Fights
Scandal in Australia. The fight between Nikita Tszyu and Zerafa was declared invalid
On Friday, January 16, representatives of Australia met in the fight for the WBO International middleweight title (up to 72.6 kg) – Nikita Tszyu (11-0, 9 KOs) and Michael Zerafa (34–5, 22 knockouts).
In the first round, Zerafa successfully countered and defeated his opponent, who acted very carelessly and often forgot to defend, missing unnecessary blows.
Tszyu gradually took aim, seized the initiative and began to beat his compatriot both at long and close range. In one of the episodes, the boxers got into a fight.
Zerafa admitted that he was unable to continue the fight due to the interruption, which angered both his opponent and the fans who booed Michael. Nikita’s brother Tim Tszyu also did not stand aside and tried to sort out his relationship with Michael for a long time.
Considering that the collision was unintentional, the fight was declared invalid.
Nikita Tszyu (Australia) – Michael Zerafa (Australia) – NC 2
Zerafa says he can’t see after the head kick!
Stopped in the 3rd round, no contest between Tszyu and Zerafa in the main event.
— BOXING n BBQ (@BOXINGnBBQ) January 16, 2026
Tim Tszyu tells Michael Zerafa exactly what happened after his decision to quit against Nikita Tszyu in the 2nd round; This infuriates the Australian crowd and the Tszyu family. 😡😡😡😡🇦🇺😡😡😡😡#Boxing #TimTszyu #TszyuZerafa #NoLimitBoxing #BoxingFightZone #RedCornerBoxing… pic.twitter.com/FU5JH9LnFY
— Jam RedCornerBoxing (@jamsboxingchat) January 16, 2026
‼️NO COMPETITION‼️
Michael Zerafa appears to tell the referee that he can’t see due to blood from a small cut.
The contest against Nikita Tszyu was canceled in Round 2 and called a no contest.
🔗Full report: https://t.co/TcfVTLcwp5 pic.twitter.com/lAAGP6dz72
— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) January 16, 2026
Source: Sport UA
I am a sports writer and journalist who has written for various online publications including Sportish. I’m originally from the UK but currently live in Toronto, Canada. I’m also an author on Sportish and have written several articles on a variety of sports-related topics.