This was supposed to be Gennadiy Golovkin's shot at redemption. The long-time unified middleweight champion had been eyeing a rematch against Canelo Alvarez after getting a draw in the first matchup and losing in the second fight.
Instead, "GGG" will face Sergiy Derevyanchenko, a fighter he was supposed to fight in 2018. After not getting a deal done with the IBF mandatory, Golovkin was stripped of his IBF title.
The two will get their chance to fight one another on Saturday, Oct. 5, for that belt, which was vacated after Alvarez failed to come to an agreement with Derevyanchenko, again the IBF mandatory.
Golovkin now begins his pursuit to reclaim the belts he lost to Alvarez. From 2010 to 2018, Golovkin held the IBO, WBC, IBF and WBA "Super" middleweight belts.
Golovkin and Derevynanchenko will fight on DAZN in Madison Square Garden on Oct. 5. This will be GGG's second fight since agreeing to a six-fight deal. Here's all you need to know about Golovkin's career record.
Gennadiy Golovkin tale of the tape: Age, height, bio
- Birth name: Gennadiy Golovkin
- Nickname: GGG
- Birthday: April 8, 1982
- Age: 37
- Birthplace: Karaganda, Kazakhstan
- Nationality: Kazakhstani
- Division: Middleweight
- Height: 5-10 1/2
- Reach: 70 inches
- Stance: Orthodox
- Total fights: 41
- Career record: 39-1-1
- Wins by knockout: 35
- World titles held (current): None
- World titles held (past): IBO, WBC, IBF and WBA "Super" middleweight
- Last fight: Win via knockout vs. Steve Rolls on June 8, 2019
- Next fight: Sergiy Derevyanchenko on Oct. 5, 2019
Notable career highlights
Unified champion
It wasn't until his 19th fight that Golovkin picked up a title belt, but from there, he never seemed to let go. On Aug. 14, 2010, he picked up the WBA interim middleweight belt. Three fights later, he added the IBO belt. Nine fights later, it was the WBC belt he added to his collection.
Finally, in his 34th professional fight on Oct. 17, 2015, Golovkin faced Canadian David Lemieux, the holder of the IBF middleweight belt. As he had done with each previous belt holder on his path, GGG knocked out Lemieux, sending his opponent to the mat in the eighth round to become a unified champion.
Rebounding from Canelo loss
GGG's first professional loss came against Alvarez, in their rematch bout. Many viewers at home believed Golovkin had done enough to have his arm raised on Sept. 15, 2018, when he lost in a majority decision, with two judges ruling in favor of Alvarez 115-113 and a third judge ruling in a 114-114 draw.
Golovkin bounced back in a big way, facing an undefeated Steve Rolls, who had just won his second belt, adding the USBA middleweight belt to his NABF super welterweight title. Rolls had been 19-0 up to that point in his career. GGG looked every part of the dominant middleweight presence, knocking Rolls out in the fourth round. It was his first match with new trainer Johnathon Banks.
Knockout streak
Perhaps what Golovkin is most known for as a fighter is his propensity to end bouts early. He owns the highest career knockout percentage in wins of any middleweight fighter in boxing history, having claimed 35 of his 39 wins via knockout. This was put on full display in 23 straight knockouts between Nov. 22, 2008, and Sept. 10, 2016, a record for consecutive knockouts that holds to this day.
His final knockout of the streak came in a fight against Kell Brook, whom he beat by TKO in five rounds.
Title defenses
Few have defended their titles with the same level of efficacy as Golovkin. He defended his belt 21 times in total, and only once lost them, when Alvarez beat him last year.
In those title defenses, 18 of the bouts ended with Golovkin knocking out his opponent, including the latter 17 of his record-setting 23 straight knockouts. In matches where he successfully retained his belt, Golovkin's opponents lasted an average of 5.65 rounds.
Fights against Canelo
GGG, in the eyes of many, did enough to win against Alvarez in not just the loss, but the draw as well. Alvarez had come in with a similarly sterling record as Golovkin, blemished only by a majority decision loss on Sept. 14, 2013, to Floyd Mayweather, when Alvarez was still fighting in the light middleweight class.
Golovkin largely controlled the pace of the first matchup between the two fighters, with GGG consistently driving Alvarez to the ropes. GGG outlanded Alvarez in the fight. Then, in their rematch, Alvarez was the aggressor early, but Golovkin still landed plenty of heavy punches and won the late rounds.