Chris Kongo Boxes His Way to Unanimous Decision Win Over Florian Marku

Chris Kongo, 31, delivered a career-best performance to secure a unanimous decision victory over Florian Marku after 10 entertaining rounds at The O2 Arena in London. Despite suffering a cut near his right eye in the second round, Kongo's superior boxing skills earned him well-deserved scores of 96-94, 96-93, and 98-92 from the judges.

The welterweight bout followed a predictable pattern. Marku, also 31, fought aggressively and attempted to pressure Kongo, while the taller man utilized his height and reach advantages to negate Marku's attacks. Although Marku had success closing the distance and outworking Kongo in the early rounds, the tide turned after the halfway point as Kongo began to stand his ground and aim to hurt his Albanian opponent.

Kongo's clean uppercut in the third round punished Marku for trying to close the gap, and his accurate punching continued to impress in the fourth despite absorbing an uppercut and a body shot from Marku. The Albanian's efforts to establish his jab in the sixth round suggested he recognised he wasn't having the desired impact. While he remained determined, Kongo's precision caused swelling around both of Marku's eyes.

In the eighth round, Kongo landed successive combinations, prompting Marku to throw a punch behind the head, resulting in a point deduction by referee Howard Foster. From that point on, Kongo minimised his risks, slowed the pace, and comfortably saw out the victory against an increasingly tired Marku.