Some trains pass only once in a lifetime, and being able to board them makes all the difference between a career spent on the margins and one spent at the top. Samuel Nmomah found himself catapulted into the ANB Arena at the latest Riyadh event, “The Ring IV,” surrounded by elite fighters such as David Benavidez and Devin Haney, to challenge American Vito Mielnicki Jr, ranked No. 6 in the WBO middleweight standings. A unique opportunity for our boxer of Nigerian origin — made possible by a 21-fight win streak (21-0-0, 5 KOs).
For his part, the 23-year-old Mielnicki entered the ring with a record of 21 wins and only one defeat (21-1-0, 12 KOs), built on high tempo, constant pressure, and a sharp, solid jab.
Mielnicki proved too much for our fighter: Nmomah could not contain the American’s pace and eventually capitulated in the ninth round, stopped by the referee after being dropped by a well-placed combination.
Despite solid fundamentals, Samuel showed an offensive output far too limited to discourage Mielnicki’s initiatives, and he was ultimately overwhelmed by the American’s volume punching.
The key to the fight was Mielnicki’s jab: accurate, fast, and solid, it allowed the young American to dictate the pace and the terms of the action. He controlled the bout from start to finish, commanding the exchanges with that left hand, thrown masterfully to both head and body. His effective body work allowed him to vary his offense and made his jab harder for Nmomah to read. It was relentless pressure, forcing Samuel backward throughout the match.
Before long, Mielnicki began doubling the jab with a sharp right hand — fast and accurate as well. Samuel continued to throw too few punches, a wait-and-see strategy that didn’t pay off, allowing his opponent to maintain his preferred rhythm.
Mielnicki’s jab was truly fast, precise, and difficult to read. Nmomah occasionally managed to time him, as in the third round, where he landed a strong right hand, but he couldn’t follow up to build any meaningful momentum.
Samuel’s offense was too sporadic, lacking the continuity needed to wear down his opponent. Finding little resistance, Mielnicki kept executing his game plan, increasing the frequency of his right hand and maintaining high output — unlike Samuel, who remained too focused on searching for a big single shot.
Nmomah was unable to get his own jab going at the right pace, partly because of Mielnicki’s speed and excellent timing, which often allowed him to beat Samuel to the punch. This enabled the American to find the right distance and land heavy right hands twice in the fourth round, visibly shaking Nmomah and swarming forward in search of the stoppage. Even so, Samuel showed admirable toughness and composure, surviving with his movement and answering back with a sharp left hook.
In the fifth round the story remained the same. Mielnicki displayed good upper-body movement, slipping and countering quickly with straight shots. Overall, Nmomah’s output remained too low to trouble his opponent.
Midway through the fight, a slightly slower pace allowed Mielnicki to quickly recover energy. Nmomah took advantage to land a few good punches, including a nice left uppercut that closed the sixth round. But in the seventh, the American went straight back to his jab, doubling it frequently with the right hand, once again landing heavily in the eighth.
Entering the ninth, with accumulated damage taking its toll, Nmomah appeared more vulnerable and the opponent capitalized, landing decisive shots. A big right hand rocked Samuel — who once again held up — but he could do nothing about what came next: a leaping left hook caught him clean, and Mielnicki immediately doubled it with a heavy right hand and a follow-up left hook that sent Nmomah to the canvas.
Samuel bravely beat the count, but the referee decided to stop the contest, likely sparing him harsher punishment. It is the first defeat of Nmomah’s career, and now he will have to find the strength to rebuild. Time is on his side, and the hope is that he will once again catch the right train — this time with more awareness and confidence.
Mielnicki’s winning streak, meanwhile, continues. He showcased excellent boxing fundamentals, high pace, and impressive consistency. Now he will have to raise the bar, proving himself again against the top names in the division.