The drought continues for the U.S. men's boxing team at the Olympics as welterweight Omari Jones lost to Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev of Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

Jones, despite his efforts, will return home with an Olympic bronze medal, underscoring a disappointing Olympics for Team USA.

The opening round was tightly contested, reflecting a recurring theme of these Olympics where close rounds have often gone against the Americans. Jones struggled to impress the five judges early on, leaving him at a disadvantage. Although he secured the second round on two scorecards, he couldn't sway the crucial third judge, which meant he needed a knockout to win.

In the final round, Muydinkhujaev effectively defended while maintaining his ground, ensuring he wouldn't be knocked out and keeping Jones at distance. It marked a fitting conclusion to a subdued Olympic campaign for the United States, which, despite its global stature, departs France with just one bronze medal, while its other seven boxers failed to medal.

Great Britain also endured a forgettable Olympics, mirroring the U.S. in disappointment. Their lone medalist, welterweight Lewis Richardson, settled for bronze after being eliminated by Mexico's Marco Verde.

Muydinkhujaev, the reigning world champion, aims to bolster Uzbekistan's gold medal tally in boxing, with the gold medal bout against Pan-Am Games gold medalist Verde of Mexico on the horizon.With a win, Verde's profile in professional boxing could be bolstered, leading to him becoming the most talked about Mexican prospect since Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.