Yuriorkis Gamboa Toledano

He is a professional Cuban boxer who, as an amateur boxer, won the Olympic gold medal in the flyweight division at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. He is also the featherweight champion of the World Boxing Association. His younger brother is also a professional boxer, Yoelvis Gamboa.

Amateur
Four-time national champion of Cuba.
Gold medal at the 2003 Pan American Games.
Gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Bronze medal at the 2005 World Boxing Championship.
Bronze medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games in 2006.
2006 World Cup champion.
2004 Athens Olympic Games Results:
Round of 32 - Defeated Igor Samoilenco of Moldova - PTS (46-33)
Round of 16 - Defeated Jongjohor Somjit of Thailand - PTS (26-21)
Quarterfinals - Defeated Georgy Balakshin of Russia - PTS (26-18)
Semifinals - Defeated Rahimov Rustamhodza of Germany - PTS (20-11)
Gold Medal - Defeated Jérôme Thomas of France - PTS (38-23)

Defection
While training in Venezuela, Gamboa, along with his Cuban teammates Odlanier Solís and Yan Barthelemy escaped from the camp and made their way to Colombia and eventually to Germany, where they requested visas to enter the United States. Before defecting, he confessed that he had sold his Olympic gold medal to support his family.

Professional Career
Gamboa made his professional boxing debut on April 27, 2007, in Hamburg, Germany against Alexander Manvelyan. Gamboa knocked Manvelyan down in the third round and beat his opponent throughout the fight for a unanimous decision victory. Two months later, he defeated Araik Sachbazjan by technical knockout in the fourth round. After winning his next four fights, Gamboa made his United States debut on October 30, 2007, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida against Adailton De Jesús. Early in the first round, De Jesús fell after a single, accurate cross punch from Gamboa. A knockdown by Gamboa in the fourth round was ruled out by the referee. Gamboa's relentless pressure forced a stoppage in the sixth and final round.

Gamboa fought Gilberto Luque on January 5, 2008, at the Bally's Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Gamboa sent his opponent to the canvas in less than 30 seconds in the first round with his left hand. After two more knockdowns the referee stopped the fight.

On February 22, 2008 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, he made his American television debut against Johnnie Edwards. Gamboa knocked out Edwards in the first 30 seconds of the fight after connecting with his left hand to the head. Edwards got up, but was met with Gamboa's left-hand punches that ended with two consecutive right hands that knocked Edwards out of service for the second and last time when the referee stepped in and stopped the fight in the first round, and won the vacant NABF super featherweight title.

On May 17, 2008, at the Star Arena of Buffalo Bill in Primm, Nevada, Gamboa fought Darling Jiménez. Gamboa started well in the first three rounds of the fight, swarming Jiménez and hitting him with punches over and over. Gamboa looked nervous in the fourth round and began showing signs of fatigue. He got up carelessly and was knocked down by a right hand behind the ear from Jiménez. Gamboa got up and finished the fight strong, winning by unanimous decision and claiming the vacant WBC International super featherweight title. After the fight, Gamboa's promoter, Ahmet Öner fired his trainer Osmiri Fernández, replacing him with Ismeal Salas.

On July 18, 2008, dropping to featherweight, Gamboa obtained a technical knockout victory in the first round over Al Seeger to win the vacant WBO NABO featherweight title in a fight that took place at the Star Arena of Buffalo Bill in Primm, Nevada. A left hook to the body created a right hand that landed on Seeger's face, causing him to collapse flat backwards onto the canvas. The referee passed over Seeger without bothering to count, officially stopping the bout.

On October 5, 2008, Gamboa stepped up in class once again, and fought Marcos Ramírez, a featherweight from Kansas City enjoying an undefeated 25-0 record in Temecula, California. Gamboa displayed incredible hand speed and quick combination punching in the first round before he was abandoned by what turned out to be an elbow to the chin by Ramírez. Gamboa quickly got to his feet and resumed fighting until the bell sounded to indicate the end of the round. In the second round, Gamboa picked up where he left off and called Ramírez down with a quick right uppercut, followed by another combination. Ramírez received the referee's count of eight before getting to his feet. Gamboa then finished the fight by pressing Ramírez against the ropes and landing a left hook to the body, followed by a right uppercut to the jaw. The referee stopped the fight, although it appeared his count was too quick and Ramírez was back on his feet by the count of ten. With the victory record Gamboa improved to 12-0 (10 KOs).

Gamboa's next fight was held at the Star Arena of Buffalo Bill in Primm, Nevada, on January 9, 2009 against Roger González. Gamboa used quick combinations from the beginning through the third round to attack González without rest. Gamboa began his assault after going down during the second round, after absorbing a concealed right hand by González. [Original research?] The referee stopped the fight one-sidedly with 48 seconds remaining after González suffered a barrage of blows to the head. Gamboa was ahead 89-82 on one judge's scorecard and 89-83 on the cards of the other two judges through nine rounds.

On February 20, 2009, Gamboa fought Walter Estrada at the Nova Southeastern University Center. Gamboa knocked out Estrada with a left hook to the body followed by a right hand to the face 25 seconds into the fight. On April 17, 2009 Gamboa stopped José Rojas by technical knockout in 10 rounds to win the interim WBA featherweight title. On October 10, 2009 Gamboa stopped Whyber García in the fourth round to win the WBA featherweight title.

On January 23, 2010, at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, WBA "regular" featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa (17-0, 15 knockouts) destroyed Rogers Mtagwa (26-14-2, 18KOs) in two rounds. Gamboa had a dominant first round. He buzzed Mtagwa several times from several angles and scored a knockdown in the last ten seconds with a selling hook. The damage continued in the second round, mistreating Mtagwa and sending him down two more times before the fight was stopped.

On March 27, 2010 in Hamburg, Germany Gamboa dominated Argentine boxer Jonathan Víctor Barros over twelve rounds to retain the WBA featherweight title with a unanimous decision.

On September 11, 2010 Gamboa fought Orlando Salido to unify the WBA and IBF featherweight titles, winning by unanimous decision. In the eighth round, Salido had knocked Gamboa down with a fleeting right cross. However, in the final round the count was for Salido who touched the floor with his glove after a punch from Gamboa. Seconds later, Gamboa attacked Salido again knocking him out, but he was deducted two points for hitting the back of Salido's head when he was already down. With this victory, Gamboa became the first Cuban boxer to hold the IBF world title since the organization's creation.

In September 2012 he defeated Filipino Michael Farenas in a difficult fight over 12 rounds after 15 months away from the ring. The Guantanamo Cyclone needed all 12 rounds to prevail, although he dominated in almost every round from start to finish he had difficulties in the ninth round where the Filipino almost knocked him out.

Gamboa has a record of (22-0, 16 KO) and continues to be that powerful and explosive puncher who is liked by the public and the executives who make boxing a multimillion-dollar spectacle. Gamboa has to continue training hard to become a professional boxing star and distance himself from the bad image left after being away for more than a year dealing with legal problems related to contract issues.