Oleksandr Khizhnyak became the WBA Gold champion
Oleksandr Khizhnyak won his first professional boxing championship title. The Ukrainian defeated Argentine Durval Elias Palacio by unanimous decision and became the WBA Gold light heavyweight champion.
The title fight took place in Lviv during a boxing event organized by Oleksandr Usyk’s promotional company.
How Khizhnyak Defeated Palacio
For the Ukrainian boxer, this was only his third bout in the professional ring. His opponent was 31-year-old Argentine Durval Elias Palacio, who entered the fight with 16 wins—12 by knockout—and five losses. Khyzhniak went the full distance and left the judges in no doubt as to the winner.
All three judges scored the fight in favor of the Ukrainian. The final scores were 99–91, 98–92, and 100–90 in favor of Khizhnyak. Thus, the Ukrainian won the WBA Gold light heavyweight title in his first professional title fight. For Khizhnyak, this is already his third victory in his professional career. He remains undefeated.
How Khizhnyak Began His Professional Career
Oleksandr Khizhnyak turned pro after a successful amateur career. The Ukrainian made his professional debut against Colombian Wilmer Baron. Khizhnyak ended the fight early—knocking out his opponent in the very first round.
He later defeated Frenchman Lenny Patrach. That fight took place on the undercard of the Anthony Joshua vs. Christian Prenga bout. His third opponent was Palacio, whom Khizhnyak defeated by unanimous decision to claim his first professional title.
Olympic Champion in a New Role
Before turning pro, Khizhnyak had already earned major titles in his amateur career. In 2024, the Ukrainian became an Olympic champion at the Games in Paris. Prior to that, he won a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Khizhnyak is also the 2019 world champion and the 2017 European champion. Now, he has added his first professional title—the WBA Gold belt—to this list. Khizhnyak has fought only three professional bouts so far and has won all three. This was reported by Suspilne Sport.
Japanese figure skaters Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, who won Olympic gold in pairs skating, have announced their engagement. The athletes shared the news on Instagram, posting a photo in which Kihara gets down on one knee on the ice and presents Miura with a ring, according to The Japan Times.
