He cuban boxing He started his career in the World Championship of the International Association of that sport (IBA) on the right foot.
After the disaster in the world event organized by World Boxing In Liverpool, in which Cuba only achieved three bronze medals, the island’s representatives opened their foray into the event based in Dubai with a couple of successes.
The first Cuban victories were won by the experienced Arlen López and the younger, but already experienced, Fernando Arzola, two of the four representatives that the island entered in the tournament.
In his World Cup debut Arlen defeated the Turkish Bayram Malkan in a match in the 80 kilogram (kg) division. He did so by split decision (4-1) and a visible disparity in the evaluation of some judges (30-26, 28-29, 30-27, 30-27, 29-28), according to review the digital site Hit.
#Cuba celebrates double in IBA World Cup
Arlen and Arzola took expected victories. This Saturday Salfrán debuts. #Boxing #CubanBoxing https://t.co/q9ZyoHj6Tm pic.twitter.com/76y7AMhcwT— JIT Cuban Sport (@jit_digital) December 5, 2025
For his part, Arzola (+92 kg) hardly had to break a sweat and achieved his victory for RSC-I in the first round against the Australian Joshua Cercarelli.
Citing the president of the Cuban Boxing Federation, Alberto Puig de la Barca, the sports publication explained that Cercarelli went to the canvas after receiving several forceful blows from the Antillean, and that as a result of his fall he injured his ankle and could not continue on the tarmac.
Upcoming fights
The first fight of debutant Giorvis Salfrán (51 kg) is scheduled for this Saturday. The Cuban will have a difficult rival in the Azeri Nijat Huseynov, bronze in the 2021 Youth World Cup.
Arzola’s next opponent will also be difficult, since it is the Spanish Ayoub Ghadfa Drissi El Aissaoui, Olympic silver in Paris 2024. That fight will be on Monday, the date on which Arlen López will also return to the ring and the star Julio César la Cruz will fight for the first time.
Arlen’s opponent will be the Iraqi Ridha Talib Jabbar, against whom he comes out a priori as a favorite, like La Cruz (92 kg) against the Senegalese Karamba Kebe.
The man from Camagüey, one of those tanned in Liverpool and the only one from the island to compete in both World Cups, is looking for his sixth crown in the IBA competitions in Dubai.
