Five Light Heavyweight Fighters to Watch in 2025

The light heavyweight division enjoyed an unforgettable 2024, with Artur Beterbiev defeating Dmitry Bivol for undisputed glory. The rematch will top a loaded card on Feb. 22. The light heavyweight division looks primed for an entertaining 2025, and here are five fighters to watch out for in the next 12 months and beyond.

Light Heavyweight Boxing: Top Fighters to Watch in 2025

Daniel Lapin

Daniel Lapin (11-0, 4 KOs) recently won a dominant decision over Dylan Colin on the Usyk Fury 2 undercard. The Ukrainian is a 198cm southpaw and as awkward as they come. He uses his height and reach impressively to control his fights, and he did this effectively last time against Colin. He punches long and accurately which makes him a nightmare to face. The 27-year-old looks ready for a big 2025.

Sharabutdin Ataev

Sharabutdin Ataev (7-0, 5 KOs) will surely be looking to be more active in 2025. When this Russian lets his hands go, he is extremely dangerous. His punches seemingly carry plenty of zip, as proven by his KO ratio and scoring knockdowns in the two fights that went to the judge’s scorecards. It’s a competitive division, but the Russian has plenty of skills to leave his mark at light heavyweight.

Imam Khataev

Imam Khataev (9-0, 9 KOs) is compared to Artur Beterbiev for his relentless come-forward style and KO power. No opponent has made it the distance with the 30-year-old. He racked up four wins in 2024, and the next 12 months look set to be an intriguing and busy time for the heavy-handed Russian.

Billy Deniz

Billy Deniz (12-0, 5 KOs) is a wildcard and an unknown quantity. He has recently appeared on a Boxxer card, defeating Khalid Gradia 59-54. Trained by Joe Gallagher, “Turkish Tyson” should progress well in the 175 lbs division. He is an explosive fighter who puts his punches together impressively. He can be guilty of smothering his own work, but under the guidance of Gallagher, this should be fixed with experience and help Deniz achieve a lot in 2025 and beyond.

Albert Ramirez

Albert Ramirez (19-0, 16 KOs) is an unbeaten 32-year-old light heavyweight southpaw from Venezuela. He is unproven at the top level but has impressed greatly thus far. He is patient with his work and extremely accurate with his shot selection. The ability is clearly there, but it remains to be seen just how far Ramirez can go.