Hovhannes Martirosyan vs Salimo Jengo IBO Inter-Continental super-lightweight title fight preview and predictions
Hovhannes Martirosyan vs Salimo Jengo fight preview, tale of the tape and prediction
Hovhannes Martirosyan (17-1, 10KO) challenges for the vacant IBO Inter-Continental super-lightweight against Salimo Jengo (21-4-1, 12KO) in Limburg, Belgium on February 8, 2025.
With the IBO World super-lightweight title currently vacant, there is an opportunity for the winner of this championship contest to propel their name up the rankings and into contention.
Hovo Martirosyan gets the home advantage in his home province of Limburg, which is also home to four-time Formula 1 world champion, Max Verstappen.
The 32-year-old Belgian, managed by Ezzeddine Laggoune, is already known to British fight fans after his dramatic WBC International title clash with Irishman Pierce O'Leary on Frank Warren's The Magnificent Seven event in 2024 in Birmingham.
Martirosyan went down in the opening round from a left hook, but rallied back to even the scores up to 76-75 on two of the judges cards, until the ninth-round stoppage. Up to that point, the contest was scored at four rounds each. It was another successful left hook from 'Big Bang' that concluded the contest in the penultimate round, but Hovo landed some bit right hands and left hooks too.
Martirosyan made his pro debut in Belgium just over seven years ago in December 2017, winning his first three bouts by knockout.
He became the Belgian welterweight champion in his ninth fight, winning with all three scores of 100-89. He also collected the BeNeLux super-lightweight title against the 'French Lion' Renald Garrido, another name familiar to UK fans after he stopped Olympian and world champion hopeful Bradley Saunders to effectively end his career.
He also won the regional WBC Francophone and IBO International and IBO Inter-Continental super-lightweight titles. So he's fighting for the same belt he held previously in February 2024.
His African opponent, Salimo Jengo, debuted a lot longer ago, in 2013. He is a former two-weight UBO International champion (featherweight and lightweight) and was also UBO World lightweight champion.
He was knocked out sensationally by world title contender Shohjahon Ergashev in 2021, in what was a terrible mismatch, the fight ending in the first round after Jengo had to keep desperately holding on, grabbing at the legs of the strong southpaw.
Also known as Salim Mtango, the visiting fighter travels over 4,000 miles to Belgium off the back of five straight wins.
Both boxers have an almost identical KO ratio, so neither man has a claim to be stronger or more powerful than the other.
Jengo has the slight edge in experience, but Martirosyan has fought at the higher level after sharing the ring with IBO #15 Pierce 'Big Bang' O'Leary.
Tale of the Tape
Hovhannes Martirosyan
Genk, Belgium
Age: 32
DOB: 10/04/1992
Bouts: 18
Wins: 17
Losses: 1
Draws: 0
Rounds: 108
KO Ratio: 58.82%
Height: 5' 6"
Stance: Orthodox
BoxRec Ranking: #71
Salimo Jengo
Tanga, Tanzania
Age: 29
DOB: 17/08/1995
Bouts: 26
Wins: 21
Losses: 4
Draws: 1
Rounds: 146
KO Ratio: 57.14%
Height: 5' 5 1/2"
Stance: Orthodox
BoxRec Ranking: #115
Fight Prediction
Hovo has the home advantage and was able to give Pierce O'Leary a really good fight, so he is the betty quality of the two in this contest, for me.
He has shown he can fight in the trenches after getting knocked down by a big puncher in the opening round and rallying back to the penultimate round to almost even the score up. His right hand is very powerful and if he is able to land it on world ranked O'Leary, then he won't have any problems finding a home for it against his next opponent.
Jengo has ben knocked out twice before, the last time was within 143 seconds, so I think he will be a level below Hovo but will still be aggressive and game, so there will be openings to exploit.
He moves well, has quick feet and good technique, so I would expect him to last a long time in there, however, I think Martirosyan will be too good and too powerful for Jengo.
Hovhannes Martirosyan to win by knockout.
