Mbilli Out To Prove Super-Middleweight Credentials Against Derevyanchenko
Christian Mbilli is convinced he can beat any fighter at super-middleweight and is determined to make a statement when he faces Sergiy Derevyanchenko on August 17.
Mbilli (27-0-0 23 KO) has emerged as a leading contender in a stacked 168lbs division and is coming off a brutal first-round knockout victory over former British champion Mark Heffron on May 25.
The French fighter next faces arguably the toughest challenge of his career against Derevyanchenko (15-5-0 10 KO). Despite losing 25 percent of his professional bouts, the Ukrainian has challenged for world titles three times and four of his losses have come against world champions (Daniel Jacobs, Gennadiy Golovkin, Jermall Charlo, and Carlos Adames). His other loss came to Jaime Munguia.
Mbilli is determined to show that he belongs in that same category and is confident he will show against Derevyanchenko that he can challenge the best super-middleweights in the world.
Mbilli ‘Could Beat’ Anyone At 168
“Give me three months of training camp, and I could beat them now,” Mbilli said in an interview with ESPN. Turning his focus to Derevyanchenko, the 29-year-old added: “He is a very good boxer. He has great experience, he has a lot of fights as an amateur, and he has fought [a lot of] the champions as a professional.”
Mbilli has fought much of his career in Canada and France and will once again fight in Canada when he takes on Derevyanchenko at the Centre Videotron in Quebec City. In fact, only three of his 27 professional fights have taken place in the United States, but a win next month will surely open doors for more high-profile fights Stateside.
“I am going to try to knock him out. But, I am going to win this fight for sure,” Mbilli predicted.
Mbilli is currently ranked in the top three of the super-middleweight rankings by all four governing bodies and sits behind only champion Canelo Alvarez and interim champion David Benavidez with the WBC – and those are the two main targets for his promoter Bob Arum.
Benavidez Interested In Fight
“Those are tremendous fights. Mbilli is fearless in the ring. I don’t know how Canelo would feel about that. At this particular time, he can pick his shots,” the Top Rank president said in May. “Mbilli and Benavidez would be a terrific fight. [Co-promoter] Camille [Estephan] feels the same way we do – no more messing around, let’s go after the brass golden ring. And that’s what we’re going to do.”
The problem Mbilli faces is whether other leading contenders would be willing to fight him, instead holding out for more lucrative bouts and world title shots against Canelo.
Benavidez’s father, Jose, said earlier this year that his son is interested in the fight, describing the Frenchman as a “monster … That’s another guy we’d like to fight.” However, much has changed since then, with Benavidez’s successful move up to light-heavyweight.
Before any potential blockbuster bouts with bigger names at 168lbs, Mbilli will first need to get past the tricky Derevyanchenko.
