Australian Tim Tszyu has lost his world title fight with Bakhram Murtazaliev via TKO after the Russian knocked him down four times in the second and third rounds of their bout in Orlando.
It marks Tszyu's second straight defeat after his blood-soaked loss in March to Sebastian Fundora, during which questions were raised as to whether his team or the referee should have stopped the fight earlier.
"Every time I step in that ring I'm prepared to die in there," Tszyu said after the loss to Murtazaliev.
"The better man won tonight. He was better. … You live and learn."
Referee Chris Young warned Tszyu that he would stopped the fight if he was knocked down a fifth time. (Supplied: No Limit Boxing)
The battle for Murtazaliev's IBF junior middleweight belt did not go beyond three rounds after Tszyu was knocked down three times in the second, saved by the bell to end the round.
After being battered to the canvas for the fourth time early in the third, Tszyu made it through a standing eight count but was warned by the referee that the fight would be stopped the next time he hit the floor.
Murtazaliev did everything but knock him down again when the fight resumed, taking away Tszyu's legs with a monster right hook and sending him sprawling into the ropes with a combination to follow.
Tszyu's corner — including his father and former world champion Kostya, who surprised his son when he arrived in Florida just days before the fight — was forced to throw in the towel.
Kostya Tszyu (left) surprised son Tim, arriving in Orlando days before the fight. (Supplied: No Limit Boxing)
Tzsyu reiterated the classic boxing idiom that everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face, which he did a lot, with concerns after the first round that he may have already been cut.
"After the first shot, things didn't go to plan," he said.
"That's boxing, you get hit, things didn't go to plan.
"He's the man."
Murtazaliev knocked Tszyu down with right and left shots. (Getty Images: Alex Menendez)
Murtazaliev invited Tszyu to come train with him and credited the Australian for staying in the fight as long as he did.
"When I landed that first shot I knew how hard it was," he said.
"Nobody can doubt his heart."
Look back at how the brief bout unfolded in our live blog.
Well, safe to say that did not go as expected for Tim Tszyu.
Where will he go next?
Hopefully he'll take a bit of a rest to be honest and reassess.
That does not need to be the end of his career. Not by a long shot.
But the road back is full of pitfalls that he would have hoped to avoid.
Thanks for being with us this morning, we'll catch you next time.
It's no understatement to say that this is a crushing blow for Tim Tszyu.
Those US superfights?
Forget it.
Those will not be on the cards for a fair while now.
It's not quite back to square one - the boxing quality and the name that he has still counts for something.
It's hard to see how he can do anything other than come back to Australia and take a fight or two to regain his confidence.
And I don't mean Michael Zerafa - at least not first.
I think he needs a fight that he will win.
Then he can perhaps look at Zerafa.
Then perhaps an undercard fight.
Because the aura of invincibility that Tszyu has built up over such a long period of time has been destroyed.
Tim just got served a heavy and painful dose of reality. Ouch…..
- Richard
A very big, very painful and very costly mistake.
"Every time I step in that ring I'm prepared to die in there," Tszyu says.
"The better man won tonight. He was better.
"Boxing's not meant to be perfect.
"You live and learn.
"After the first shot, things didn't go to plan.
"That's boxing, you get hit, things didn't go to plan.
"He's the man."
Here's the champ, speaking through a translator.
"I created some opportunities in training camp," his translator says.
"It was for god's will. If it was Tim or someone else, god will decide who will win this fight."
"We work the same combinations all the time.
"We worked for 10 weeks throwing those combinations."
He is asked whether he has a message for Tim.
"when i landed that first shot I knew how hard it was.
"Nobody can doubt his heart."
He says that he wants to invite Tszyu to work with him.
We can't see or hear what is being said.
There is concern on the face of Kostya.
Nikita looks stunned.
Bakhram Murtazaliev looks pretty surprised that it was so easy.
He prophetically said in the build up that he wouldn't have to hunt Tim Tszyu down.
And he really didn't.
Tszyu's defence was shocking tonight and, against a power puncher, got found out in a big way.
Knocked down three times in the second.
Finally and devastatingly in the third.
Tszyu looks stunned, sitting on his stool in the corner.
My goodness.
Oh. My. Goodness.
I am in shock.
The doctor is having a look at Tim Tszyu - giving the Australian a bit more time at the start of this round. The crowd boos.
Murtazaliev marches forward - and lands with a right.
He tries a cross-right again.
Jab from Murtazaliev.
Tszyu lands a jab and is caught by Murtazaliev.
Big rights from Murtazaliev land on Tszyu's guard, big concussive blows.
Tszyu lands a jab.
I think they have to stop it! That was a horrible knockdown.
"One more time, this fight's over," says the referee.
Tszyu is wobbling all over the ring!
He fought back, but he is deep in the mire here.
This is a huge round coming up.
He's walking into shots and he's trading - he can't afford to do that.
Tszyu's corner are looking at the hairline of the Aussie.
There was a bit of a head clash...
Mental scars from Tim Tszyu from last fight?
Tszyu needs more lateral movement.
He lands with a jab.
Then Tszyu is caught, lands one but is caught as well.
Tszyu lands a good right. And another!
A brilliant right from Murtazaliev! But Tszyu was trading with the big Russian and walked right onto the shot!
Still more than two minutes in the round!
Tszyu looks in trouble. He ties up.
Another heavy shot from the Russian!
Tszyu looks wobbly. He's looking for a big overhand right but misses,.
Lands a body shot.
Now lands an overhand right. And another.
Good fight back from Tim Tszyu!
Tszyu lands an uppercut!
BUT HE'S WOBBY! TIM TSZYU IS READY TO GO DOWN!
THREE KNOCKDOWNS IN THE ROUND!
Tszyu lands with a right as the bell goes.
But he's in all sorts here.
Wild swing from Murtazaliev off the back of some fast jabs. Good start from the Russian.
Tszyu is going around and stalking the taller fighter.
Murtazaliev looks for swinging right.
Now Tszyu opens up, landing a couple of good shots.
GOOD RIGHT FROM TSZYU!
Tszyu just wiped his head there. Worries about blood? Can't see a cut.
Tszyu is walking onto shots here, which we don't like to see. Murtazaliev with some good landing shots.
Tszyu lands a right, a good right.
Now he hands another good shots.
Murtazaliev lands with a good shot. Another flashing shot goes across Tim Tszyu's face.
Tszyu walks Murtazaliev down, and is getting caught. That's not great from Tszyu.
Good round for the champ.
The referee is giving the final instructions.
The fighters are ready, and so are we.
Tszyu looks focused. So does Murtazaliev, although a touch nervous perhaps?
Let's go.
Record: 22-0 (16 KOs)
Age: 31
Height: 183cm
Reach: 183cm
Weight: 69.3kgs
Record: 24-1 (17 KOs)
Age: 29
Height: 174cm
Reach: 179cm
Weight: 69.6kgs
Not much support for the defending champion.
The Russian is being booed roundly as he makes the short walk into the ring.
Here comes the challenger.
Tim Tszyu, with his father, former undisputed champion Kostya Tszyu, rin the ring with him at the Caribe Royal resort.
What a huge moment for Australian boxing.
An enormous moment for Tim Tszyu's career.
The former WBO champion, Tim Tszyu walks to the ring, a short walk, solo before joining his team.
He's in a maroon hoody with a wolf on the back.
Bakhram Murtazaliev is not the most talkative of fighters.
It's one of the reasons' Tim Tszyu has been jibing at him all week - pointing out his lack of star power and ability to sell a fight.
That's not bothering the big Russian though, who takes a 9cm height advantage into this fight.
“I’m not interested in going back and forth with Tim," Murtazaliev said.
"I’m just ready for Saturday and ready to give everyone a great fight.
“It was a dream come true to become a champion and now I’m just looking forward to this fight Saturday night.
“I’ve never ran from any fighter. Everyone knows where to find me. We don’t have to wait much longer now.
“To me I don’t care if anyone is overlooking me.
"All the talking will end Saturday night. That’s all we’re concentrating on.”
Undefeated champion Bakhram Murtazaliev won the IBF strap in his 22nd career fight, winning by 11th-round knock out against Jack Culcay in Germany.
Here's some footage from that fight.
As you can see, he's a relentless puncher, able to dig deep in those championship rounds to make opponents suffer.
The sheer weight of those shots eventually took their toll on Culcay.
Can Tim Tszyu hold up any better?
You have have seen/read a couple of different ways this fight has been advertised.
In Australia, it's been mostly promoted as the super welterweight title.
Elsewhere, including by the IBF, who are the governing body, call it junior middleweight.
So what gives?
Well, first things first, they are the same thing, the same 154lb (69.9 kg) limit applies.
Traditionally, there were only eight weight divisions in men’s boxing (although before that there were no weight divisions at all, but we're discounting that time).
These are the "glamour" divisions: heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.
Between those divisions, so-called "tweener" weight classes were established.
These normally have either junior or light as prefixes (when related to being a step down from one of the glamour divisions) or with the prefix super when it's the other way around.
The two exceptions to this are the cruiserweight (90.7kg) and the WBC's bridgerweight (101.6kg) classes.
Light middleweight (or super welterweight) was recognised in recognized in 1962.
So essentially, it's a potato-potato situation.
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