Rachman retains IBF title

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Muhammad Rachman of Indonesia may have retained his world mini-flyweight belt but he would have preferred a knock-out win rather than a technical draw.

Rachman said after the fight that he wished he had knocked out Thai Fahlan Sakkreerin in their International Boxing Federation (IBF) bout in Merauke, Papua, on Tuesday night.

"It disappoints me that I couldn't floor him. I should have been able to KO him," he said as quoted by Antara.

Rachman said if not because of a head-butt, which injured him about his right eyebrow, he could have easily defeated Sakkreerin.

Referee John Wright stopped the fight in the first minute of round three after consultation with the ring doctor.

The referee declared the fight a technical draw, which meant that Rachman kept the belt.

Rachman, who took the title from Daniel Reyes of Colombia last September, will fight against another challenger, Omar Soto of Mexico, in June.

Antara reported that Rachman and Fahlan climbed into the outdoor ring at Hasanabsai Stadium late on Tuesday night after the match had been delayed for two hours because of rain.

The boxers spent little time on get-to-know-you niceties, and began pounding each other with hard punches.

Spurred on by home support, Rachman landed a powerful hook in the second round to leave Fahlan reeling.

The delay of the fight disrupted the planned live television broadcast by RCTI.

Rachman is one of Indonesia's two boxing world champions; the other being World Boxing Association featherweight champion Chris John.