Long-reigning and still-undefeated WBA champion Artem Dalakian seems set to face Japanese contender Seigo Yuri Akui following the latest news that the two sides have agreed to fight. The two teams were supposed to engage in purse bids on September 8th, but according to the WBA, they have settled on an agreement to fight in the near future.
A date and location have yet to be confirmed, but the teams of the two fighters will be sending the signed contracts of their fighters with a date and venue by the deadline set by the WBA. Presumably, this will occur in the next two weeks, and a fight between Artem Dalakian (22-0, 15 KO’s) and Seigo Yuri Akui (18-2-1, 11 KO’s) can be arranged for as early as November or as late as the beginning of next year.
Seigo Yuri Akui, 28, will be involved in his first world title fight after moving up the ladder of the flyweight division, fighting mostly domestic competitors. Though he hasn’t fought anyone of note yet, Akui is regarded as one of the best Japanese flyweights in the world.
WBA flyweight champion Artem Dalakian, 36, has reigned as a world champion since conquering his title in February of 2018 when it had been left vacant following former champion Kazuto Ioka’s (30-2-1, 15 KO’s) departure to 115 lbs (super flyweight).
Since then, he has defended his title six times over the next five years or so, with his last match resulting in a victory over Costa Rican contender David Jimenez (13-1, 10 KO’s).
Despite his lengthy reign, Dalakian has yet to unify against any of the other champions who have regularly fluctuated since he first became a world champion in 2018. Though he has followed his duties as a champion by fighting the top contenders and any mandatory challenger set for him, there have been opportunities missed through his lack of unifications, and at the age of 36, his chances to impress as a champion grow ever slimmer.
It is worth observing whether Artem Dalakian will continue to fight contenders if he manages to beat Akui or go on to fight other champions. With Sunny Edwards (20-0, 4 KO’s) and Jesse Rodriguez (18-0, 11 KO’s) set to unify this year ― all while risking their unbeaten records, Dalakian’s career seems to be left in the lurch as younger and more ambitious champions dare for greatness and more opportunities by fighting each other.
In any case, the unbeaten Ukrainian champion has still managed to craft a noteworthy professional boxing career for himself and will look to continue this trend with a potential fight against Seigo Akui looming not too far ahead in the future.
