Russia’s Artem Chebotarev claimed the APB World Middleweight Championship after beating home favourite Adem Kilicci at Istanbul’s Bağcılar Olympic Sport Hall ©AIBA

Russia’s Artem Chebotarev claimed the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Pro Boxing (APB) World Middleweight Championship after beating home favourite Adem Kilicci at Istanbul’s Bağcılar Olympic Sport Hall.

Turkey’s Kilicci was looking to retain his title against his longstanding rival, but after 10 rounds of boxing it was Chebotarev who took the victory.

Kilicci started the stronger of the two boxers, but his Russian opponent remained solid, upsetting the Turkish star’s rhythm and forcing him to rely on counter-attacks as Chebotarev patiently worked his way into the bout.

Evading most of the challenger’s big punches, Kilicci came back in the fifth with some sharp jabs of his own before Chebotarev began to find his range with his big left hook.

A well-timed uppercut in the eighth round then looked to have given the defending champion the edge once more, but his 27-year-old opponent dug deep, finishing off the contest with a stunning combination in the 10th that ultimately earned him a first APB world middleweight title. 

Earlier in the evening, Lithuania's latest boxing sensation Eimantas Stanionis continued to show the kind of form that landed him European gold in the Bulgarian town of Samokov last year, beating Iran's London 2012 Olympian Amin Ghasemipour.

Stanionis controlled the bout from the beginning to the end, landing sharp punches through the solid defence that the tough Ghasemipour put up.

The Iranian tried to turn the tide throughout the bout but Stanionis was much the better boxer and was awarded a unanimous judges' decision.

There were also three undercard matches on a busy night of boxing in Istanbul
There were also three undercard matches on a busy night of boxing in Istanbul ©AIBA

Also looking to make an impact on the undercard in Istanbul were Azerbaijan's Javid Chalabiyev and another home favourite Ibrahim Gokcek at bantamweight.

Chalabiyev has struggled to replicate the form that saw him win gold at the 2013 AIBA World Championships in Almaty, and he eventually succumbed to a lethal combination from Turkey’s Gokcek in the fourth round.

Also featuring on the first night of APB boxing in 2016 was Turkish light welterweight Batuhan Gozgec, trying to repeat the success from his first APB bout in September when he stopped Bulgaria's Ayrin Ismetov.

Gozgec once again was in devastating form against European champion Raymond Moylette of Ireland, combining some ferocious jabs and hooks in the fourth and fifth rounds to seal an exceptional win.