Labinot Xhoxhaj Stops Pezhman Seifkhani in Four

Straight right seals EBU and WBC Silver defense

Labinot Xhoxhaj (22-0-1) stops Pezhman Seifkhani (18-2) at 3:00 of the fourth round to retain his EBU and WBC International Silver heavyweight titles. After a close start, the jab set the pace and two straight right hands ended it.

After three rounds, it was tight on the cards. The cards read 29-28 twice and 30-27 for Xhoxhaj, but Seifkhani had a strong second. He worked behind a stiff jab, stepped in with the straight right, and caught the champion with hard right hands. He set his feet in the pocket, traded hooks at close range, and didn’t give ground when Xhoxhaj tried to walk him back.

By the fourth, the difference in weight began to show. Xhoxhaj started with the jab and drove the right hand through the guard. He cut off the ring and forced backed Seifkhani to the ropes, and invested upstairs and down the middle. A heavy right dropped the challenger late in the round. Seifkhani rose clear-eyed, but Xhoxhaj stepped in again and landed another right on the bell. The count reached ten.

At 22-0-1, Xhoxhaj wins with pressure and straight shots. He starts with the jab, resets his feet, and steps in behind the right hand, forcing exchanges in the middle of the ring. He keeps a tight guard and commits when he sees an opening. That approach has been enough at European level. When he steps in without a feint or reaches with the right hand from too far out, a sharper counter puncher will catch him in that space before he gets his feet set.

On the undercard, welterweight Eris Bajra (10-1) dispatched late replacement Flecher Silva (19-6) in 1:58 of the opening round, dropping him twice before the referee stepped in. Bajra stepped in behind combinations and did not allow the fight to settle.

Light heavyweight Ervin Sope opened his professional account with a stoppage over Tristan Khizanishvili (3-18-6), the referee intervening after unanswered shots highlighted the physical gap.

Middleweight Vadim Gashi (5-1) advanced when Pasta Aduashvili (32-28-2) did not answer the bell for the third round of a scheduled four.

Patrick Rokohl (30-5) recorded a fourth-round stoppage after dropping Jackie Mefire (11-41-1) three times, working steadily behind straight punches before the finish.

Melin Kalayci (2-0) halted Bato Berkatashvili (12-23) in the third after a knockdown and visible arm trouble forced the stoppage..

For Xhoxhaj, it comes down to staying sharp from the first bell. His game is pressure behind the jab, stepping in with the straight right, and letting combinations go once a man gives ground. The next level will show whether that approach holds up when the other side can punch back with timing, keep range with the jab, and make him think before he opens up.