Pawel Pawlak secured a dramatic TKO victory over Mamed Khalidov in the final second of the fourth round. The bout was a middleweight title fight and represented Pawlak's fourth successful title defense. The extremely late finish came right at the end of round four, making it a particularly dramatic conclusion. Khalidov, a veteran fighter, was unable to withstand Pawlak's late assault. This defense further cements Pawlak's position as the middleweight champion.
Pawel Pawlak delivered one of the most dramatic finishes in recent memory, stopping Mamed Khalidov via TKO in the final second of the fourth round to make the fourth successful defense of his middleweight title on April 19, 2026.
Pawlak, 37, enters the record books with a professional mark of 12-3-0 and continues to establish himself as one of Poland's most decorated active fighters. Fighting out of Octopus Lodz, the six-foot orthodox striker carries a 73-inch reach and has built his championship reign on a measured, grinding style. He averages 1.67 significant strikes per minute with a takedown rate of one per 15 minutes, a workmanlike output that nonetheless proved decisive when it mattered most — with the clock reading its final tick of round four.
Khalidov, a long-established veteran of the middleweight division, was unable to survive Pawlak's late surge despite enduring the bulk of the contest. The stoppage, arriving literally in the championship rounds with virtually no time remaining, underscored the wear Pawlak's pressure had accumulated over the fight.
Why it matters
- Four successful title defenses places Pawlak among the most dominant middleweight champions in his organization's history
- The dramatic timing of the finish — the final second of round four — signals Pawlak's late-round durability and finishing instinct
- Khalidov's inability to see out the round raises questions about where the veteran goes from here at middleweight
- Pawlak's continued reign at 37 years old makes any future challengers aware the champion shows no signs of decline
