Bakhodir Jalolov (18-0) had little trouble beating Solomon Dacres (10-2), but his ten-round unanimous decision offered more evidence of his boxing ability than his willingness to chase a finish.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist scored a fifth-round knockdown and won by scores of 99-91, 99-90 and 99-90 on Saturday at London’s O2 Arena.
The 6’7” southpaw controlled the distance with his height and reach, leaving Dacres struggling to get close enough to mount an attack. Jalolov could win from the outside without putting himself in danger, and he appeared comfortable keeping the fight there.
Dacres needed to disrupt that rhythm. Allowing the taller fighter to pick his shots at long range gave him little chance of winning rounds, yet getting inside required risks he struggled to judge.
That problem caught up with Dacres in the fifth. He lunged forward and was nailed by a straight left, sending him to the canvas. Jalolov punished the reckless entry with a clean counter rather than having to hunt for an opening himself.
The knockdown seemed to discourage Dacres from making further attempts to force the action. He continued through the remaining rounds, but his reluctance to commit made Jalolov’s job easier. There was little sustained pressure to make the Uzbek uncomfortable or force him to change his approach.
Jalolov deserves credit for making the contest look so straightforward. Dacres had talked about stopping him beforehand, only to find himself unable to solve the distance or avoid the left hand when he rushed forward.
Still, this was a quiet performance from a heavyweight with Jalolov’s power and amateur pedigree. Once Dacres became more cautious, Jalolov largely accepted the decision that was already within reach.
He left with a clear victory, but without the emphatic finish that might have made this feel like a bigger step forward.
