Sergey Kovalev vs Nadjib Mohammedi

The mandatory defence of Kovalev's WBA, IBF, and WBO light heavyweight titles on July 25, 2015, at the iconic Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas was a testament to the champion's growing mastery of power placement. Despite Mohammedi's former association with Kovalev's ex-trainer Abel Sanchez, the fight proved a technical mismatch, culminating at 2:38 of round three.

Aware of Mohammedi's previous first-round knockout loss, Kovalev approached the bout with calculated aggression. The champion first dropped Mohammedi in round two with a precise right hand. Though Mohammedi survived, his subsequent strategy devolved into clinching and wrestling tactics to survive the round.

The fight reached its conclusion in round three when Kovalev unleashed a devastating right-left combination on Mohammedi's left eye. The challenger remained on the canvas, blinking repeatedly, as referee Kenny Bayless completed the count. Medical observation confirmed that Mohammedi continued experiencing eye issues after the bout's conclusion.

The victory improved Kovalev's record to 28-0-1 with 25 knockouts, while Mohammedi fell to 37-4. Mohammedi's awkward style proved his only defensive tool against Kovalev's superior speed, technical ability, and power punching. The brief contest highlighted the gap between Kovalev and mandatory challengers, immediately shifting the post-fight discussion to potential future opponents.