Iglesias Destroys Silyagin To Claim IBF 168 Title

Originally posted on BoxingNews.com | Last updated Apr 10, 2026 6:48 AM ET

Osleys Iglesias secured his first major world title, as he stopped Pavel Silyagin to give the latter his first defeat.

Iglesias captured the vacant IBF super middleweight strap with an eighth-round technical knockout, marking his ninth consecutive stoppage. The tone was set in the opening round when Iglesias landed a flush right uppercut. The punch compromised Silyagin’s vision, causing his right eye to swell.

Although Silyagin attempted to rely on his veteran craft to disrupt the rhythm during the middle rounds, he was repeatedly caught by the Cuban’s superior hand speed. Iglesias bloodied Silyagin against the ropes in the eighth, unleashing a two-fisted assault that left the Russian with severe facial swelling and a broken nose. Recognizing their fighter had no path to victory, Silyagin’s team signaled for the referee to stop the bout before the ninth-round bell.

The Future

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Christian Mbilli Unification: This is the most anticipated fight in the division. Both Iglesias and Mbilli (the WBC champion) are promoted by Eye of the Tiger Management. Because they share a promoter, a massive unification bout in Montreal is highly likely for late 2026.

Mandatory Challenges: With the IBF title now around his waist, Iglesias will likely face a mandatory challenger by the end of the year. Names currently circling the IBF rankings include top contenders like Lester Martinez or William Scull.