| Fight Name: | Murat Gassiev vs. Yuniel Dorticos |
| Fight Date: | 3 February 2018 |
| Location: | Bolshoy Ice Dome, Sochi, Southern Federal District, Russia |
| Titles: | WBA and IBF cruiserweight titles |
| Fighter1: |  Murat Gassiev |
| Nickname1: | "Iron" |
| Hometown1: | Vladikavkaz, North Caucasian, Russia |
| Record1: | 25–0 (1) (19 KO) |
| Height1: | 6 ft 4 in |
| Weight1: | 199 lb |
| Style1: | Orthodox |
| Recognition1: | IBF Cruiserweight Champion The Ring/TBRB No. 2 Ranked Cruiserweight |
| Fighter2: |  Yuniel Dorticos |
| Nickname2: | "The KO Doctor" |
| Hometown2: | Havana, La Habana, Cuba |
| Record2: | 22–0 (21 KO) |
| Height2: | 6 ft 3 in |
| Weight2: | 200 lb |
| Style2: | Orthodox |
| Recognition2: | WBA Cruiserweight Champion The Ring No. 5 Ranked Cruiserweight TBRB No. 7 Ranked Cruiserweight |
| Result: | Gassiev defeats Dorticos in the 12th round via TKO |
Murat Gassiev vs. Yuniel Dorticos was a professional boxing match contested on 3 February 2018, for the WBA and IBF cruiserweight championship.[1]
Immediately after Gassiev's win over Włodarczyk in the last of the WBSS quarter finals, WBA "Regular" champion Yuniel Dorticos, who had stopped Dmitry Kudryashov in September, entered the ring. Dorticos told Gassiev, "Take a good vacation. I wanna prepare the right dosage for you of ibuprofen and anesthesia for the next fight, so it’s less painful."[2]
On 29 October, Gassiev's trainer Abel Sanchez stated the fight could take place on 20 January 2018.[3] The fight was confirmed to take place at the Bolshoy Ice Dome in Sochi, Russia on 3 February 2018.[4]
On 1 February, the WBA demoted their champion Denis Lebedev to 'champion in recess' and promoted Dorticos from 'regular' to 'full' champion in order for the fight with Gassiev to be a true unification. The WBA stated the winner of the tournament would be mandated to fight Lebedev.[5]
Dorticos was always coming forward, but looked fatigued in the second half of the fight. Gassiev would drop Dorticos three times in the final round to score a dramatic win and advance to the final of the tournament. The first knockdown came after a left hook to the jaw. Dorticos got back to his feet on unsteady legs. Gassiev knocked him down for a second time with a left hook to the head. The last knockdown drove Dorticos through the ropes, forcing referee Eddie Claudio to end the bout at 2 minutes and 52 seconds.[6] At the time of stoppage Gassiev was ahead 105-104, 106-103, 106-103 on all three scorecards.[7] CompuBox Stats showed that Gassiev landed 190 of 608 punches thrown (31%) and Dorticos landed 132 of his 602 thrown (22%).[8] [9]
After Gassiev's victory, unified WBO and WBC cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (who had beaten Mairis Briedis the previous week) entered the ring and congratulated him, setting up the final of the tournament, set to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 11 May.[10]
Dorticos was upset after the fight and remained on his stool for an extended period of time. He cried at the post fight press conference. Gassiev walked over to him and consoled him.[11]
Confirmed bouts:[12]
| align=center | Country | align=center | Broadcaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viasat[13] | |||
| VOO[14] | |||
| Nova | |||
| Super Channel | |||
| Match! Boets[15] | |||
| StarHub | |||
| TVMS | |||
| Tivibu Sports[16] | |||
| ITV | |||
| Audience[17] | |||