An all–Central Asian clash is locked in for May 9, as Uzbekistan’s Shohjahon Ergashev faces Kazakhstan’s Batyrzhan Jukembayev in a junior welterweight bout at Humo Arena in Tashkent. The event was announced by All Stars Entertainment and will mark a high-profile regional matchup between two seasoned contenders looking to reassert themselves at 140 pounds.
Both fighters are 34-year-old southpaws with power and deep amateur backgrounds, and both share a recent crossroads in their careers: stoppage defeats to reigning WBC champion Subriel Matias. The May 9 contest offers each a direct route back into relevance, with the added incentive of fighting on a major stage in Ergashev’s home country.
Ergashev (25-2, 22 KOs) has endured an uneven stretch since his November 2023 IBF title loss to Matias, going 2-2 in his last four outings. That run included a pair of first-round knockouts but also a 10-round split decision loss to Julian Smith in 2024. He was due to face Hovhannes Bachkov last July before a left hand injury forced a late withdrawal, making this bout a significant return to momentum-building territory.
Jukembayev (24-1, 17 KOs), meanwhile, enters with steadier form. Since his eighth-round stoppage loss to Matias in 2021, the Kazakh fighter has put together a six-fight winning streak. He fought just once in 2025, earning a 10-round unanimous decision over Kane Gardner in Kazakhstan, but now steps up in class and exposure with this trip to Tashkent.
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