NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Super bantamweight contender Azat Hovhannisyan is staying ready and champing at the bit to return to the ring following his fight of the year contending loss to Luis Nery in February.
Hovhannisyan (21-4, 17 KOs) had a solid showing in all out slugfest but faded late, suffering a 10th round knockdown and 11th stoppage loss in a brutal bout that was highly competitive and close on the cards.
The 12-year veteran fighter Armenian native has been training at the Brickhouse Boxing Club in Los Angeles with trainer Julian Chua looking to reset his career.
The 35-year-old nicknamed “Crazy A” with the frenetic, crowd-pleasing fighting style said his contract with Golden Boy Promotions has expired and he’s asked his handler Egis Klimas, a three-time BWAA manager of the year, to get him the biggest fights possible.
“I am looking for the best possible fights at 122 or 126 pounds,” Hovhannisyan told BoxingScene.com in an interview. “I would like to fight either Stephen Fulton, Murodjon Akhmadaliev, or John Riel Casimero. They didn’t win their last fights either and I am confident we can bring out the best from each other by matching up to see who will take another step forward. Those would all be ideal fights for me, and I know put on a great show. I don’t want to get in a fight with a guy I can knock out in two to three rounds just to pad my record.”
The former world title challenger Hovhannisyan was adamant that he wants to be matched tough while earning a reasonable purse. Hovhannisyan earned a guaranteed minimum of $125,000 in his last bout against Nery, according to the California State Athletic Commission.
The opponents Hovhannisyan is eyeing appear to be well within reason.
Akhmadaliev dropped a pair of super bantamweight titles to Marlon Tapales in April, former 122-pound unified champion Fulton was knocked out by Naoya Inoue in July, and Casimero fought to a three round technical draw against Yukinori Oguni in October.
Hovhannisyan said he’d also be willing to fight ascending Australian Sam Goodman, a 25-year-old undefeated fighter who’s had a solid showing in 2023 beating TJ Doheny, Ra’eese Aleem, and Miguel Flores.
Hovhannisyan also reflected on his loss to the former two-division world champion Nery, which ended a seven-fight winning streak dating back to October 2018.
“I can do a better job understanding that when the fight is not going right for me I should do a better job of listening to my corner,” said Hovhannisyan. “I should not come up with new ideas when I’m not seeing everything there. I could do a better job slowing down and not trying to power my way through the fight. I am adding more technical stuff to my game right now, and I can’t wait to show my fans a new and improved version. I’m ready to take on tough challenges.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.