Christian Mbilli takes on Sergiy Derevyanchenko this Saturday, August 17, at the Centre Videotron in Quebec, Canada.
Mbilli is potentially on the verge of a huge fight and victory over the seasoned Derevyanchenko will cement his position as a top challenger to super middleweight king Canelo Alvarez. Already ranked at number one by the WBC and in the top three by all four sanctioning bodies, Mbilli will likely face unified champion Alvarez or perhaps the winner of William Scull vs. Vladimir Shishkin for the vacant IBF title should he win.
The 29-year-old is on a run of three consecutive knockout victories and in his last outing stopped Britain’s Mark Heffron in the opening 40 seconds with a well-picked body shot. Mbilli has looked impressive, scoring decent wins over the likes of Rohan Murdock, Carlos Gongora and Nadjib Mohammedi.
His star has rocketed in Canada, since moving from his native France, and Mbilli 27-0, (23 KOs), has promised another explosive performance in front of his growing fan base.
“I hope this opportunity is the final step towards a world title,” said Mbilli. “I want to show that I’m the best. I want to show that I’m the real monster. We’re going to see who has the best conditioning. We’re going to see who has the best boxing. For me, it will be no surprise because I’m the best. I don’t know [if this fight goes 10 rounds]. But I know that if he gives me any opportunity to knock him out, I will knock him out.”
As impressive as the Frenchman’s record may be, Mbilli is yet to face a true world-class operator, and although Derevyanchenko may be now 38 years old – he certainly represents Mbilli’s toughest test. Derevyanchenko’s 15-5 (10 KOs) record may fool those who are not familiar with the Ukrainian’s craft, but the veteran has been on the wrong side of close decisions against top fighters numerous times.
In their June 2023 meeting, many believed Derevyanchenko had done enough to surpass Jaime Munguia, but he lost a split decision. In 2018, the Ukrainian came dangerously close to defeating Danny Jacobs, and in 2021, Carlos Adames came away with a questionable majority decision victory. And who can forget Derevyanchenko’s war with Gennady Golovkin? The Ukrainian pushed the middleweight legend to the wire, but ultimately missed out on the IBF title.
As hard as Derevyanchenko has pushed the top fighters at 160 and 168 pounds, his powers may be fading. The veteran has only won two of his last six contests but regardless of his age and losses, Derevyanckenko remains confident and insists his experience will be a telling factor.
“Every fight that I’ve had has helped me get this opportunity,” said Derevyanchenko. “I’m ready for an aggressive fight. I’ve seen him fight. He is strong. He is aggressive, but I’m ready. As soon as I heard about this fight, I decided I was going to sign to fight him because this is the number one guy. My experience is an advantage. It has helped me. We will see what happens.”
Questions are being asked of both men. Is Mbilli really what he has been hyped up to be? Has Derevyanchenko still got what it takes at the highest level? Can Mbilli become the first man to stop the Ukrainian?
These questions should make for an intriguing affair and one that will surely shape the future of both men. A fifth defeat in seven fights for Derevyanchenko could spell the end of his career, while a loss for Mbilli will mean a long road back to being considered a legitimate challenger for a world championship.
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