(Montreal) The worst kept secret in professional boxing is no longer one: Christian Mbilli will indeed face the Ukrainian Sergiy Derevyanchenko on August 17 at the Videotron Center.
This will be a second major gala in just eight months to be held at the home of the Remparts, after the unification duel between Artur Beterbiev and Callum Smith.
Mbilli (27-0, 23 KOs) only took 40 seconds to defeat the Englishman Mark Heffron last Saturday in Shawinigan. The No. 1 contender at the World Boxing Council, No. 2 at the World Boxing Association, and No. 3 at the International Boxing Federation as well as the World Boxing Organization, will however face Derevyanchenko (15-5, 10 K. – O.), an opponent who, like him, is part of the world elite.
PHOTO FRANK FRANKLIN II, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Sergiy Derevyanchenko
Derevyanchenko has also made the jump from middleweight to super-middleweight in order to take away the belts currently held by Canelo Alvarez.
The Ukrainian has racked up nearly 400 victories among amateurs and is ranked sixth among WBC contenders. His five defeats came at the hands of the cream of the crop at 160 or 168 pounds: Daniel Jacobs, Gennady Golovkin, Jermall Charlo, Carlos Adames and Jaime Munguia, including one majority decision and one split.
A first face to face between Mbilli and Derevyanchenko should take place in the coming weeks. The rest of the card will be revealed soon.