When supermodel Naomi Campbell walked into the Rixos Tersane arena on July 2, Istanbul paused. Her presence at IBA Pro 7 wasn’t just a nod to celebrity interest—it was a signal. The intersection between fashion and sport is in the global spotlight.
Naomi Campbell made this clear in both her official remarks and when I spoke to her on the sidelines of the event.
“Not only is boxing a sport, but it’s a movement and a state of mind.”
The night’s standout female bout featured Turkish legend Gulsum Tatar, fighting on home soil against Kazakhstan’s seasoned Milana Safronova. Tatar, known for her aggressive footwork and iron will, delivered a performance that electrified the crowd. Meanwhile, Tajikistan’s Mizhgona Samadova clashed with Iran’s Puneh Akhundtabarmazandarani in a gritty, emotional contest that showed how women’s boxing is becoming a central part of IBA’s new strategy.
Just as important was the fashion show which Naomi Campbell described in this way:
“IBA fashion is a clothing line that is here to win, and I want everyone to feel what I feel. Boxing isn’t only about the fight—it’s about presence, style, and voice. IBA is not just creating fashion; today IBA is creating a movement and a community where everyone is felt, seen, heard, and deeply respected.”
IBA President Umar Kremlev has made it clear: the future of boxing is diverse, bold, and open to innovation. The inclusion of high-profile women’s bouts, paired with the star power of guests like Campbell, underscores the IBA’s ambition to modernize the sport and elevate its female athletes to the same stage as their male counterparts.
The main event delivered a shock few saw coming. Russia’s Albert Batyrgaziev, unbeaten and holding both WBA International and IBA Pro Super Featherweight titles, faced British underdog James “Jazza” Dickens. What began as a technical fight turned brutal in the fourth round, when Dickens landed a devastating sequence, forcing a TKO and silencing Batyrgaziev’s corner. The upset was witnessed by legends Tyson Fury, Roy Jones Jr., and Terence Crawford, all present ringside.
It was an incredible fan experience where fans and fighters mixed freely.
In a marquee match-up Hovhannes Bachkov of Armenia overwhelmed South Africa’s Xolisani Ndongeni, winning by TKO in the ninth. Campbell entered the ring to present the winner with his new IBA championship belt.
But perhaps the most daring addition to the night was IBA’s introduction of bare-knuckle boxing to the Pro roster. Fighters like Murat “Kazgan”, Will Chope, Elnur Suleymanov, and Mikhail Kokhanchik stepped into the ring glove-free, testing both their endurance and the audience’s appetite for primal combat.
From glamour to grit, IBA Pro 7 was a declaration: this is not the boxing of yesterday. With women at the forefront, bare-knuckle fights on the rise, and surprise upsets rewriting rankings, the IBA is carving a new path—where sport, spectacle, and inclusion meet in one explosive package.
