Raymond Ford staged an epic comeback to grab the WBA featherweight crown with a 12th-round TKO against Otabek Kholmatov, shaking up the division. Ford, trailing on the scorecards and with his back against the wall, unleashed a final-round onslaught to claim his maiden world title, overturning a deficit where he was behind 106-103 on two cards, with a slightly more hopeful 105-104 on the third.
Kholmatov came out swinging, landing a hefty left in the second that put Ford on notice. But Ford wasn’t about to let the narrative end there. He flipped the script, taking the fight to Kholmatov, his high guard a fortress as he delivered his counteroffensive.
By the seventh, it was a full-blown war in the center of the ring. Kholmatov tried to switch things up, fighting from a distance in the latter stages, but Ford had him rattling by the final bell. A barrage from Ford had Kholmatov on shaky legs, prompting referee Charlie Fitch to call it a day at 2:53 as Kholmatov found solace in the ropes.
Ford, reflecting on the fight, shared, “My coach was all about unleashing the beast. We knew we were stepping into enemy lines, away from our home turf. The game plan was to dig deep. I kept psyching myself up, convinced I’d end it before the bell. Felt him wear down round by round.”
He added, “Started off on the back foot, energy and legs not quite there, probably the aftermath of a grueling weight cut. Looks like it’s time to move up to 130 and throw down the gauntlet to the reigning champs there.”
Ford’s resilience was clear: “Had to finish it inside the distance; the fight was too close for comfort. Just had to channel that inner beast my corner kept harping about. Coming from the school of hard knocks, I was built for this. Nothing’s going to hold me back. Ever.”
