Christian Mbilli Promises ‘War’ Against Sergey Derevyanchenko
Super-middleweight contender Christian Mbilli has told Sergey Derevyanchenko to expect a “war” when the pair fight in Quebec City, Canada on Saturday.
Mbilli (27-0-0 23 KO) puts his WBC Continental Americas title on the line against Derevyanchenko (15-5-0 10 KO) in the headline bout at Centre Videotron this weekend. The winner will put themselves in an excellent position for a shot at the WBC world champion, currently unified title holder Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
Mbilli is building a reputation as one of the most dangerous 168lbs fighters on the planet and is ranked in the top three by all four major sanctioning bodies. However, the Cameroonian faces undoubtedly the toughest challenger of his career so far against Derevyanchenko.
The Ukrainian may have lost five times as a professional, but three of those losses were against world champions (Daniel Jacobs, Gennady Golovkin, and Jermall Charlo), while only a 12th-round knockdown cost him a draw against Jaime Munguia in a razor-close decision loss in June 2023.
The 38-year-old Brooklyn-based boxer was also an accomplished amateur, so his blend of power, skill, and grit has made him a tough proposition for any top fighter.
“There’s no doubt that it will be an action-packed fight,” Mbilli, 29, told The Ring. “He’s not going to hide or run. We’re both offensive fighters. Both throwing a lot of punches. Fans won’t want to miss this one. There’s going to be a lot of punches exchanged. I’m going to give him a war.”
Mbilli will enter Saturday’s fight as the slight favorite with the bookmakers, but the Cameroonian is aware he is in for a tough and competitive fight against an opponent who’s never been stopped.
“He’s a complete fighter,” Mbilli said. “Good counter puncher, good defense. He has good boxing and physical abilities. He’s in great shape and always leaves everything on the ring.
“It’s hard to stop a fighter that is that solid, and that always leaves everything on the ring. You would have to be in terrific shape to stop him, which I think I am. I’m ready, physically and mentally to give him the toughest fight of his career.”
Given his position of strength near the top of the super-middleweight rankings, Mbilli is keeping a close eye on the unified world title fight between Canelo and Edgar Berlanga on September 14 and is hopeful that a win against Derevyanchenko will lead to his own shot at the belts.
“I hope that I’ll be able to get a world title shot after this fight,” said Mbilli, whose last fight in May lasted only 40 seconds when he folded the experienced Mark Heffron with a savage body shot.
Camille Estephan, the president of Eye Of The Tiger Promotions who represent Mbilli, has echoed his fighter’s comments and is convinced he is ready for his shot at a super-middleweight title.
“Christian is in tremendous shape, excellent camp so far,” Estephan said. “Timing is so important and we feel he is ready to show the world he is a legitimate threat to all the crowns at 168. Obviously the winner between Mbilli and Derevyanchenko will end up in a massive fight. We’re sharpening our tools and August 17 will be a cracker.”
