Nikita Tszyu and Michael Zerafa’s hugely anticipated grudge match has ended in farce, with the fight stopped in the third round on the advice of the ringside doctor.
An accidental head clash in the second round opened up a cut above Zerafa’s left eye.
Zerafa appeared to be asked whether he could see and, when he said his vision was blurry, the fight was waved off to the disgust of the capacity crowd at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
Tszyu said that he felt that Zerafa « definitely, » quit.
« I think he under estimated me and he saw, once the cut happened … his emotions got the best of him, he started to panic, » he said.
« He doesn’t have the heart. He checked out.
« Once that little bit of pain comes in, he was looking for the exit straight away. »
After end years of bitter rivalry between Zerafa and the Tszyu family, the long awaited meeting was an enormous anticlimax.
The boos — and even the occasional can of beer — rained down on the ring as an indignant Zerafa said it was not his call to stop the fight.
Nikita Tszyu and Michael Zerafa hotly anticipated fight was called off after a second-round accidental headbut. (Supplied: No Limit Boxing)
« I don’t know why everyone is booing me, » Zerafa said.
« I didn’t stop it, the doctor stopped it.
« I said it’s blurry but I’m ready to go. »
Zerafa later took to Instagram to plead his side of the story, along with a video of him being stitched.
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Under boxing rules, if a boxers’ vision is compromised it is the duty of the referee, on advice from the ringside doctor, to call the fight off.
That did not wash with Tim Tszyu, who was filmed shouting at Zerafa about what he went through in his first defeat to Sebastian Fundora, when a cut on his head turned his face into a bloody mess.
Nikita Tszyu said his understanding was that Zerafa said he couldn’t see, and apologised to supporters, who vented their understandable and considerable frustration.
Earlier, former NRL hard man Nelson Asofa-Solomona made a victorious start to his boxing career with a devastating first round KO.
Follow all the action from the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in our live blog.
Key Events
3h ago3 hours agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 11:34am
4h ago4 hours agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 11:05am
4h ago4 hours agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 11:01am
Show all key events
2h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 12:47pm
We’ll wrap things up here
Thanks for being with us.
I’m sure there will be more to come from this disaster.
It’s such a shame – it was such a great night up til then.
We’ll be back next time for more action from the ring – but for now, goodnight.
2h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 12:45pm
Tszyu says that their styles lend themselves to head clashes
Tszyu said that the fact that the pair are southpaw and orthodox means that the fight was always destined to end in some sort of head clash.
Perhaps it was always due to end in drama.
« It feels like our night got taken from us, » Jennings says.
« There’s always that risk that something else can happen.
« Wherever Michael goes there’s drama.
« Do you have the energy to turn that into a commercial that suits everybody?
He’s desperately disappointed.
2h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 12:41pm
‘Very hollow’: Jennings
« To see that tonight, it’s very hollow, » Glen Jennings says.
« An opportunity for Nikita to put an end to the Tszyu Zerafa legacy and it’s slipped through our fingers again.
« You have to question whether we have the resolve to go through all this again knowing that it might happen again. »
2h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 12:38pm
Tszyu says Zerafa ‘definitely’ quit
Tszyu is asked whether he thinks Zerafa quit.
He is pretty clear in his answer.
« I definitely do, » he says.
« I think he under estimated me and he saw, once the cut happened … his emotions got the best of him, he started to panic.
« He doesn’t have the heart. He checked out.
« Once that little bit of pain comes in, he was looking for the exit straight away. »
2h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 12:36pm
‘He took the first exit’
Nikita Tszyu said he was « spewing » after the fight was called off.
« I didn’t think it was that bad, it’s a shame that he took the first exit he could find.
« What can you do? »
He did not want to say whether he would entertain a fight against Zerafa, and that the fight between the families was « cursed ».
He added that he was « quite numb ».
« I was just thinking, I’ve got something in common with my brother now. He f****d it for both of us.
« At least I got two rounds out of it. »
2h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 12:10pm
Here’s a photo of Michael Zerafa’s cut
It is a nasty one right on the eyelid.
3h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 12:03pm
We’ve just made our way to the press conference
We are just waiting on Nikita Tszyu to join us, with George Rose.
3h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 11:51am
I don’t think Tim was happy…
3h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 11:50am
What an anticlimax
Well, this is a story that’s clearly going to run and run and run.
What an astonishing finish to this fight night.
A hugely unsatisfactory one at that.
We are going to go and hunt for some reaction backstage.
3h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 11:44am
Zerafa is being led out of the arena
He is being protected from projectiles, but I didn’t see any being thrown.
He is being pictured in his dressing room now, shaking his head.
Nikita Tszyu is in the ring still, clapping the few people who are still in their seats.
Everyone else is making their way to the exits.
3h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 11:42am
George Rose is speaking now
He is getting a bigger boo than anyone.
He apologises and says he’ll talk about what happens next tomorrow.
3h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 11:42am
‘What I’m being told at the moment is that Michael couldn’t see’
Here’s Nikita Tszyu.
« What I’m being told at the moment is that Michael couldn’t see, » Tszyu says, stirring the pot a bit.
« I’m sorry.
« That sucks.
« Sorry guys. »
He is asked if he would be willing to do it again.
« I dunno, » he says.
« Six months of work for this, what an anticlimatic ending.
« What can you do?
« I don’t deal with the matchmaking side of it. »
He looks very disappointed.
3h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 11:41am
Zerafa says his eye was ‘blurry’
Zerafa is speaking.
« I don’t know why everyone is booing me, » he says.
« I didn’t stop it, the doctor stopped it.
« I said it’s blurry but I’m ready to go.
« It’s good. It’s blurry when I got the head clash.
« Let’s do it again.
« No disrespect to anyone, but that’s boxing.
« I don’t know why you’s booing.
« I do apologise. We will do this again. »
He is asked in the ring if he told the doctor that he couldn’t see.
« I said it was blurry, » he says.
It appears at that point the doctor had to make the call to stop the fight.
3h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 11:38am
Official result, no decision
The crowd is booing furiously.
At three seconds in round three.
It’s due to an accidental headbutt in round two.
THE DOCTOR WAVES IT OFF!
The crowd is furious!
This is crazy.
It looked like the referee said it was OK.
We can’t hear the conversation from where we are.
But now the crowd are absolutely livid.
Zerafa got out the ring, then has come back into it.
Zerafa is arguing his case in the middle of the ring – to be fair he looks frustrated too.
But this is deeply unsatisfying.
3h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 11:33am
Tszyu vs Zerafa, Round 3
We looked at the replays and still can’t tell if it was by an accidental head clash.
Zerafa is being looked at by the doctor.
He should be OK to continue, I think? Hard to tell from here but it looks OK.
3h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 11:29am
Tszyu vs Zerafa, Round 2
Both men hop on the spot after rising from their stools.
It’s a bit untidy as Tszyu has his arm up in Zerafa’s face and Zerafa holds it there.
Both men engage but not a lot of meaningful shots land.
Tszyu loads up the left but misses. So does Zerafa.
ZERAFA IS CUT!
Left eye, just above it. Was it a punch or a head clash?
Tszyu lands a left! Great shot!
Tszyu senses that there could be an opportunity here as Zerafa burrows in and Tszyu lands with a shot to the back of the head and is told off.
BOTH MEN LAND! Good shots! Good work in the middle.
Nikita JUST misses with a left!
Tszyu comes forward and lands but then Zerafa throws one back with real venom!
A great round of action.
Both men take a deep breath on their stools.
3h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 11:25am
Tszyu vs Zerafa, Round 1
Here we go. The waiting is over, the bell sounds and Zerafa gets to work with a jab centre ring.
The pair tangle up, at Zerafa’s instigation.
Zerafa is moving well, Tszyu far more static at the moment, just biding his time.
Zerafa lands a right that has Nikita moving back.
Zerafa gets through with a couple of shots but then Tszyu turns him and Zerafa stumbles!
Zerafa just felt he had an opening there – but couldn’t capitalise, good footwork from Tszyu who was caught.
More rights from Zerafa just club at the head of Tszyu.
Good from Zerafa, now they wrestle a bit but punch out of it.
Nikita on the front foot but Zerafa in control at the moment.
Tszyu attempts a long left but can’t quite make contact.
There’s the bell. A tight opening round shaded by Zerafa.
3h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 11:25am
Boos for Zerafa
The atmosphere is terrific.
As Zerafa is introduced, he is booed roundly by the crowd, but there are pockets of support.
Nikita Tszyu is still hooded. Now he takes that hood down and is introduced to a rapturous ovation
3h agoFri 16 Jan 2026 at 11:21am
Tszyu vs Zerafa: Tale of the tape
Nikita Tszyu (AUS)
Record: 11-0 (9KOs)
Age: 27
Height: 177cm
Reach: 178cm
Weight: 70.60kg
Michael Zerafa (AUS)
Record: 11-0 (9KOs)
Age: 33
Height: 180cm
Reach: 182cm
Weight: 71.16kg
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