Avtandil Khurtsidze trounces Tommy Langford to earn fight with Saunders

Avtandil Khurtsidze has a shot at Billy Joe Saunders on deck, as the Georgian middleweight dominated Tommy Langford today in Leicester, England, stopping the previously unbeaten home fighter in the fifth round.

Khurtsidze (33-2-2, 22 KO) was his usual self, giving up a lot of height and reach but coming at Langford (18-1, 6 KO) like a tornado, constantly trying to land big power shots, and succeeding enough to keep Langford off-balance. It didn’t help Langford that his own power wasn’t nearly enough to dent the durable Khurtsidze, who shook off everything and just kept charging forward.

Khurtsidze, who turns 38 in early May, is tentatively set to face Saunders (24-0, 12 KO) on July 8 in London. Can the all-action veteran pull an upset and become a world champion late in his career?

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