Radzhab Butaev

Butaev made his professional debut against Robert Alexander Seyam on March 25, 2016, and won his debut fight by a first-round knockout. He amassed a 10-0 record over the next two years, with just two victories coming by decision.[3] Buatev faced Lanardo Tyner on March 8, 2019,[4] and won the fight by a third-round technical knockout.[5] Butaev was scheduled to face Silverio Ortiz on May 3, 2019, whom he beat by unanimous.[6]

On September 30, 2019, it was announced that Butaev would fight Alexander Besputin for the vacant WBA Regular and EBP welterweight titles. Both Butaev and Besputin earned $252,777.50 for the fight, a 50/50 split of the purse.[7] Butaev lost the fight by unanimous decision, with all three judges awarding Besputin a 116-112 scorecard.[8] On January 15, 2020, it was revealed by the Monaco Boxing Federation that Besputin had tested positive for ligandrol, a substance prohibited by WADA.[9] Butaev immediately called the outcome of the fight into question, saying that the positive test was a "...disgrace and is disrespectful to the sport of boxing".[10] The fight was overturned to a no contest on July 6, 2020. Besputin was accordingly stripped of both titles.[11]

Butaev was scheduled to face the undefeated Terry Chatwood on December 26, 2020. He won the fight by a third-round knockout, stopping Chatwood with a left hook to the body at the 1:01 minute mark.[12]

The reigning WBA Regular champion Jamal James was ordered the face Butaev, who was at the time the #3 ranked WBA welterweight contender, in his first title defense. The fight was ordered on February 4, 2021, and the two were given a 30 days to negotiate before a purse bid would be called.[13] The fight was once again ordered on September 26, 2021,[14] and was later scheduled for October 30, 2021.[15] Butaev achieved his career best win, as he stopped James by technical knockout at the 2:12 minute mark of the ninth round.[16]