By Alexey Sukachev

Artem Dalakian has to be one of the most obscure champions of the smaller weight classes with little external exposure and no hype surrounding his name but the TBRB #2 and The Ring #3 ranked flyweight’s skills is no joke.

Those interested in will have a chance to see more of the Ukrainian’s sublime mastery and fight spirit on June 15 in Kiev, the nation’s capital.

WBA flyweight king, whose record reads as 18-0 with 10 KOs, will face the #1 challenger to his title in Thai import Sarawut Thawornkham (20-1, 15 KOs).

Thawornkham, 27, started his career in 2014 with the first-round loss to little-known Japanese Masato Morisaki but the regrouped. His biggest wins aren’t eye-catching, however, as his best opposition were Indonesians Tommy Seran (27-10) and Crison Omayao (24-16-4). The Thai is expected to be an easy proposition for the Ukrainian champion.

Dalakian, who had been hovering in obscurity for years, was able to shine during his big occasion, when he beat famed former champion Brian Viloria for a vacant title in February 2018. He has defended it twice since, stopping both Thai Sirichai Thaiyen and Dominican Gregorio Lebron, both times in his native land.