Radzhab Yusupovich Butaev (; born 15 December 1993) is a Russian professional boxer who has held the WBA (Regular) welterweight title from October 2021 to April 2022. At regional level he held the WBC-NABF super-welterweight title in 2016
Amateur career As an amateur, Butaev was a winner of the Kazan Summer Universiade in 2013, fighting at light-welterweight.
In 2015 he won six bouts of the World Series of Boxing.
Professional career Early career 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. Buatev faced Lanardo Tyner on March 8, 2019, and won the fight by a third-round technical knockout. Butaev was scheduled to face Silverio Ortiz on May 3, 2019, whom he beat by unanimous.
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. Butaev lost the fight by unanimous decision, with all three judges awarding Besputin a 116–112 scorecard. On January 15, 2020, it was revealed by the Monaco Boxing Federation that Besputin had tested positive for ligandrol, a substance prohibited by WADA. 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". The fight was overturned to a no contest on July 6, 2020. Besputin was accordingly stripped of both titles.
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.
WBA Regular welterweight champion The reigning WBA (Regular) welterweight 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. The fight was once again ordered on September 26, 2021, and was later scheduled for October 30, 2021, at Michelob Ultra Arena in Paradise, Nevada, USA. Butaev achieved his career best win, as he stopped James by technical knockout at the 2:12 minute mark of the ninth round.
Butaev made the first defense of the title against Eimantas Stanionis at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, USA, on April 16, 2022. He lost via split decision with one of the ringside judges scoring the fight 114–113 in his favour, but being overruled by their two colleagues who had the fight and 116–111 and 117–110 for his opponent.
Zuffa Boxing After winning two low key fights over the next three years, both of which he won, Butaev signed for Zuffa Boxing in December 2025. He made his debut for the promotion at the Meta Apex in Enterprise, Nevada, USA, on February 1, 2026, losing to Serhii Bohachuk by split decision. The judges' scorecards were 96–94, 94–96 and 94–96.
Professional boxing record
ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes19LossSerhii BohachukSD101 Feb 2026 18WinArtem PugachUD814 Nov 202517WinFazliddin GaibnazarovRTD3 (10), 6 Nov 202316Lost14–1 Eimantas Stanionis12 16 Apr 202215Win14–0 Jamal JamesTKO9 (12), 30 Oct 202114Win13–0 Terry ChatwoodKO3 (10), 26 Dec 202013NC12–0 Alexander Besputin 1230 Nov 201912Win12–0Silverio OrtizUD63 May 201911Win11–0Lanardo Tyner TKO3 (8), 8 Mar 201910Win10–0Azael Cosio3 (10), 27 Oct 20189Win9–0Ramses Agaton KO3 (8), 20 Jul 20188Win8–0Janer Gonzalez UD810 Nov 20177Win7–0Sherzodbek AlimjanovKO3 (8), 22 Jul 20176Win6–0Abraham AlvarezKO1 (8), 3 Jun 20175Win5–0Bakhrom Payazov TKO1 (8), 5 Apr 20174Win4–0Gabor Gorbics819 Nov 20163Win3–0Jonathan BatistaKO4 (6), 19 Oct 20162Win2–0TyKeem Sadler1 (6), 16 Apr 20161Win1–0Robert Alexander Seyam1 (6), 25 Mar 2016
See also List of world welterweight boxing champions
References
External links