MOSCOW, November 4 (R-Sport) – Former IBF champion Lucian Bute has condemned Russian boxer Denis Grachev to his first career defeat to claim the minor NABF light heavyweight title.
Bute, 32, who lost the IBF super middleweight title in May in his own first career defeat to Britain’s Carl Froch, bounced back to tarnish Grachev’s perfect record of 12 wins and one draw in 13 bouts on Saturday night in Montreal.
Grachev, 30, landed more punches, but the ringside judges favored Bute in their final scores of 115-113, 116-112 and 118-112 as the Romanian-Canadian improved his record to 31-1.
Bute was largely defensive for 11 rounds, landing single shots, but controlled the center of the ring in the 12th, causing the American-based Grachev to miss hits badly.
A March rematch against Froch could be next in line for Bute.
