The heavyweight division is one where one punch can change everything, where even the most savage fighter can be left unconscious.
Alen ‘The Savage’ Babic boasted an undefeated record of 11-0, with 10 coming by stoppage.
A smaller heavyweight, Babic decided to challenge for the vacant world title in the new Bridgerweight division which sits between cruiserweight and heavyweight.
However, the savage bit off more than he could chew against his unknown opponent.
Alen Babic gets savaged by unknown fighter in title contest
In 2023, Babic put his undefeated record on the line against 14-0 Lukasz Rozanski. Like Babic, just one of Rozanski’s wins had come by decision, and it seemed certain to be a slugfest between two heavy-handed fighters.
Rozanski held a win over Artur Szpilka, who had spent time in the ring with Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora, who was fined for throwing a table at Dillian Whyte.
Rozanski was largely unknown to anyone outside of his native Poland, but put on a dominant display, blitzing Babic in the very first round to secure a stoppage victory over the savage.
Babic won his next fight but has since suffered an even quicker stoppage at the hands of Johnny Fisher, who will rematch Dave Allen, who stopped him in just 36 seconds last year.
Alen Babic’s world title foe met the same fate in his next fight
Rozanski, now the bridgerweight champion, came straight from winning a fight in the first round, to losing one in the first round, as he faced former cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie, who had lost to Chris Billam-Smith in his final fight in the cruiserweight division.
Okolie has since moved up to heavyweight, where he scored a first-round knockout of Hussein Muhamed. He was set to face Richard Riakporhe at heavyweight, after Riakporhe also moved up following a loss to Billam-Smith, who lost to Gilberto Ramirez, but withdrew due to injury.
Okolie vs Riakporhe is a continuation of their brawl in a movie theater years ago.