Ibragimov wins WBO heavyweight title

Russian challenger Sultan Ibragimov outpointed America's Shannon Briggs to claim the World Boxing Organisation heavyweight title. Shannon Briggs lost his WBO heavyweight title on Saturday when the American suffered a unanimous points decision defeat.

Now all the heavyweight belts belong to natives of former Soviet republics. Ibragimov, the 2000 Olympic silver medalist, is 20-1-0. If he wants to fight in the United States next, the best scenario for Ibragimov is to meet Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine, the IBF champ and generally considered the best of the heavyweight titleholders. Kazakstan's Oleg Maskaev (WBC) and Ruslan Chageav of Uzbekistan (WBA) are the other heavyweight champions.

Briggs earned $1.8 million in what could be his last big payday. Ibragimov got $600,000. This seems like peanuts compared other heavyweight title fights. As the saying goes...If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.