Vic "Raging Bull" Darchinyan
 IBF Flyweight World Champion

Date of Birth: 1st July 1976
Place of Birth: Armenia
Division: flyweight
Stance: southpaw
Fight Record (Wins/Losses/Draws 23-0-0 (including 18 KO's)
 

Armenians have a new world champion. He is Vic (Vakhtang) Darchinyan,  born on July 1st 1976 and raised in Vanadzor, Armenia. He moved to Australia and took out citizenship after representing Armenia at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. He has an accumulated amateur record of 152 wins from 170 bouts. He is a professional boxer now in flyweight division, a southpaw.

One of the most powerful fighters seen in the lower weight classes in many years, he toppled the incumbent world champion, the undefeated Colombian Irene Pacheco. Vic Darchinyan claimed the IBF flyweight championship with an eleventh round KO of longtime champion at the Seminole Paradise adjacent to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel/Casino in Hollywood, FL.

Darchinyan got the best of Pacheco early, but the champion began to come on strong midway, connecting with hurtful body shots. Vic Darchinyan scored an 11th-round technical knockout of the defending champion to win the IBF flyweight title. Darchinyan controlled the pace for most of the bout and finally knocked down Pacheco in the 10th round with a right to the head. Darchinyan came out in the 10th round and dropped Pacheco for the first time in the fight with a left hand. Pacheco, 33, took a mandatory eight count, got up and made it to the end of the round. He was dropped again in the 11th round with another pile-driving left hand. Then Pacheco's corner called a halt.

The "Raging Bull" is now looking towards world domination in the flyweight division after leaving a trail of destruction and winning the IBF flyweight world title from long reigning and previously undefeated Irene Pacheco.

"I always believed I could become world champion," said Darchinyan, who described himself as an Armenian Australian. "I've waited for this chance a long time," Darchinyan said. "While I'm proud of my Armenian heritage, I am also proud to be a naturalized Australian."