Gennady Golovkin walked out as a champion once more, but it was far from an easy night at the office.
Golovkin claimed a decision victory over Sergiy Derevyanchenko to win the vacant IBF and IBO middleweight titles Saturday night from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The bout streamed live on DAZN.
“He’s a very tough guy,” Golovkin said. “This is huge experience for me. I understand I need more. I feel this was not an easy fight. This was a tough fight.”
Gennady Golovkin Vs. Sergei Derevyanchenko Highlights
Now, the focus for GGG and Canelo Alvarez can turn to a potential third meeting. That, though, was almost in jeopardy when Derevyanchenko found his groove early on. Golovkin
did score a knockdown, but Derevyanchenko was strong in the middle rounds and towards the end of the fight, almost resulting in a victory.
The card featured two other bouts, with both ending early. Israil Madrimov stopped Alejandro Barrera in the fifth round and Ivan Baranchyk finished off Gabriel Bracero in the fourth.
