Well-Known Company Terminated Contract with Ukrainian Boxer After Harrowing Defeat

Former world champion in the light heavyweight division Oleksandr Gvozdyk ended his partnership with the Zuffa Boxing promotional company. The organization used a contract clause that allows cancelling the agreement in case of a boxer's defeat.

This was disclosed by the 39-year-old Ukrainian athlete in an interview with vRINGe. Gvozdyk's collaboration with the UFC president Dana White’s company was limited to a single bout.

Why Zuffa Boxing ended the contract with Gvozdyk

2 in February in Las Vegas (USA) the Ukrainian made his debut on a Zuffa Boxing show 2 in a fight against Radivoje Kalajdzic and unexpectedly lost by knockout in the seventh round.

According to the boxer, the contract was legally terminated in February, although the company representatives initially expressed satisfaction with the bout and planned his next fight in May. The notice of termination arrived only in April, when Oleksandr had already begun training.

Gvozdyk also explained the reasons for his disappointing defeat in the bout, which he was confidently winning at the start, having knocked his opponent down twice.

I saw in his eyes that he was already looking for a corner to surrender. In moments like that you sometimes start neglecting defense. And light heavyweight is a division where people punch hard. I wanted to finish the fight. It seemed that an early victory was within reach. It turned out it wasn't.

— the Ukrainian admitted.

Recall that in the seventh round Kalajdzic managed to seize the initiative and knocked Gvozdyk down twice, after which the referee stopped the fight, awarding the victory to the American.