Rakhimov and Joe Cordina kicked off fight week with a face off at the iconic Cardiff Castle last night ahead of their IBF Super-Featherweight World Title clash at the Cardiff International Arena this Saturday April 22, shown live worldwide on DAZN (excluding Australia and New Zealand).
Cardiff Castle is one of Wales’ leading heritage attractions and a site of international significance, boasting 2000 years of history in the heart of the city. Cordina will be looking to create some more history of his own this weekend as he bids to become a two-time World Champion.

‘The Welsh Wizard’ (15-0, 9 KOs) captured the famous red and gold belt with a stunning one-punch knockout of Japan’s Kenichi Ogawa on a memorable night at the arena last June to become his country’s latest World Champion.
WHAT TIME IS RAKHIMOV VS. CORDINA?
- Date: Saturday April 22
- Start time: 7 p.m. BST / 2 p.m. ET
- Main event ringwalks (approx): 10 p.m. BST
- The fight and card can be watched around the world live on DAZN excluding Australia and New Zealand.
- he fight will be held at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales.
- The event is set to get underway at 7 p.m. BST / 2 p.m. ET with the main event ringwalks scheduled for 10 p.m. BST / 5 p.m. ET.
Cordina was scheduled to make the first defence of his World Title against Rakhimov in Abu Dhabi last November but suffered a hand injury that required surgery and was subsequently stripped of his title by the IBF.
Tajikistan’s Rakhimov (17-0-1, 14 KOs) won the vacant title by stopping Manchester’s Zelfa Barrett in nine rounds on the undercard of Dmitry Bivol vs. Gilberto Ramirez, and the 28-year-old southpaw is relishing the challenge of defending his crown in Cordina’s backyard.

Rakhimov vs. Cordina headlines a huge night of boxing in Cardiff; Welsh rivals Gavin Gwynne (15-2-1, 3 KOs) and Craig Woodruff (12-6-1, 4 KOs) rematch for the British Lightweight Title following their thrilling draw at the Bolton Whites Hotel last September, Manchester Cruiserweight Jordan Thompson (14-0, 11 KOs) puts his IBF European Title on the line against Swindon’s Luke Watkins (16-2, 11 KOs), Derby’s Sandy Ryan (5-1, 2 KOs) clashes with Canada’s Marie Pier Houle (8-0-1, 2 KOs) for the vacant WBO Welterweight Title, Manchester’s former World Title challenger Zelfa Barrett (28-2, 16 KOs) faces the USA’s Jason Sanchez (16-3, 9 KOs) for the WBA Continental Super-Featherweight Title, Australia’s Skye Nicolson (6-0) steps up against Peru’s Linda Laura Lecca (15-6-2, 3 KOs) over eight rounds at Featherweight, Swansea Super-Bantamweight Brandon Scott (4-0, 1 KO) takes on India’s Karan Gill (3-0, 1 KO) over four rounds, Newport Super-Featherweight Nathan Howells (5-0-1) meets Oldbury’s Jahfieus Faure over four rounds, Swansea Light-Heavyweight Sammy Lee (1-0) fights Latvia’s Juris Zundovskis (6-5, 5 KOs) over six rounds and Kingston Heavyweight Miles Gordan-Darby (3-0) takes on Swindon’s Phil Williams (5-41-1, 1 KO) over four rounds.
Limited remaining tickets can be purchased via Stage Front.

RAKHIMOV VS CORDINA CARD
ALL TIMES ARE LOCAL
16:00 DOORS OPEN
16:15 LIVE ON BEFORE THE BELL
4 x 3 mins Heavyweight contest
MILES GORDAN-DARBY 240.2 lbs v PHIL WILLIAMS 262 lbs
(Kingston, England) (Swindon, England)
followed by
6 x 3 mins International Light-Heavyweight contest
SAMMY LEE 193 lbs v JURIS ZUNDOVSKIS 179.5 lbs
(Swansea, Wales) (Liepaja, Latvia)
followed by
4 x 3 mins Super-Featherweight contest
NATHAN HOWELLS 132 lbs v JAHFIEUS FAURE 130 lbs
(Newport, Wales) (Oldbury, England)
followed by
4 x 3 mins International Super-Featherweight
BRANDON SCOTT 129 lbs v REYNALDO CAJINA 133.11 lbs
(Swansea, Wales) (Managua, Nicragua)
followed by
8 x 2 mins International Featherweight
SKYE NICOLSON 127.15 lbs v LINDA LAURA LECCA 125.3 lbs
(Queensland, Australia) (Lima, Peru)
19:00 LIVE ON DAZN
followed by
10 x 3 mins IBF European Cruiserweight Title
JORDAN THOMPSON 199 lbs v LUKE WATKINS 198 lbs
(Manchester, England) (Swindon, England)
followed by
12 x 3 mins WBA Continental Super-Featherweight Title
ZELFA BARRETT 129.1 lbs v JASON SANCHEZ 128.10 lbs
(Manchester, England) (Albuquerque, USA)
followed by
12 x 3 mins British Lightweight Title
GAVIN GWYNNE 134.2 lbs v CRAIG WOODRUFF 133.15 lbs
(Treharris, Wales) (Newport, Wales)
followed by
10 x 2 mins vacant WBO Welterweight World Title
SANDY RYAN 146.6 lbs v MARIE PIER HOULE 145.9 lbs
(Derby, England) (Terrebonne, Canada)
followed by
12 x 3 mins IBF Super-Featherweight World Title
SHAVKATZDHON RAKHIMOV 129.7 lbs v JOE CORDINA 129.12 lbs
(Bokhtar, Tajikistan) (Cardiff, Wales)
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Jordan Thompson and Luke Watkins Weigh In ahead of their IBF Cruiserweight European Title fight tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Dave Thompson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Sandy Ryan and Marie-Pier Houle Weigh In ahead of their vacant WBO Welterweight Title fight tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Gavin Gwynne and Craig Woodruff Weigh In ahead of their British Lightweight Title fight tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Gavin Gwynne and Craig Woodruff Weigh In ahead of their British Lightweight Title fight tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Gavin Gwynne and Craig Woodruff Weigh In ahead of their British Lightweight Title fight tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Zelfa Barrett and Jason Sanchez Weigh In ahead of their WBA Continental Super-Featherweight Title fight tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Zelfa Barrett and Jason Sanchez Weigh In ahead of their WBA Continental Super-Featherweight Title fight tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Jordan Thompson and Luke Watkins Weigh In ahead of their IBF Cruiserweight European Title fight tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Jordan Thompson and Luke Watkins Weigh In ahead of their IBF Cruiserweight European Title fight tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Skye Nicolson and Linda Laura Lecca Weigh In ahead of their Featherweight Contest tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Skye Nicolson and Linda Laura Lecca Weigh In ahead of their Featherweight Contest tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Brandon Scott and Reynaldo Cajina Weigh In ahead of their Featherweight Contest tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Brandon Scott and Reynaldo Cajina Weigh In ahead of their Featherweight Contest tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Brandon Scott and Reynaldo Cajina Weigh In ahead of their Featherweight Contest tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing Brandon Scott
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Nathan Howells and Jahfieus Faure Weigh In ahead of their Super-Featherweight tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Nathan Howells and Jahfieus Faure Weigh In ahead of their Super-Featherweight tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Sammy Lee v Juris Zundovskis Weigh In ahead of their Light-Heavyweight Contest tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Sammy Lee v Juris Zundovskis Weigh In ahead of their Light-Heavyweight Contest tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Miles Gordan Darby and Phil Williams Weigh In ahead of their Heavyweight Contest tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Miles Gordan Darby and Phil Williams Weigh In ahead of their Heavyweight Contest tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Shavkatdzhon Rakhmiov and Joe Cordina Weigh In ahead of their IBF Super-Featherweight World Title fight tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Shavkatdzhon Rakhmiov and Joe Cordina Weigh In ahead of their IBF Super-Featherweight World Title fight tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Shavkatdzhon Rakhmiov and Joe Cordina Weigh In ahead of their IBF Super-Featherweight World Title fight tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Shavkatdzhon Rakhmiov and Joe Cordina Weigh In ahead of their IBF Super-Featherweight World Title fight tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 21: Sandy Ryan and Marie-Pier Houle Weigh In ahead of their vacant WBO Welterweight Title fight tomorrow night in Cardiff 21 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 17: Shavkatdzhon Rakhmiov and Joe Cordina first face off at Iconic Cardiff Castle ahead of their IBF Super-Featherweight World Title fight this weekend. 17 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 17: Shavkatdzhon Rakhmiov and Joe Cordina first face off at Iconic Cardiff Castle ahead of their IBF Super-Featherweight World Title fight this weekend. 17 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 17: Shavkatdzhon Rakhmiov and Joe Cordina first face off at Iconic Cardiff Castle ahead of their IBF Super-Featherweight World Title fight this weekend. 17 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 17: Shavkatdzhon Rakhmiov and Joe Cordina first face off at Iconic Cardiff Castle ahead of their IBF Super-Featherweight World Title fight this weekend. 17 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 17: Shavkatdzhon Rakhmiov and Joe Cordina first face off at Iconic Cardiff Castle ahead of their IBF Super-Featherweight World Title fight this weekend. 17 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Cardiff, Wales - April 17: Shavkatdzhon Rakhmiov and Joe Cordina first face off at Iconic Cardiff Castle ahead of their IBF Super-Featherweight World Title fight this weekend. 17 April 2023 Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing