Tugstsogt Nyambayar Explained

Tugstsogt Nyambayar
Native Name:Нямбаярын Төгсцогт
Nickname:King Tug
Weight:Featherweight
Height:5 ft 7 in
Reach:67 in
Nationality:Mongolian
Birth Name:Нямбаярын Төгсцогт
Nyambayaryn Tögstsogt
Birth Date:23 June 1992
Birth Place:Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Style:Orthodox
Total:15
Wins:12
Ko:9
Losses:2
Draws:1
Show-Medals:Yes

Tugstsogt Nyambayar (Mongolian: Нямбаярын Төгсцогт|translit=Nyambayaryn Tögstsogt; born 23 June 1992) is a Mongolian professional boxer who held the IBO featherweight title in 2019[1] and challenged for the WBC featherweight title in 2020.[2] As an amateur, he won silver medals at the 2009 World Championships and 2012 London Olympics.

Amateur career

He won the silver medal at the 2009 World Amateur Boxing Championships. After that, Nyambayar won the silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics, losing to the Cuban boxer Robeisy Ramírez by a score of 14:17 in the final.[3]

Professional career

In 2015, he signed with the manager/adviser Al Haymon and made his professional boxing debut in March of that year.[4] Nyambayar made his professional debut against Gabriel Braxton on 13 March 2015, and won the fight by a first-round knockout. He amassed an 8–0 record during the next two years, with all of those victories coming by way of stoppage.[5]

Nyambayar made his first step-up in competition on 18 November 2017, when he faced the undefeated Harmonito Dela Torre. He won the fight by unanimous decision, the first decision win of his professional career, with two judges scoring the fight 78–73 in his favor and the third judge scoring it 79–73 for Nyambayar.[6] Nyambayar then faced the one-time WBC featherweight title challenger Óscar Escandón on 26 May 2018. He won the fight by a third-round technical knockout. Escandón was knocked down five times by the midway point of the third round, which forced referee Keith Hughes to wave the fight off.[7]

Nyambayar faced the former WBA interim and IBO featherweight champion Claudio Marrero in a WBC featherweight title eliminator on 26 January 2019, at the Barclays Center in New York City. Aside from the bout being a title eliminator, the vacant IBO featherweight belt was on the line as well. Nyambayar won the fight by unanimous decision, with scores of 114–113, 115–112 and 116–111. Marrero had a strong start to the bout, but Nyambayar began to take over from the fifth round onward.[8] On 23 October 2019, the reigning WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. was ordered to make a mandatory title defense against Nyambayar.[9] The fight was booked as the event headliner of a February 8, 2020, Showtime card that took place at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania.[10] Russell Jr. won the fight by unanimous decision, with scores of 118–110, 117–111 and 116–112.[11]

Nyambayar was booked to face Cobia Breedy on 19 September 2020, in yet another WBC title eliminator.[12] Nyambayar won the fight a narrow split decision. Two judges scored the fight 114–112 and 114–113 in his favor, while the third judge scored the bout 115–111 for Breedy. Breedy was knocked down in both the first and second round.[13] Instead of waiting for another WBC title shot at featherweight, Nyambayar opted to move up to super-featherweight in order to challenge the WBA interim champion Chris Colbert. Colbert won the fight by unanimous decision, with scores of 118–110, 117–111 and 118–110. Colbert utilized his height and reach advantage to great effect, keeping Nyambayar at bay with the jab for the majority of the fight. He landed 112 jabs, while the much shorter Nyambayar managed to land only 20 jabs himself.[14]

Nyambayar returned to featherweight, after suffering his second professional loss, and was booked to face Sakaria Lukas. The fight was ruled a split draw, with scores of 96–94, 95–95 and 94–96. The major point of contention after the fight was a knockdown in round eight, which referee Eddie Claudio failed to call. Had the knockdown been called, Lukas would've won the bout by majority decision.[15]

Professional boxing record

ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
15Draw12–2–1Sakaria LukasSD1022 Jan 2022
14Loss12–2Chris ColbertUD123 Jul 2021
13Win12–1Cobia Breedy1219 Sep 2020
12Loss11–1Gary Russell Jr.UD128 Feb 2020
11 Win11–0Claudio MarreroUD1226 Jan 2019
10Win10–0Óscar EscandónTKO3 (10), 26 May 2018
9Win9–0Harmonito Dela Torre818 Nov 2017
8Win8–0Jhon GeminoTKO10 (10), 25 Feb 2017
7Win7–0German MerazRTD5 (8), 8 Dec 2016
6Win6–0Rafael Vazquez1 (10), 15 Jul 2016
5Win5–0Juan RuizRTD4 (6), 5 May 2016
4Win4–0Pedro MeloKO2 (8), 3 Dec 2015
3Win3–0Arturo Badillo3 (8), 27 Aug 2015
2Win 2–0Manuel RubalcavaKO1 (4), 18 Apr 2015
1Win1–0Gabriel Braxton1 (4), 13 Mar 2015

Notes and References

  1. Web site: BoxRec: List of IBO featherweight champions. 2 June 2020. boxrec.com.
  2. Web site: Rafael. Dan. 9 February 2020. Russell Jr. dominates to keep 126-pound belt. 2 June 2020. ESPN.com. en.
  3. Web site: Cuban boxer wins boxing men's 52kg gold medal . chinadaily.com.cn . 24 January 2022.
  4. http://www.boxingscene.com/2012-olympic-silver-medal-winner-inks-with-al-haymon--87068 "2012 Olympic Silver Medal Winner Inks With Al Haymon"
  5. Web site: Tugstsogt Nyambayar v Jhon Gemino . boxrec.com . 24 January 2022.
  6. Web site: Burton . Ryan . Tugstsogt Nyambayar Gets Off The Floor, Decisions Dela Torre . boxingscene.com . 24 January 2022 . 18 November 2017.
  7. Web site: BoxingScene Staff . Tugstsogt Nyambayar Drops Oscar Escandon 5 Times, TKO in 3 . boxingscene.com . 24 January 2022 . 26 May 2018.
  8. Web site: Christ . Scott . PBC on FOX results: Tugstsogt Nyambayar wins WBC eliminator . badlefthook.com . 24 January 2022 . 26 January 2019.
  9. Web site: BoxingScene Staff . Gary Russell vs. Tugstsogt Nyambayar Ordered By WBC . boxingscene.com . 18 January 2022 . 23 October 2019.
  10. Web site: Wainwright . Anson . Gary Russell Jr.-Tugstsogt Nyambayar set for February 8 in Allentown . ringtv.com . 18 January 2022 . 7 January 2020.
  11. Web site: Rafael . Dan . Despite layoff, Gary Russell Jr. easily defeats Tugstsogt Nyambayar . espn.com . 18 January 2022 . 9 February 2020.
  12. Web site: Gevorkyan . Mariam . Tugstsogt "King Tug" Nyambayar Returns To Fight For WBC Eliminator . pullmansboxing.com . 24 January 2022 . 1 September 2020.
  13. Web site: Rosenthal . Michael . Tugstsogt Nyambayar holds on to outpoint determined Cobia Breedy . boxingjunkie.usatoday.com . 24 January 2022 . 19 September 2020.
  14. Web site: Coppinger . Mike . Chris Colbert retains WBA interim title with decision win over Tugstsogt Nyambayar . espn.com . 24 January 2022 . 4 July 2021.
  15. Web site: Rosenthal . Michael . Tugstsogt Nyambayar, Sakaria Lukas fight to split-decision draw . sports.yahoo.com . 24 January 2022 . 23 January 2022.