Nikita Tszyu, nicknamed “The Butcher”, returned to the boxing ring on August 20, 2025, after a 12-month hiatus due to hand surgery. He marked his comeback with a first-round technical knockout (TKO) victory over previously undefeated Lulzim Ismaili.Â
Here’s a breakdown of the fight:
- Tszyu dropped Ismaili with a powerful left hand just over a minute into the first round.
- He followed up with a brutal body shot that broke Ismaili’s rib at the end of the round.
- Ismaili was unable to continue and refused to come out for the second round, resulting in a TKO win for Tszyu.Â
Tszyu’s victory advances his professional record to 11 wins with 9 knockouts. The super welterweight bout was held at the ICC Sydney Theatre, Australia. In the co-main event, Michael Zerafa also secured a first-round TKO victory against Mikey Dahlman. Brock Jarvis also bounced back from a loss with a fourth-round TKO victory over Sam Beck.
