Undefeated super middleweight contender Christian ‘Solide’ Mbilli 27-0 (23) is expecting the toughest test of his career when he takes on the well-credentialed Sergiy Derevyanchenko 15-5 (10) over 10 rounds at Centre Vidéotron in Quebec City, Canada on August 17.
Ukrainian Derevyanchenko, 37, may have lost five out of his last eight bouts, but all of his losses have been competitive and he has never been stopped.
The big-punching Mbilli will be looking to change that.
“When ESPN offered us three names, I immediately told [trainer] Marc [Ramsay]: ‘We want Derevyanchenko’,” said Cameroon-born Frenchman Mbilli, 29, who boxes out of Canada.
“I’ve been following his career since I was 15. He defeated many elite boxers from the French team, but unfortunately turned professional when I moved up to seniors.
“I’ve extensively analysed Derevyanchenko’s fights to perfect my technique. It’s an honour for me to fight him and I intend to thank him by giving him the toughest fight of his life. It’s going to be a war on August 17th, you don’t want to miss it.”
Derevyanchenko has been oh-so-close to victory in many of his defeats. Against current or future world titleholders Daniel Jacobs, Gennadiy Golovkin, Carlos Adames and Jaime Munguia, at least one of the three official judges had him leading, a draw or trailing by no worse than a point after the final bell.
Derevyanchenko believes he is due for a little luck on the scorecards, but he refuses to dwell in the past.
“I could have won in the past against the other guys, put the but past is the past,” he said.
“I respect my opponent. Mbilli’s undefeated, he’s a strong guy, but I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’ve seen it all and I will be the winner on August 17th.”
Camille Estephan of Montreal-based promotional outfit Eye of the Tiger says the plan is to keep building Mbilli into a regional draw.
“The vision for Christian is that he will be the A-side at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City,” Estephan said to FightsATW. “That’s where we want him to fight, so that is what we are doing. It holds 20,000 people.
“I think Derevyanchenko is one of the best fighters in the world who doesn’t have a title now.
“He has an amateur record of 390 wins and 20 losses. I think he was 22-1 in the WSB [World Series of Boxing]. He’s now 15-5 [as a professional]. Those five losses are against guys who were either former world champions or have become world champions since.
“When you look closer at his losses, there were a couple that were very controversial and some were very close. Against Golovkin there was a score of 113-114.
“This is a very big test. If Christian does what we think he can do, well then, we are near the top of the food chain. [Current undisputed 168-pound champion] Canelo [Alvarez] or whoever is on top will have to fight him; the fans will want it.
“The response has been so amazing to the Derevyanchenko announcement, it will be a good night in August. It will definitely be a war, a war of attrition type of thing, but Christian now has all the tools for any man at super middleweight.
“We are very confident. I saw him yesterday and he’s very focused and motivated. He still wants Canelo and he wants to show that he still deserves Canelo. Derevyanchenko is the best option for him to show that.”
