By Jon Uddin🖊️ | 09/27/2020

It didn’t turn out to be the action packed blockbuster many boxing fans had hoped it would be, but in the end 🇱🇻Mairis Briedis achieved his goal of hoisting the Muhammad Ali trophy after beating 🇨🇺Yuniel Dortiocs in Munich, Germany.

If you ever take a peak at the social media pages of Mairis Briedis, you’ll often see him moving heavy duty weight in lifts such as squats and deadlifts as part of his training regiment. It’s hard not to credit the strength training of the 35 year old from Riga, Latvia, for the strength, durability and chin you see in action when he takes the ring.

Saturday at the Plazamedia Broadcasting Center in Munich, Germany, Briedis looked not only strong, but also confident and composed as he executed his game plan against the dangerous Cuban Cruiserweight and IBF Champion Yuniel Dorticos. Briedis defeated Dorticos by majority decision (117-111, 114-114, 117-111) to win the World Boxing Super Series Cruiserweight Finals.

In the opening two rounds, Dorticos came out aggressive behind his jab and right hand, controlling the ring and winning the rounds, but never landing anything of consequence as Briedis contently gave ground and let the action unfold in order to execute his own plan.

It didn’t take long for Briedis to balance the scales. By the fourth round he was holding firm center ring behind his own jab and mixing an effective uppercut in the mix. Nothing delivered was devastating or ever rocked Dorticos, but the shots were clear enough to separate Briedis as the winner of the many close rounds that played out in the fight.

Once Briedis found his comfort zone and a pocket to operate efficiently, he came out ahead in the majority of exchanges with Dorticos who, while landing his jab and solid body shots with his left hand, never was able hurt Briedis or land the crushing right hand that earned him his 88% knockout ratio and ring moniker of “The KO Doctor”.

A heavy handed firefight never broke out in this one as many had hoped would. As assured as Briedis was in his durability, he had too much experience and respect for the power of Dorticos to get reckless. In fact, this was another fight, along with his semifinal matchup with Usyk in last years WBSS, that showed his ring IQ that is often overlooked, while his rough and rugged style is often the focal point.

This fight was full of close rounds, and when the final bell rang both men raised their arms victoriously assuming they had done what it took to get the win. Both shared a common bond of coming up short in the semifinals of the previous WBSS and only one would leave as Champion Saturday.

When the scores were announced Briedis (27-1-0, 19KO) basked in the glory while Dorticos (24-2-0, 22KO) displayed his disappointment, but not without displaying true sportsmanship and congratulating Briedis and his team on their win

With the win Mairis Briedis is now the IBF and RING Cruiserweight World Champion along with the winner of the 🏆World Boxing Super Series Championship.

Project Combat score: 117-111 Briedis