Sergey Kovalev

Born on April 2, 1983 in Kopeysk, Sergey Kovalev is a fearsome power puncher who earned his nickname, Krusher, through his tendency to finish his opponents. He started training in the sport fairly early on in life at age 11, and three years later he began fighting as an amateur at the 1997 Russian Boxing Junior Championship, where he took home a gold medal. He would go on to win many more amateur medals on his way to a record of 195-18 before making the jump to the professional ranks in 2009.

Kovalev had his pro debut on July 25, 2009, and he made it obvious that he had considerable power, stopping Daniel Chavez by TKO in the very first round. His next fight was another first-round TKO, followed by two stoppages immediately after the first round. Over 2009 and most of 2010, the Russian powerhouse built up a 9-0 record with every win coming by finish in the first or second round. That streak ended on October 9, 2010, when he faced off with Darnell Boone. He got dropped and had to rally back to eventually win a hard-fought split decision.

Sergey Kovalev didn’t let that tough fight slow him down, though, as he continued to stay active and win fights, primarily by KO or TKO. On July 29, 2011, he won his first title, taking the NABA USA light heavyweight belt with his second-round KO over Douglas Otieno Okola. His next fight was controversial, as he stopped Grover Young with a left hook in the second round. However, the judges ruled that the blow went to the back of the head, and since Young couldn’t continue, the fight was declared a technical draw.

In his next fight, Kovalev fought in Russia for the first time, taking on Roman Simakov for the WBC-ABCO light heavyweight title. He won the fight by seventh-round TKO, although in a tragic turn of events, Simakov went into a coma and died three days later.

He continued to put together impressive finishes, and by August 17, 2013, he had earned his first opportunity at a world title. He fought the tough Nathan Cleverly for the WBO light heavyweight belt, and in an excellent performance, Kovalev showcased his power and aggression. He would win in the fourth round by TKO.

After three title defenses and three more finishes, he took on boxing legend Bernard Hopkins, who had tried to get into his head with trash talk. That proved to be ineffective against the stoic Russian. Despite being almost 50, Hopkins was crafty enough to make it 12 rounds, but he took a beating in the process. Sergey Kovalev took the unanimous decision and added the WBA and IBF light heavyweight titles to his collection.

He made four defenses of his belt collection before suffering the first loss of his career, which came against Andre Ward on November 19, 2016. Despite knocking Ward down early in the fight, he dropped a hotly disputed unanimous decision. Many in attendance scored the fight for Kovalev, but the three judges sitting ringside didn’t.

What is Sergey Kovalev's Record?

Sergey Kovalev's record currently stands at 35 wins, 4 loses and 1 draw. Of those 35 wins he has stopped 29 of his opponents, so his current knock-out ratio is 83%. Of his 4 loses, he's been stopped 3 times. He's boxed a total of 194 rounds, meaning his professional fights last 4.8 rounds on average.

What was Kovalev's last fight?

Sergey Kovalev's last fight took place against Tervel Pulev's on 14th May 2022, in California, United States. He won by unanimous decision in the 10th round. That fight was 1 year and 11 months ago.

How active is Sergey Kovalev?

Kovalev's last 5 fights have come over a period of 4 years, 2 months and 11 days, meaning he has been fighting on average every 10 months and 2 days. In those fights, he fought a total of 48 rounds, meaning that they have lasted 9.6 rounds on average.

Where is Sergey Kovalev From?

Kovalev was born in Russia.

How Old Is Sergey Kovalev?

The cruiserweight is currently 41 years old. He was born on 2nd April 1983, so he will turn 42 in 11 months and 14 days.

How long has Kovalev been fighting?

Sergey Kovalev made his professional debut in July 2009, so he has been a pro for 14 years and 8 months.

How tall is Sergey Kovalev?

Kovalev is 6' 0" (6 Foot and 0 inches) which is 183cm (1 meter and 83 centimeters).

What is Kovalev's Reach?

His reach is 72.4 inches (72.4") which is 184 cm (1 meter and 84 centimeters).

What stance does Sergey Kovalev use?

Kovalev fights from a traditional orthodox stance, which means he favours his right hand as his power hand when fighting.

What are some potential opponents for Sergey Kovalev?

Some potential future fights for Kovalev include Chris Billam-Smith and Thabiso Mchunu.

What will be Sergey Kovalev's Next Fight?

Sergey Kovalev is to face Robin Sirwan Safar next on Saturday 18th May 2024. The fight will take place at Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The card will be broadcast by DAZN PPV UK in the UK, and ESPN+ PPV in the United States.

How can I stream Sergey Kovalev's Fights?

In the UK you stream Kovalev's fight against Safar on DAZN PPV UK.

In the US you can stream Sergey Kovalev fight via ESPN PPV via ESPN+.

What are some recent Sergey Kovalev results?

Kovalev has beaten 3 of his last 5 opponents, stopping 1 of them, going the distance twice.

In his last fight, he beat Tervel Pulev on 14th May 2022 by unanimous decision in their 10 round contest at Forum, California, United States.

Previous to that, he had been beaten by Canelo Alvarez on 2nd November 2019 by technical knockout in the 11th round in their WBO World Light heavyweight championship fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas.

Going into that contest, he had beat Anthony Yarde on 24th August 2019 by technical knockout in the 11th round in their WBO World Light heavyweight championship fight at Traktor Sport Palace, Chelyabinsk, Russia.

Before that, he had won against Eleider Alvarez on 2nd February 2019 by unanimous decision in their WBO World Light heavyweight championship fight at The Ford Center at The Star, Texas, United States.

He had lost to Eleider Alvarez on 4th August 2018 by technical knockout in the 7th round in their WBO World Light heavyweight championship fight at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, New Jersey.

Sergey Kovalev Stats

Age	Date Of Birth	Nationality	Height	Reach	Stance	Weight Division
41	April 02, 1983	Russian Federation	183 cm	184 cm	orthodox	Cruiserweight (200 lb)

Sergey Kovalev Record

Professional Record	Wins	Wins By KO	Knockout Percentage	Losses	Losses By Stoppage	Draws	Pro Rounds	Debut
35-4-1	35	29	83%	4	3	1	194	2009

Sergey Kovalev Recent Contests

Date	Opponent	Result	Replay	Venue
2022-05-14	Tervel Pulev	Won (UD 10)		Forum, California, United States
2019-11-02	Canelo Alvarez	Lost (TKO 11)	watch replay	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, United States
2019-08-24	Anthony Yarde	Won (TKO 11)	watch replay	Traktor Sport Palace, Chelyabinsk, Russian Federation
2019-02-02	Eleider Alvarez	Won (UD 12)		The Ford Center at The Star, Texas, United States
2018-08-04	Eleider Alvarez	Lost (TKO 7)	watch replay	Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, New Jersey, United States
2018-03-03	Igor Mikhalkin	Won (TKO 7)		Madison Square Garden, New York, United States
2017-11-25	Vyacheslav Shabranskyy	Won (TKO 2)		Madison Square Garden, New York, United States
2017-06-17	Andre Ward	Lost (TKO 8)		Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, United States
2016-11-19	Andre Ward	Lost (UD 12)		T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, United States
2016-07-11	Isaac Chilemba	Won (UD 12)		DIVS, Ekaterinburg, Russia
2016-01-30	Jean Pascal	Won (TKO 7)		Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada
2015-07-25	Nadjib Mohammedi	Won (KO 3)		Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, United States
2015-03-14	Jean Pascal	Won (TKO 8)		Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada
2014-11-08	Bernard Hopkins	Won (UD 12)	watch replay	Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, United States
2013-08-17	Nathan Cleverly	Won (TKO 4)	watch replay	Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom