David Morrell admitted after his controversial 10-round split decision win over Imam Khataev (10-1, 9 KOs) last Saturday that it wasn’t a “best show for everybody” at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.
The light heavyweight contender Morrell (12-1, 9 KOs) says he was listening to his trainer in the corner and didn’t have any answers for why he turned what could have been an easy fight into a difficult one against the Russian Khataev (10-1, 9 KOs). The fans on social media overwhelmingly felt that Khataev deserved the victory.
Who Won Morrell Khataev?
The judges’ scores were 95-94 for Khataev, 96-93, and 95-94 for Morrell.
“I feel great after this fight. To everybody, I’m after this fight,” said David Morrell to Fighthype after defeating Imam Khataev last Saturday night in Queens. “I know it’s not the best show for everybody. I feel great. Every time, you respect the Russian guys. They’re strong.
It was a strange fight. Morrell had hurt Khataev’s body in the fifth, and then he started clowning around. He then backpeddled for no reason, and Khataev quickly charged forward, landing a right that dropped Morrell. He wasn’t hurt. And got up and fought well for the remainder of the round. That was Khataev’s last hurrah, as Morrell took control of the fight from there on.
Morrell frequently stood in front of Khataev, just covering up and letting him tee off was difficult to understand. That’s the type of opponent that Khataev does well against, guys that go into sparring partner mode. Morrell should have known better with his amateur background.
Why Morrell’s Performance Disappointed?
In the ninth and tenth rounds, Morrell opened up with a barrage of punches that had Khataev looking hurt. In those instances, Morrell backed off and instead of going for the finish, covered up. He allowed Khataev to survive. In the final 20 seconds of the tenth, Morrell hurt Khataev with a big left that staggered him. Once again, he let him off the hook. There was no killer instinct there.
Morrell didn’t say who he plans on fighting next. When asked, he said he’s going on vacation. Fans want to see a rematch with Khataev, but that’s unlikely without Turki Alalshikh wanting it. Morrell’s performance showed that he’s not ready to fight the bigger names, Dmitry Bivol or Artur Beterbiev. Morrell isn’t consistent enough with his offense to compete against those fighters. Also, Morrell’s habit of shelling up behind his high guard would lead to him losing to both fighters.
Last Updated on 07/13/2025
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