Dib decisions Oliver

dib2Former IBF featherweight champion Billy Dib (36-2, 21 KO’s) got back on the winning track on Friday night in defeating a ring rusty 33-year-old Mike Oliver (25-4, 8 KO’s) by a 10 round majority decision at the Connecticut Convention Center, in Hartford, Connecticut. The final judges scores were 96-92, 96-92 and 94-94. Dib was docked a point each in rounds 2 and 3 for throwing low blows.

Oliver went on the canvas after the 1st point deduction and it’s unclear whether he was hurt by a body shot, the low blow or if he was merely acting so that he would get the point taken away from Dib. Whatever the case, Dib was docked a point for the shot. Referee Mike Ortega seemed to react a little quick in taking off a point in the first low blow.

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Interview: Billy Dib on the rise despite defeat

569Exclusive interview by Adam Santarossa: Billy Dib returned to Australia days ago light on luggage after losing his world title and a pint or two short of blood following the ten staples that were needed for a cut to the back of his head and the fourteen stitches that were needed to seal the wound above his right eye.

I spoke with the former IBF Featherweight World Champion in an exclusive interview just days after his defeat and Dib says it’s only physical wounds he carries after his split decision point’s defeat to Evgeny Gradovich.

“The wounds that are healing are the actual wounds that I suffered in the fight. I suffered a few cuts on the eye and two cuts on the head that I’m recovering from. But other than that everything is good. My health is good and in due time I’ll be back in the ring getting ready for the next one.

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Gradovich decisions Dib

587By Jeff Sorby: Unbeaten Evgeny Gradovich (16-0, 8 KO’s) unseated IBF featherweight champion Billy Dib (35-2, 21 KO’s) on Friday night in beating him by a 12 round split decision on Friday Night Fights at the Foxwoods Resort, in Mashantucket, Connecticut, USA.

The judges had it scored 114-112 and 114-112 for Gradovich, and 114-112 for Dib. Gradovich took the action to Dib, backing him up constantly throughout the fight, and hitting him nonstop. The fight likely would have been a lot more one-sided than it already was had the referee not broken up the action quite so often.

It was like watching a replay of the Marcos Maidana vs. Amir Khan fight where the referee kept pulling Maidana off Khan while he was trying to finish off Khan on the inside.

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