectacle on the edge of the combat-sports market. At the same time, it is precisely the American debut that will show how far these claims can be translated into a sustainable model outside the markets in which IBA Bare Knuckle has so far most often appeared.
Miami as the first American test for IBA Bare Knuckle
According to the IBA announcement of 13 June 2026, IBA Bare Knuckle 6 will be held on 18 July at the James L. Knight Center in Miami. The organization presented the appearance as a historic debut in the United States and an important step in the platform's international expansion. According to the James L. Knight Center website, the event begins at 7 p.m. local time and has been announced under the title Jon Jones & IBA Bare Knuckle. The arena in downtown Miami thus becomes the first major test for a format that has so far built momentum primarily through events in Russia and the wider post-Soviet space.
On 1 July 2026, the IBA also published the official fight card for Miami. The main attraction will be the match between Vyacheslav Borshchev, a former UFC fighter from Russia and a master of sport in kickboxing, and Elvin Brito of Puerto Rico, a professional boxer and the first BKFC champion known by the nickname "El Bandido". The program also includes a fight between Javier Fortuna, a Dominican professional boxer and former WBA regular world super featherweight champion, and Colombian professional boxer Alejandro Munera. The IBA also announced a bout between Alan Salamov and Markus Suarez, as well as a match between David Mistulov and Nathan LaRocca. According to the same source, the evening is expected to contain a total of ten fights, showing that the organization is not treating its American debut as a symbolic appearance, but as a full market presentation.
Broader context: the IBA project beyond Olympic boxing
The expansion of the IBA Bare Knuckle project is taking place at a sensitive moment for the IBA brand itself. The International Olympic Committee announced that on 22 June 2023 it had withdrawn recognition of the International Boxing Association, and in February 2025 the IOC provisionally recognized World Boxing as the international federation for boxing within the Olympic movement. This context does not directly change the results of the fights in Moscow or the plans for Miami, but it explains why the IBA is strongly developing professional and commercial projects outside the Olympic system. In that sense, the bare-knuckle platform is one of the organization's most visible attempts to build an alternative global product with its own stars, calendar and promotional logic.
For the American market, the challenge is multilayered. The United States already has an established bare-knuckle scene, recognizable promotions and an audience accustomed to a strong combination of sport, television production and digital marketing. The IBA is therefore not coming to Miami only with a fight card, but also with the ambition to convince fighters, regulators, media and the public that it can offer a stable international platform. Jon Jones as the face of the project brings global recognition, but long-term sustainability will depend on the quality of the matches, safety protocols, organizational transparency and the ability to turn the American debut into a regular presence on the market.
Momentum from Moscow and expectations before 18 July
The Moscow tournament can therefore be viewed as the last major demonstration before moving onto a broader stage. Samat Abdyrakhmanov's victory over Islam Kadiev gave the event sporting credibility through a tactically controlled five-round match, while Dmitry Kudryashov's knockout of Hasan Yousefi delivered the kind of moment that organizations of this profile particularly value in a promotional sense. With appearances by fighters from several countries, the presence of well-known MMA names and a clear announcement of the next step, IBA Bare Knuckle 5 became more than an isolated event in Moscow. Until 18 July, the focus shifts to Miami, where it will be seen whether the momentum from CSKA Arena can grow into a credible entry into the American combat-sports space.
Sources:
- International Boxing Association – official report from the IBA Bare Knuckle 5 tournament in Moscow, including the results of the main fights and statements by the organizers (link)
- International Boxing Association – official page of the IBA Bare Knuckle project with a description of the league, safety framework and development of the discipline (link)
- International Boxing Association – announcement of the American debut of IBA Bare Knuckle in Miami on 18 July 2026 (link)
- International Boxing Association – publication of the official fight card for the first American IBA Bare Knuckle event in Miami (link)
- James L. Knight Center – official page for the Jon Jones & IBA Bare Knuckle event in Miami with the date, time and basic program information (link)
- International Olympic Committee – IOC decision to withdraw recognition of the International Boxing Association on 22 June 2023 (link)
- International Olympic Committee – announcement on the provisional recognition of World Boxing as the international federation for boxing within the Olympic movement (link)