....Russian dethrones Ouma for IBF title

Ghana?s world title hopeful, Ike Bazooka Quartey was to have taken a world title shot against Uganda's Kassim Ouma in November, but the fight may not go ahead since, Ouma is no more a champion

Russian challanger, Roman Karmazin won the International Boxing Federation light middleweight crown, dethroning Ouma by unanimous decision on Thursday.

Karmazin, 34-1 with one drawn, knocked down Ouma twice in the third round to win his sixth fight in a row, defeating Ouma by judges' scores of 118-108, 117-109, 116-110.

Ouma fell to 21-2 with one drawn but saw the end of a five-fight win streak in his comeback from the 2002 drive-by shooting.

Karmazin knocked Ouma to the canvas 30 seconds into the third round and sent him into the ropes and down again seconds later. The champion rose and continued but the Russian pounded Ouma for the remainder of the round.

Referee Robert Byrd warned Ouma before the fourth round that he would stop the fight if the champion continued to take hard punches from Karmazin. Ouma responded well but the tone was set for a tough night in the ring.

Ouma fought back as the rounds wore on, landing hard rights in the eighth and ninth that slowed Karmazin. But the challenger responded to the test and shrugged off an accidntal head-butt that cut the bridge of his nose.

Ouma, 26, was making his second defence of a crown he won with a unanimous 12-round decision over Verno Phillips last October. His first defence was a unanimous decision over Kofi Jantuah of Ghana last January in the first all-African world title bout since 1957.