Solomon Dacres expects to stop Bakhodir Jalolov tonight, but his record offers little support for that prediction against the 6’7″ two-time Olympic gold medalist.
Jalolov has looked sluggish enough lately to give critics room for skepticism. The dominant puncher seen in the amateur ranks rarely appears in his prize ring outings, prompting a few observers to sniff an upset. Regardless, Jalolov looking flat does not suddenly transform Dacres into a top threat.
“Got to get him out of there, man,” Dacres told SecondsOut. “Mid to late rounds.”
That would be a considerable leap for a fighter whose most revealing professional result remains his first-round stoppage defeat to David Adeleye in December 2024.
Dacres describes that loss as a “blip,” but it came against the most notable opponent he had faced. Across five years as a professional, he hasn’t built a record of beating contenders that would make a Jalolov knockout seem likely.
His points win against Vladyslav Sirenko also requires context. Sirenko amassed numbers without testing himself against true threats, meaning that victory hardly proves Dacres can deal with Jalolov’s height, reach, and southpaw boxing skills.
“This fight here is beyond English title level, man,” Dacres said. “This is like world level.”
Jalolov deserves criticism for how slowly his professional career has moved and for performances that haven’t matched expectations. His Olympic medals don’t excuse that, and Dacres has an opportunity to make him work.
Expecting Dacres to win because Jalolov underwhelms ignores his own modest punch output. Managing just three stoppages across ten victories, he lacks the firepower to back up big talk.
For Dacres to land the kinds of sustained combinations required to stop someone Jalolov’s size, he has to pin him down. Jalolov does not fight like a traditional, stationary heavyweight slugger. Even when he looks uninspired, he uses lateral footwork, maintains long range with his southpaw lead hand, and angles off before opponents can set their feet.
Dacres lacks both the foot speed to cut off the ring effectively and the explosive one-punch power to make Jalolov cautious. If Dacres tries to force the issue, he’ll put himself at risk of getting caught. Pressing aggressively against a 6’7″ southpaw who excels at firing straight left hands down the pipe is asking for trouble.
Unless Jalolov completely checks out mentally and stands against the ropes to trade, Dacres will be eating long jabs and counters all night, with a Jalolov stoppage being the far more probable outcome.
