Written by: Sean Crose
While there are no big fights this weekend in the world of boxing, there is sure to be some exciting action in Canada as 38-year-old Sergey Derevyanchenko takes on super middleweight Christian Mbilli at Quebec's Center Videotron. The fight, scheduled for 10 rounds in the supermiddleweight division, will be broadcast live Saturday night on ESPN+. There is a lot riding on Mbilli in this game and maybe even more riding on Derevyanchenko's tournament. Because if Mbilli defeats his man, the chances of the veteran Derevyanchenko being recognized as a force will be over.
The Ukrainian fighter has not taken the world by storm since his impressive outings against Daniel Jacobs and Gennady Golovkin. It is true that Derevyanchecnko lost those fights, but the man is doing so well that some believe he deserves the IBF middleweight title, which he has fought for in both categories. The Jacobs fight was in 2018, while the Golovkin fight was in 2019. However, since then, Derevyanchenko has lost three out of five fights. Having lost most, if not all, of his big fights, Derevyanchenko is clearly looking to make his mark on boxing again.
He has a long schedule ahead of him in Mbilli this weekend, though. Firstly, Mbilli is nine years younger than him. In addition, Mbilli has stopped 23 of his 27 opponents from away. The French fighter (through Cameroon) has never lost a fight since turning pro in 2017. On the other hand, Mbilli has never faced a fighter like Derevyanchenko before. It's worth remembering that fighters who were thought to be gone have come back and made great second acts (George Foreman being a prime example of this). It is also worth remembering that Derevyanchenko lost only to famous stars (besides Jacobs and Golovkin, Derevyanchecnko was defeated by Carlos Adames, Jermall Charlo and Jaime Munguia).
All that being said, Mbilli and his team deserve credit for being willing to take on Derevyanchenko at this point in Mbilli's career. Billi is considered one of the best players in the world. With Canlo Alvarez dominating the division with steel boxing, it's hard to find a more lucrative weight class in today's boxing landscape. In other words, Mbilli is taking a real risk here. Also, it's good to see a young fighter willing to grind out a successful career through hard work and talent rather than hype and careful marketing.
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