Former WBA middleweight champion Félix Sturm turned back the clock in dominant fashion, stopping Benjamin Blindert in three rounds to capture the WBA Gold light heavyweight title Saturday night at the Ratiopharm Arena in Neu-Ulm, Germany.
At 46 years old, Sturm showed that experience and ring IQ still count for plenty. From the opening bell, he pressed forward, closing the distance to work his combinations and systematically break down Blindert. His first major breakthrough came in round two, when a crisp right hand sent his opponent crashing to the canvas.
Blindert beat the count, but Sturm never let up. He continued applying relentless pressure, smothering Blindert’s attempts to find space.
The third round was all Sturm. He dropped Blindert twice—first with a sharp right hook, then moments later with a textbook right uppercut that left the referee no choice but to wave it off.
It was a statement victory for the German veteran, who now holds the WBA Gold title and has his sights set on bigger opportunities.
Since returning to the ring in 2020, Sturm has strung together six wins, defeating Timo Rost, James Kraft, Istvan Szili, and Sukru Altay (twice), before adding Blindert to his résumé.
With the victory, Sturm improves to 45-6-3 (20 KOs), while Blindert drops to 14-2-2 (10 KOs).