IBA Pro Seeks To Change Boxing's Landscape, Fighter Careers

Less risks but better fights. IBA Pro is a newly launched platform set to reshape boxing’s talent development pipeline.

IBA Pro Director Al Siesta has a passing resemblance to Jose Mourinho and like the legendary football manager, has his own vision for how talent should be handled.

Launched in early 2024, IBA Pro was created as an independent branch of the International Boxing Association. Its role is to help amateur boxers transition into professional careers while retaining flexibility.

IBA Pro Director Al Siesta (real name Albert Khachaturov) was born in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and has family ties across the former Soviet nations as well as the global vision needed to change a truly global sport.

In an exclusive interview he outlined his vision for IBA Pro and stressed the organization and its fights are meant to be compatible with boxing's existing organization and structure.

“IBA Pro is completely independent,” Al Siesta explained. “The idea was due to all these problems that they had with the Olympic committee and World Boxing. IBA Pro is a new way for boxing to develop talent."

The idea is a simple one. IBA Pro fights will not count on a boxer’s professional record and will be recorded in another category on websites such as BoxRec, the boxing record keeper of note. Though if fighters will risk more or less in such fights remains to be thoroughly established.

“Who needs another mismatches in boxing, nobody,” he said. “We will stand out by making 50/50 fights, clean officiating, very clear guidelines.”

IBA Pro aims to reduce the stigma around losing by prioritizing experience and growth. This isn’t something new, this was boxing before Floyd Mayweather cherry-picked his way to a perfect record.

📽️ Catch the highlights from the thrilling Boxing Night (Rolf IBA PRO 6) event held in Dushanbe! 🥊 pic.twitter.com/ApzT5Xge0K
— IBA.Pro (@iba_pro_boxing) May 30, 2025

“Losing is not a shame. It’s a great blessing if you know what I mean,” said Siesta. “What kind of champion are you if you haven’t tasted the loss?”

Last year American heavyweight contender Michael Hunter lost to Russia’s Artem Suslenkov in Uzbekistan. You will find the fight on BoxRec, but only under his IBA Pro record.

Siesta insists it benefits not only boxers but managers, who can use it to examine talent. The history of boxing is littered with efforts to create parallel systems, though its clear boxing needs a new talent development system, especially given the rocky relationship between the sport and the Olympic Games which has produced world champion fighters for generations.

Ofcourse, IBA Pro isn’t the only major development in the boxing landscape. The WBC Boxing Grand Prix currently being held over a series of events in Saudi Arabia is a new pipeline for talent development.

“I love the concept. I like what they’re doing for boxing, Mauricio Suliaman is offering a great platform though in future interations they may want to consider increasing the ages allowed to compete,” Siesta said.

The IBA Pro effort is a global one.

“We’ve got offices in Saint-Tropez, Luxembourg, Germany, Miami, Canada,” Siesta said “We’re going places. It’s a fully global international concept and platform.” Shows are planned in the French Rivera and Middle East in the near future. A major show featuring Albert Batyrgaziev is expected for July.

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