Labinot Xhoxhaj (born 4 March 1993) is a Kosovan professional boxer. At regional level, he has held the European heavyweight title since 2024.
Professional career European champion Xhoxhaj vs. Zakhozhyi Previously viewed as an obscure fighter, with a limited and unsuccessful amateur career, Xhoxhaj is considered a surprise champion. Both his opponent for the European title and his first challenger were seen as the favorites, and the more promising prospects, at the time of their fights. Oleksandr Zakhozhyi, in particular, was speculated to have taken him lightly, in his title defense against Xhoxhaj. Xhoxhaj won the European heavyweight title on 23 November 2024, defeating defending champion Zakhozhyi by unanimous decision at Olympiastuetzpunkt in Heidelberg, Germany.
Xhoxhaj vs. Aliev Mourad Aliev, a contender with a distinguished amateur background, also spoke openly about his ambitions to achieve at the world level after defeating Xhoxhaj and claiming his title, prior to their fight. He was quoted in ring magazine, stating: "Xhoxhaj is unbeaten and the reigning European champion. So, he's a good fighter and I will not underestimate him. At the same time, I know about my own qualities and am sure that I will beat him… The European title has such a great history that I see it as a very important step on my way to the world title."
Subsequent ringside commentary, during the fight, noted Aliev seeming to find his opponent "tougher than he expected", as Labinot continued to prove tenacious, before ultimately defeating Aliev by unanimous decision.
Xhoxhaj vs. Seifkhani Xhoxhaj successfully defended the title a second time by knocking out Pezhman Seifkhani in the fourth round at Hallensportzentrum in Lahr, Germany, on 14 February 2026.
Fighting style Xhoxhaj’s straightforward, pressure-heavy style is considered in-keeping with his smaller stature and modest background in the sport, relying mostly on a tight guard and a willingness to exchange punches, with only a modicum of head movement. As such, his best opponents have had some success, with their more polished combination punching.
However, Labinot’s readiness to take punishment and embrace "gritty" fighting, without abandoning his game plan, tends to stop his fights from ever becoming one-sided, even to the point of discouraging these seemingly more skilled boxers. Oleksandr Zakhozhyi was described as succumbing to exhaustion, in the face of Xhoxhaj’s surprising effectiveness, and as seeming to accept that he had lost their fight, even before the final two rounds were finished.
Professional boxing record
ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes23Win22–0–1Pezhman SeifkhaniKO4 (12), 14 Feb 202622Win21–0–1Mourad AlievUD127 Jun 202521Win20–0–1Oleksandr ZakhozhyiUD1223 Nov 202420Win19–0–1Vaclav TrojacekTKO2 (8), 28 Sep 202419Win18–0–1Semir DautovicTKO3 (8), 27 Apr 202418Draw17–0–1Milosav Savic827 May 202317Win17–0Anton SjomkinKO2 (6), 14 Jan 202316Win16–0Marko MononenKO1 (8), 27 Dec 202115Win15–0Ferenc UrbanKO8 (10), 10 Jul 202114Win14–0Tamas LodiRTD4 (10), 27 Dec 202013Win13–0Predrag JevticUD85 Oct 201912Win12–0Flavio Morri4 (8), 18 May 201911Win11–0Milans VolkovsTKO3 (6), 23 Mar 201910Win10–0Mirza MrkonjicTKO1 (6), 23 Feb 20199Win9–0Ervin DzinicTKO5 (8), 26 May 20188Win8–0Jakub SynekTKO2 (8), 7 Apr 20187Win7–0Jozsef Darmos817 Feb 20186Win6–0Davit RibakoniTKO4 (6), 9 Dec 20175Win5–0Zoran PetkovicTKO2 (4), 23 Jun 20174Win4–0Giacomo Fucchi627 May 20173Win3–0Ramazi GogichashviliTKO5 (6), 1 Apr 20172Win2–0Giorgi Tevdorashvili3 (6), 26 Nov 20161Win1–0Shalva Meleksishvili2 (4), 2 Jul 2016
References
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