▪️The fierce rivalry between the two Central Asian nations will take the centre stage in today’s finals with Uzbekistan having a headstart entering 11 finalists and Kazakhstan 6
March 1, 2026
The Central Asian showdown between boxing giants, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, will define today’s high-stakes final of the 77th Strandja Memorial International Boxing Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria.
This intense rivalry guarantees a spectacular display of tactical speed, technical skill, and immense power to keep fans on the edge of their seats.
Ubekistan are strongly favoured to lift the overall title with 11 boxers – six women and five men – in the finals while defending champions Kazakhstan have six finalists, four women and two men
Bragging rights will also be at stake in this final to decide regional supremacy.
Uzbekistan’s technical finesse, led by big names such as WB world champion and IBA world silver medallist heavyweight Turabek Kabibullaev, Javokhir Ummataliev – WB world champ and IBA world silver medallist – and tough female regulars like Nigina Uktamova clashes with Kazakhstan’s relentless, high-volume attacking style.
Uktamova, a losing pre-quarterfinalist in the Paris Olympics faces Ireland’s only finalist, Michaela Walsh, reigning Commonwealth Games champion with a wealth of experience in the squared circle. Michaela won silvers in the 2014 and 2016 Commonwealth Games. The two will battle it in the featherweight division.
Ukraine will play the role of spoilers with five finalist. The going has not been smooth for hosts Bulgaria entering only three finalists, same as England.
Bulgaria will bank their hopes on defending champions and 2025 Strandja best boxers, women’s flyweight Zlatislava Chukanova and men’s lightweight Radoslav Rosenov who meets Brazil’s WB world silver medallist Luiz Gabriel Oliveira while Chukanova battles stubborn Uzbek WB world bronze medallist and IBA world silver medal winner Feruza Kazakova.
Sparks will fly in mens flyweight between 2025 Strandja silver medallist Daniyal Sabit of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan’s wonderboy Bilalhabashi Nazarov, two-times European Youth champion and a graduate of Astana Boxing School.
The female light-flyweight bout between Ukraine’s 2018 IBA world silver medallist Hanna Okhota and Uzbekistan’s Sabina Bobokulova, a bronze medallist in 2025 IBA and WB world championships.
Some boxing fans in Africa will root for the Uzbek boxer, still nursing bitter memories of the 2022 Worlds in Turkey where Okhota beat two boxers from Africa, Kenya’s Christine Ongare and Morocco’s reigning African champion Yasmine Mouttaki.
In the 2025 Strandja tournament, Kazakhstan emerged overall winners 6-15-12, followed by Uzbekistan 5-1-2 and third-placed Bulgaria 4-1-3.
