Super middleweight contenders Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Christian M’bili will be headlining a co-promotional Top Rank and Eye of the Tiger Promotions card on August 17th at the Centre Videotron in Quebec, Canada. The card will also feature other notable fighters, including Russian heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov and Cuban contender Osleys Iglesias, who will be seeking to prove his own credentials in the 168 lbs division against Ghanaian fighter Sena Agbeko.
With Frenchman Christian M’bili (27-0, 23 KO’s) considered one of the best super middleweight (168 lbs) contenders in the world, Sergiy Derevyanchenko (15-5, 10 KO’s) will be an ideal test to see where he stands compared to other top contenders in his division.
Derevyanchenko will be a tough challenge, having pushed Mexican contender Jaime Munguia (43-1, 34 KO’s) to the brink last year in a unanimous decision (UD) loss, while showing himself fit for top competition after disposing of Vaughn Alexander (18-12-1, 11 KO’s) in April in dominant fashion.
Christian M’bili’s form and ability should dictate the match, with his upcoming fight against Sergiy Derevyanchenko giving him the opportunity to maintain his knockout (KO) streak while continuing to position himself as a worthy contender to undisputed Mexican champion Canelo Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KO’s).
The 168 lbs non-title bout between the two contenders has been set for a total of 10 rounds.
The undercard will also feature Arslanbek Makhmudov (19-1, 18 KO’s) continuing his path to redemption following his loss last December to Agit Kabayel (25-0, 17 KO’s). With Makhmudov currently having a record of 1-1 over his last two matches, the Russian fighter will be seeking to net a winning record again by facing Italian heavyweight (200+ lbs) Guido Vianello (12-2-1, 10 KO’s).
Vianello will also be a tough customer, despite losing to Nigerian heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba (20-1, 14 KO’s) by split decision (SD). Having fought Ajagba to arguably the point of maybe deserving a win, Vianello’s recent loss does not dictate he is incapable of pulling an upset, but Makhmudov will be heading into the non-title 10-round bout as the clear favorite.
At super middleweight, Cuban talent Osleys Iglesias (11-0, 10 KO’s) will also be on the undercard and seek to prove himself a legitimate candidate for a title shot similar to M’bili and Derevyanchenko. Iglesias will be facing Ghanaian contender Sena Agbeko (28-3, 22 KO’s) who notably fought and lost last December to Iglesias’ higher-rated countryman and 168 lbs WBA “regular” champion David Morrell (10-0, 9 KO’s).
On paper, Iglesias appears to be the overwhelming favorite, boasting a similarly high KO ratio to Morrell and facing an opponent in Agbeko that is coming off a stoppage loss. However, Agbeko will likely be more cautious as he faces his second hard-hitting Cuban adversary in a row, and is not expected to make the same mistakes as he did in his last match.
American prospects Abdullah Mason (14-0, 12 KO’s) and Jahi Tucker (11-1-1, 5 KO’s) will also be featured on the joint-promoted card, respectively fighting at lightweight (135 lbs) and middleweight (160 lbs) and continuing their quest to remain as active as possible by fighting within 3 months after both only recently fought.
