Heavyweight beast Arslanbek Makhmudov faces a new foe following the shock retirement of original opponent Junior Fa.
Fa surprised the boxing world in recent days when he announced he would not be campaigning again. He subsequently withdrew from his scheduled bout on May 25 against Makhmudov.
Serbian national champion Miljan Rovcanin, a known power puncher, steps in at just over two weeks’ notice to take on the job. He will attempt to spoil the “Lion’s” comeback by stepping into the ring at the Gervais Auto Centre in Shawinigan with determination.
Rovcanin holds a record of 27-3 with 18 big KOs, and with those 30 fights of experience, he will not be intimidated when he enters the arena.
He has faced powerful punchers before, notably during the 2018 European Championship when he competed against Agit Kabayel before facing Jared Anderson two years ago. Since then, the 6’4″ and 240-pound athlete has remained active in the ring, winning his last three fights. He has also been active in the gym, serving as the main sparring partner for the formidable Croatian world contender Filip Hrgovic.
The 30-year-old right-hander never hesitated for a second to accept the challenge of facing the #12 IBF and #14 WBC heavyweight contender. However, one should not be mistaken; the challenge is significant for the Serbian camp but also for the Montreal clan, who will face a complete boxer on May 25:
“Rovcanin is a good veteran who combines size and punching power. The only defeats he suffered were at the hands of the American super prospect, Jared Anderson, and the only man to defeat Arslanbek, Agit Kabayel,” described Montreal’s adopted trainer, Marc Ramsay, referring to Kabayel as an additional motivation for his boxer.
Beyond the mental aspect, this fight will also provide answers to the physical challenges surrounding Makhmudov, for better or for worse against Rovcanin:
“I am glad we were able to find a replacement of this caliber, but even more anxious to see how Arslanbek’s right hand will react following his injury,” admitted EOTTM president Camille Estephan, emphasizing the depth of the card surrounding the heavyweight semifinal.
Following the bout between Rovcanin and Makhmudov, the main event will feature a duel between Christian ‘Solide’ Mbilli (26-0, 22 KOs) and the powerful English puncher Mark ‘Kid Dynamite’ Heffron (30-3-1, 24 KOs) with the WBC Continental Americas and WBA International titles of the Montrealer at stake. In addition to adding another win to his record, Mbilli, currently ranked 2nd WBC, 2nd WBA, 3rd IBF, and 4th WBO, will try to make noise in the vast British market to gain visibility and continue his journey towards winning a world championship fight.
Also in action, EOTTM’s Venezuelan protege Albert Ramirez (18-0, 15 KOs) will face contender Adam Deines (23-2-1, 14 KOs) for the WBA International and WBC Continental Americas titles in the 175-pound category. This bout, pitting the #4 and #5 contenders of the WBO against each other, will serve as an eliminator for the title currently held by Artur Beterbiev. Still in the light heavyweight division, Mehmet Unal (9-0, 7 KOs) will fight in front of the Mauritian crowd, in his first scheduled 10-round bout against the surprising American brawler Rodolfo Gomez Jr (14-7-3, 10 KOs).
Finally, the future of Quebec boxing will also be showcased, as Wilkens Mathieu (8-0, 5 KOs), Christopher Guerrero (10-0, 5 KOs), Alexandre Gaumont (10-0, 7 KOs), as well as Jhon Orobio (8-0, 8 KOs) and Moreno Fendero (5-0, 4 KOs) will step into the ring.
