A left uppercut, a commanding win and Panov’s first UBO belt

A late change of opponent

The Viper was originally due to fight Edmond Zefi. An injury to the Kosovan boxer forced a change of opponent in the final week, and Victoriano Antonio Santillan, known as Papelito, took his place.

Such a change leaves little time for fresh study. You have to maintain the fitness and confidence you have built while a different style now stands in front of you. In Panov’s camp, we had only days to turn our attention to the Argentine and prepare Yosif for a different fight from the one originally expected.

Papelito brought speed and heavy punching

Santillan arrived from Buenos Aires with ten wins, seven by knockout. He was a boxer who could punish a mistake, and his appearance as a replacement did not automatically make the bout easier. Panov had to establish his superiority in the ring.

He did so early. The left uppercut was a heavy warning, and after the knockdown Yosif continued to lead the contest. Santillan survived the first crisis and retained his will to fight, meaning the title still had to be worked for until the final bell.

Panov never lost control

The early success could have tempted The Viper into rushing after a knockout. Instead, he maintained his advantage throughout the fight. The Argentine kept resisting but could not turn it around. For our team, this was the most convincing part of the performance: Panov remained in command after the strong start.

The audience also saw two different qualities. Yosif showed a punch capable of dropping an opponent and the ability to complete the task over the distance. Santillan showed the toughness and character to reach the scorecards. The decision was unanimous, and the international belt stayed in Bulgaria.

Santillan’s next fight showed the value of the victory

Just five weeks later, on 13 May, Papelito entered the ring in Cambon, France, against local fighter Benjamin Dubois. The Argentine won by technical knockout in the sixth round to take the vacant IBO Mediterranean welterweight title.

That result added further weight to Panov’s April performance. The opponent he had dominated so clearly in Sofia immediately went on to win another championship fight away from home.

From the international belt to the world title opportunity

April brought confidence and a new horizon in our work with Yosif. In October, he would face Sandy Messaoud for the UBO world belt. But before those twelve hard rounds came this night: a changed opponent, an early knockdown and a championship task convincingly completed.