Nikita Tszyu Accuses Michael Zerafa of Quitting After No Contest in Brisbane

In boxing, reputation travels faster than results, and Friday night in Brisbane may have altered Michael Zerafa’s standing more than any loss on his record.

The long-running grudge match between Zerafa and Nikita Tszyu was waved off just three seconds into the third round after an accidental clash of heads opened a cut over Zerafa’s left eye. After speaking with the ringside doctor and telling officials he could not see, Zerafa was unable to continue and the bout was ruled a no contest, prompting loud boos from a frustrated crowd at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

From ringside, former world champions Paulie Malignaggi and Shawn Porter were blunt in their assessment, both accusing Zerafa of quitting during the live broadcast. That judgment followed the fight into the post-fight press conference.

Asked directly whether he believed Zerafa had quit, Tszyu did not hesitate.

“I definitely do,” he said. “I think he underestimated me, and once the cut happened, a bit of PTSD came through. His emotions got the better of him. Once that little bit of pain comes, he’s looking for the exit straight away.”

Tszyu added that the cut did not appear severe enough to justify a stoppage.

“Spewing’s the word,” he said. “I didn’t think the cut was that bad. It’s a shame that he took the first exit that he could find.”

The comparison was unavoidable inside the Tszyu camp, where Tim Tszyu famously fought on through a severe head cut against Sebastian Fundora in 2024, a decision that later proved costly. That history only sharpened the reaction to how Friday night ended.

Zerafa’s response did little to calm the situation. While he insisted in the ring that he wanted to continue, he later acknowledged telling the doctor that his vision was blurry. In a post-fight interview with Main Event, his frustration spilled over.

“I’m just as confused and angry as everybody else,” Zerafa said. “I’m fucking over it. I don’t know if they’re gonna see me back in the ring anymore. I’m fucking done.”

The conflicting explanations became the central issue. Broadcast audio captured Zerafa telling officials he could not see, while his later comments suggested he felt the stoppage was taken out of his hands.

For Tszyu, the outcome was a bitter one. He described himself as “numb” after six months of preparation ended in less than two rounds of action. His manager, Glenn Jennings, spoke afterward about the flat atmosphere inside the arena and the sense that another attempt to settle the Tszyu-Zerafa rivalry had slipped away unresolved.

Promoter George Rose declined to commit to a rematch, saying it was too early to make that decision, while acknowledging the disappointment felt by fans who had packed the venue and watched on pay-per-view.

Whether Zerafa fights again remains uncertain. Fighters have walked away before and returned. But in a sport built on belief as much as results, this was the kind of night that lingers. The fight answered nothing, and the questions it left behind may prove harder to escape than any cut.