Uzbekistan’s Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev secured gold in the men’s welterweight boxing final at the Paris Olympics on Friday, defeating Mexico’s Marco Verde by a unanimous decision. This victory adds to the impressive performance of Uzbekistan’s boxing team at the Games, following Hasanboy Dusmatov’s gold medal win on Thursday. American Omari Jones and Lewis Richardson of Britain took home bronze medals after their semifinal losses.
Muydinkhujaev, a world champion, becomes the second Uzbek boxer to clinch gold at the Paris Games. The country has the potential to further expand its medal haul, with Lazizbek Mullojonov (heavyweight), Abdumalik Khalokov (featherweight), and Bakhodir Jalolov (super heavyweight) still competing for gold.
The two finalists had previously met at the Boxam International in January, a bout that Verde won on his way to claiming silver at the tournament. However, in Paris, Muydinkhujaev dominated the match, showcasing his superior boxing skills. He effectively kept Verde out of range, delivering powerful strikes whenever the Mexican attempted to close the gap. This strategy allowed him to build a comfortable lead heading into the final round.
Despite the near-certain defeat, Verde fought fiercely in the final round, but his efforts came too late. While he managed to win the round, Muydinkhujaev was declared the victor.
Verde, a Pan American Games champion, aimed to become the first Mexican boxer to win Olympic gold since Ricardo Delgado (flyweight) and Antonio Roldan (featherweight) at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. However, Muydinkhujaev’s superior performance denied him that achievement.
