Azat Hovhannisyan defeated Baez in his Zuffa Boxing debut

Armenian boxer Azat Hovhannisyan (23-6) made a successful debut in the new Zuffa Boxing league, defeating Mexico’s Eduardo Baez (25-8-2).

The fight turned out to be extremely tough for the 37-year-old Armenian, known as “Crazy A.” Already in the first round, Hovhannisyan appeared to suffer a left-hand injury, which significantly affected his performance. Baez quickly capitalized on the situation, increased the pace, and confidently took the early rounds with powerful attacks, clearly outlanding his opponent.

In the third and fourth rounds, Hovhannisyan began to gradually adapt to the injury, although the Mexican fighter continued to control the bout. The turning point came in the fifth round, when the Armenian boxer became more aggressive, relying on right-hand counterattacks. This strategy allowed him to even out the fight.

In the second half of the bout, the contest became much more competitive: Hovhannisyan found his moments, while Baez’s actions became less organized. Despite effectively fighting with only one working hand, the Armenian managed to go the distance and secure the victory.

This win marked the 23rd victory of Hovhannisyan’s career and possibly one of the toughest in his 15 years as a professional.

Judges’ scorecards:

In the main event of Zuffa Boxing 06, held on April 6 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, American boxer Andres Cortes faced Erislandy Garcia. Cortes won by unanimous decision.