Choose It: Christian Mbilli vs. Sergey Derevyanchenko
When to Watch: Saturday, August 17.
The principle broadcast begins at 10 p.m. Japanese Time (3 a.m. BST). The preliminary broadcast begins at 5 p.m Japanese Time (10 p.m. BST).
The right way to Watch: The principle broadcast can be on ESPN, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes in the US, and Sky Sports activities in the UK and Eire.
The preliminary broadcast will stream on ESPN+.
Why to Watch: Mbilli, an undefeated tremendous middleweight prospect, is finally stepping up towards a battle-tested opponent. The query is whether or not the battle-tested Derevyanchenko is now too battle-worn to permit us to scout simply the place Mbilli is in his improvement.
We’ll discover out on this present, which takes place on the Centre Videotron in Quebec Metropolis.
Mbilli is a 29-year-old who was born in Cameroon, lives in France, and fights out of Quebec. He’s 27-0 (23 KOs) and has already fought twice in 2024, ending Rohan Murdock in six in January after which disposing of Mark Heffron with a 40-second body-shot knockout in Might. In 2023, Mbilli outpointed Carlos Gongora and put away Demond Nicholson in 4 rounds.
Derevyanchenko has infamously at all times been the bridesmaid, by no means the bride.
His professional report of 15-5 (10 KOs) consists of defeats towards recognizable names: an in depth cut up resolution loss to Daniel Jacobs in a 2018 middleweight title combat; an in depth unanimous resolution loss to Gennadiy Golovkin in a 2019 middleweight title combat; a choice loss to Jermall Charlo in a 2020 middleweight title combat; a majority resolution loss to Carlos Adames at middleweight in 2021; and an in depth unanimous resolution loss to Jaime Munguia at tremendous middleweight in 2023 in a conflict that received Struggle of the 12 months honors.
Derevyanchenko, who initially hails from Ukraine and now lives in Brooklyn, did notch a number of wins between these losses, outpointing Jack Culcay in 2019 and Joshua Conley in 2022, and he’s coming off a shutout victory over Vaughn Alexander this previous April. However Derevyanchenko can also be now 38 years previous, and it’s honest to wonder if age plus put on and tear will work towards him, or if he’ll have the ability to as soon as once more check one other up-and-comer.
“Derevyanchenko’s achievements converse for themselves,” mentioned Mbilli’s promoter, Camille Estephan of Eye of the Tiger, in a press launch again when the combat was introduced. “It is a very harmful combat, however extraordinarily vital for Christian Mbilli’s development.”
If Derevyanchenko nonetheless has some combat left in him — and the flexibility to take a punch — then this may very well be a enjoyable one.
On the primary undercard, heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov will face Guido Vianello.
Makhmudov, 19-1 (18 KOs), is preventing for the second time since being stopped in 4 rounds by Agit Kabayel final December. He returned in Might with a second-round knockout of Miljan Rovcanin.
Vianello, 12-2-1 (10 KOs), was forward on the scorecards when he took his first defeat, getting stopped on a reduce within the seventh spherical towards Jonathan Rice in January 2023. After choosing up a pair of victories, Vianello misplaced a cut up resolution to Efe Ajagba this previous April.
Makhmudov and Vianello have met as soon as earlier than, again in 2015 within the semi-pro World Sequence of Boxing. Makhmudov received through fourth-round TKO as a result of Vianello struggling an ear harm.
And the preliminary broadcast will function a number of prospects. Foremost amongst them is unbeaten tremendous middleweight Osleys Iglesias, 11-0 (10 KOs) towards Sena Agbeko, 28-3 (22 KOs).
Iglesias is coming off two straight first-round wins, placing away Marcelo Coceres in March and Evgeny Shvedenko in June. Agbeko is himself a latest sufferer of an early night time, despatched packing in two rounds by David Morrell final December
Light-weight prospect Abdullah Mason, 14-0 (12 KOs), is scheduled to satisfy Mike Ohan Jr., 19-2 (9 KOs). Additionally on this present in separate bouts: tremendous middleweight Wilkens Mathieu, 9-0 (6 KOs) and junior light-weight Thomas Chabot, 10-0 (8 KOs), amongst others.
Extra Fights to Watch
Saturday, August 17: Denzel Bentley vs. Derrick Osaze (TNT Sports activities 1)
The published begins at 7 p.m. BST.
Bentley is a 29-year-old middleweight seeking to win his second combat in a row, constructing some much-needed momentum after a pair of setbacks.
The Londoner moved to 19-3-1 (16 KOs) due to the second-round technical knockout he scored over Danny Dignum in Might. Earlier than that, he had misplaced two of his final three. Dignum was outpointed by WBO titleholder Zhanibek Alimkhanuly in November 2022. He then knocked Kieran Smith out in 45 seconds in April 2023, however then was upset through majority resolution by Nathan Heaney this previous November.
His opponent at York Corridor in London is Osaze, a 30-year-old from Nottingham. Osaze has received three straight since a 2021 factors loss to Tyler Denny. Most not too long ago, Osaze moved to 13-1 (3 KOs) in March due to a third-round TKO towards the shell of Joel Julio, giving “The Love Little one” his sixteenth consecutive loss.
Observe David Greisman on Twitter @FightingWords2. His guide, “Combating Phrases: The Coronary heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is accessible on Amazon.
