Super middleweight contender Christian Mbilli had just about the easiest night imaginable in Shawinigan this evening, smashing Britain’s Mark Heffron with a body shot just 40 seconds into the first round.
Heffron (30-4-1, 24 KO) came out throwing left hooks, but the fight seemed to leave him the moment Mbilli (27-0, 23 KO) touched his body. “Solide” landed some heavy swings along the ropes before sneaking in a thudding liver shot that put Heffron down for the count.
Next up for the unscathed Mbilli, who sits in all four sanctioning bodies’ top threes but will almost assuredly never get a crack at Canelo, is an August 17th showdown with Sergiy Derevyanchenko in Quebec. He’ll again be a heavy favorite against the aging, undersized vet, but Derevyanchenko has some brass ones and is extremely hard to get rid of, so that could turn into a quality scrap.
Last edited by Ruthless-RKO on 29 May 2024, 03:45, edited 1 time in total.
Two super middleweight sluggers are set to meet in the can’t-miss fistic blockbuster of the summer season.
Unbeaten, Montreal-based contender Christian “Solide” Mbilli will face three-time world title challenger Sergiy “The Technician” Derevyanchenko in the 10-round main event on Saturday, Aug. 17, at Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada.
Mbilli has knocked out 85 percent of his foes, while Derevyanchenko has never been stopped.
Promoted by Top Rank and Eye of the Tiger, Mbilli-Derevyanchenko will be broadcast live in the U.S. on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Sky Sports will have coverage in the U.K. & Ireland.
“There are few fighters I enjoy watching more than Christian Mbilli, and I can’t wait to see him perform in front of the tremendous Quebec City fans,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “That being said, he has a difficult task with Sergiy Derevyanchenko, one of the great action fighters in the sport. This will be a Fight of the Year contender for however long it lasts.”
“Derevyanchenko's achievements speak for themselves. This is a very dangerous fight, but extremely necessary for Christian Mbilli's progression. A victory is not only crucial for the continuation of his career but also for Quebec boxing, which, with a significant victory, would be in an excellent position to host important fights,” said Eye of the Tiger President Camille Estephan.
Mbilli (27-0, 23 KOs), a 2016 French Olympian, has been on a knockout rampage since turning pro in 2017. He won his first 13 fights via the short route and has maintained his power while stepping up the opposition. Mbilli knocked out former world title challenger Nadjib Mohammedi in 2022 and stopped Demond Nicholson the following year. He kicked off his 2024 campaign last Saturday with a 40-second stoppage of former British and Commonwealth super middleweight champion Mark Heffron. Mbilli is currently ranked in the top three by all major sanctioning organizations, including No. 1 by the WBC.
Mbilli said, "It's an honor to fight Sergiy Derevyanchenko. I've been hearing about him since I was 16, in the amateur ranks, where he defeated several Frenchmen. In the pros, he has only fought big names, so this will definitely be my biggest fight to date. I can't wait for it. It's going to be a war.”
Derevyanchenko (15-5, 10 KOs), a 2008 Olympian for Ukraine, won nearly 400 fights as an amateur. Now a 10-year professional, he fell short in three middleweight title opportunities, including a split decision defeat to Danny Jacobs in 2018 and a razor-thin unanimous decision loss to Gennadiy Golovkin the following year. Derevyanchenko moved up to super middleweight last year and lost to Jaime Munguia in a spirited Fight of the Year candidate. In April, he returned to the win column with a one-sided decision over Vaughn Alexander.
“I made the decision to move up to 168 to win a world title. During my entire career, I have always fought the best in the world, and on August 17, it will be no different,” Derevyanchenko said. “I’m fighting a tough opponent in Christian Mbilli, who’s ranked No. 1 in the WBC. If I win this fight, I expect to fight for a world title next, which has always been my ultimate goal. I expect August 17 to be a war and a Fight of the Year-type candidate, and I will be the winner.”
Jahi Tucker, Abdullah Mason, and Osleys Iglesias feature on the undercard
Christian Mbilli isn’t the only one making a quick turnaround on Top Rank’s August 17th Quebec show. Heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov, who shared a card with “Solide” last month, will meet Guido Vianello in the co-main event.
Makhmudov (19-1, 18 KOs) built a head of steam with a series of quick knockouts and a hard-fought decision over Carlos Takam, but found himself at the mercy of Agit Kabayel’s body attack when they met in November. His return to the ring saw him clobber Miljan Rovcanin, and while that says exactly nothing about whether he’s stepped up his game, that loss to Kabayel has aged quite well.
Vianello (12-2-1, 10 KOs) has never quite found his footing in the pro ranks despite an Olympic pedigree, drawing with Kingsley Ibeh in 2020 before suffering a cut stoppage against Jonathan Rice three years later in a fight he was winning. His last bout saw him fall just short on the cards against Efe Ajagba after nearly stopping him inside of two rounds.
Solid little matchup between two guys in dire need of a big win. It should be fun while it lasts.
“Vianello is a tough fighter but also a very good fighter, as we saw in his last fight,” Makhmudov said. “This is an important step for me. I want to show that I am a top contender, and to get closer to my goal, I must prove that I’m better than this guy.”
“I’m ready to compete against the top heavyweights in the world. This is only the beginning of my journey,” Vianello said. “The fight with Arslanbek is exactly what I wanted at this point in my career, and I look forward to a great fight on August 17 in Quebec City.”
Top Rank regulars Jahi Tucker (11-1-1, 5 KOs) and Abdullah Mason (13-0, 11 KOs) will be in action on the undercard, as will top super middleweight prospect and Knockout of the Year contender Osleys Iglesias.
Super-middleweight contender Christian Mbilli has told Sergey Derevyanchenko to expect a “war” when the pair fight in Quebec City, Canada on Saturday.
Mbilli (27-0-0 23 KO) puts his WBC Continental Americas title on the line against Derevyanchenko (15-5-0 10 KO) in the headline bout at Centre Videotron this weekend. The winner will put themselves in an excellent position for a shot at the WBC world champion, currently unified title holder Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
Mbilli is building a reputation as one of the most dangerous 168lbs fighters on the planet and is ranked in the top three by all four major sanctioning bodies. However, the Cameroonian faces undoubtedly the toughest challenger of his career so far against Derevyanchenko.
The Ukrainian may have lost five times as a professional, but three of those losses were against world champions (Daniel Jacobs, Gennady Golovkin, and Jermall Charlo), while only a 12th-round knockdown cost him a draw against Jaime Munguia in a razor-close decision loss in June 2023.
The 38-year-old Brooklyn-based boxer was also an accomplished amateur, so his blend of power, skill, and grit has made him a tough proposition for any top fighter.
“There’s no doubt that it will be an action-packed fight,” Mbilli, 29, told The Ring. “He’s not going to hide or run. We’re both offensive fighters. Both throwing a lot of punches. Fans won’t want to miss this one. There’s going to be a lot of punches exchanged. I’m going to give him a war.”
Mbilli will enter Saturday’s fight as the slight favorite with the bookmakers, but the Cameroonian is aware he is in for a tough and competitive fight against an opponent who’s never been stopped.
“He’s a complete fighter,” Mbilli said. “Good counter puncher, good defense. He has good boxing and physical abilities. He’s in great shape and always leaves everything on the ring.
“It’s hard to stop a fighter that is that solid, and that always leaves everything on the ring. You would have to be in terrific shape to stop him, which I think I am. I’m ready, physically and mentally to give him the toughest fight of his career.”
Given his position of strength near the top of the super-middleweight rankings, Mbilli is keeping a close eye on the unified world title fight between Canelo and Edgar Berlanga on September 14 and is hopeful that a win against Derevyanchenko will lead to his own shot at the belts.
“I hope that I’ll be able to get a world title shot after this fight,” said Mbilli, whose last fight in May lasted only 40 seconds when he folded the experienced Mark Heffron with a savage body shot.
Camille Estephan, the president of Eye Of The Tiger Promotions who represent Mbilli, has echoed his fighter’s comments and is convinced he is ready for his shot at a super-middleweight title.
“Christian is in tremendous shape, excellent camp so far,” Estephan said. “Timing is so important and we feel he is ready to show the world he is a legitimate threat to all the crowns at 168. Obviously the winner between Mbilli and Derevyanchenko will end up in a massive fight. We’re sharpening our tools and August 17 will be a cracker.”
My first chance to see that Leo KO since back offa holiday.. Wow !
Nice to rewatch a few times on the big telly.
If anyone hasn't seen it, make sure you do - it really is special.
It's not really quick, or powerful as such it doesn't look like the most powerful blow, but that's what so special about it - unreal power comes from the perfect form.
Amazing technique.
margaret thatcher wrote: ↑17 Aug 2024, 19:47
looks like two more hours for mak-guido
Who ya got...?
tbh i gotta feeling this could be a rough one for mak, fighters with his style often go downhill fast when they get cracked the first time. guido isnt exactly great, he already lost/drawn to worse guys than mak, but he did box well last time and showed a good chin vs another good puncher. interesting fight, could really go either way tbh
Ya, every chance Makh just fizzles away - bit like Big Baby is/might.
Guido looks up for it and in the form of his life - might well be in right place @ right time...
another round for guido, although it's a bit slower than the others and perhaps the first round mak didnt take a pasting. his eye is looking nasty though
guido cruising it. mak backs to the ropes near the end of the round, cant tell if he's hurt there or trying to lure guido in for a big one. doctors looked at the eye at the start of the 5th but let it go
