We went to Spain on 21 November 2025 with one goal: to bring the vacant EBU Silver welterweight title home with Yosif Panov. At Campohermoso Hall in Humanes de Madrid, The Viper faced local favourite Aaron Alhambra. We believed he could win.
After twelve rounds, the belt stayed with the Spaniard. The judges scored it 116–111, 116–111 and 115–112 for Alhambra. The defeat was hard for Yosif and all of us because we had arrived fully convinced we could return with a victory.
Alhambra’s chance to step up
Alhambra was 28 and had reached this opportunity with 17 wins, 2 losses and six consecutive victories. A former Spanish welterweight champion, he had not lost since 2022. Three of his last six wins were by knockout and the other three by unanimous decision.
Before his own crowd, this was his chance to move from national to continental level. Across from him, Panov brought the experience of the UBO world title and victory over Miguel Vázquez. Two boxers with clear ambitions were reaching for the same belt, and only one could take it home.
A strong start was not enough
Yosif started well and landed clean shots in the early rounds. Gradually, Alhambra found his rhythm, began applying pressure and worked to the body. The fight demanded increasing effort, and The Viper’s desire to win every exchange began to cost him dearly.
Our conclusion after the fight was painfully clear: we had not managed energy well enough. Yosif invested heavily in individual moments but let important round endings slip away. He also suffered a knockdown in the tenth. From our corner’s perspective, accumulated fatigue played a decisive role in that difficult moment.
Fighting for victory until the final bell
Panov kept fighting and finished the final round strongly. It showed his character, but it wasn’t enough to win the title. Hearing the scorecards after so much preparation was hard.
Alhambra fought his fight and won. Our responsibility is to understand where we could have done more and turn those conclusions into work for the next training camp.
The desire for a rematch remains
After a night like this, the first task is to help the boxer beside you stand tall again — to restore his confidence and help him see the next goal. For Yosif, that goal remains a big fight and a new title for Bulgaria. We want him to reach it more experienced, better prepared and with better control of the pace.
We also want a rematch with Alhambra. We will seek an opportunity to make it happen because we believe Panov can win a second meeting. Before that, there is work to do. That is where we will channel both the pain from Spain and the desire to see The Viper’s hand raised again.
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