Yosif Panov had to work until the final bell for his world title. On 19 October 2023, The Viper beat Sandy Messaoud by unanimous decision after twelve closely contested rounds at MaxFight 56 in Arena Sofia, becoming UBO world welterweight champion.
The scores — 117–114, 116–114 and 115–113 — reflected a close fight. Years of work had brought Yosif to this opportunity. Claiming it meant winning the small battles, exchange by exchange and round by round.
Messaoud: a proven threat away from home
The Frenchman arrived with a southpaw stance, mobility and championship experience. In 2020 in Minsk, he had defeated the previously unbeaten Nursultan Zhanabayev and taken three regional belts: WBA Inter-Continental, IBF Australasian and WBO Oriental. In May 2022, he added the WBC Francophone title with a win over Nurali Erdogan in Clermont-Ferrand.
Messaoud knew how to win away from his hometown of Saint-Avé. He came to Sofia unbeaten in nine fights, with results that showed he could handle a hostile crowd and punish anyone who underestimated him.
The first UBO belt, six months earlier
Just six months earlier, Panov had won the UBO International title against Victoriano Santillan at Sofia Hall. A heavy left uppercut sent the Argentine to the canvas early on. Santillan got up and lasted the fight, but Yosif was clearly superior and took his first belt from the organisation.
Messaoud posed a different test. There was no comfortable lead here that would allow The Viper to ease the pace. Both men kept pursuing victory, and the tension of the big stage remained until the twelfth round.
McGregor at ringside
The two gave the crowd a hard fight from the first bell to the last. Panov withstood the pressure, responded to the resistance and won enough close rounds to convince all three judges. When the decision was announced, Conor McGregor was among the first to climb into the ring to congratulate him.
Even before the main event, Borislav Velev – Roy had lifted the arena with a first-round technical knockout of Pablo Mendoza. The Nicaraguan arrived with 13 wins, 12 inside the distance. Roy ended the bout so quickly that the anticipated danger became another demonstration of his punching power.
A championship year with international recognition
In its annual awards, UBO named Panov Fighter of the Year for 2023 and MaxFight 56 Event of the Year. The Messaoud bout itself also received an honourable mention in the Fight of the Year category. Two belts won, a major event and recognition for the quality of the contest — that was how The Viper’s strongest year to date ended.
The weight of these awards came from what Yosif had already done between the ropes. First he won convincingly, then he won the hard way. In both cases, he showed he could bear the responsibility of a championship fight.
Yosif Panov vs Sandy Messaoud · MaxFight 56
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