Boxer Arslanbek Makhmudov will finally face Serbian champion Miljan Rovcanin during the May 25 gala at the Gervais Auto Center in Shawinigan, Eye of the Tiger Management announced Thursday.
This decision was made after his original opponent, Junior Fa, surprised everyone by recently announcing his retirement from sports.
Rovcanin (27-3, 18 KOs), a 30-year-old six-foot-four, 240-pound colossus, has won his last three fights. Throughout his career, he notably faced the German Agit Kabayel as part of the European Championship in 2018, as well as Jared Anderson two years ago. The Serbian was more recently the training partner of Croatian boxer Filip Hrgovic, which explains why he accepted the fight against Makhmudov despite very tight deadlines.
“Rovcanin is a good veteran who combines size and striking power. The only victories that eluded him were at the hands of the American super hope, Jared Anderson, and the only man to have suffered defeat to Arslanbek, Agit Kabayel,” described the coach of the adopted Montrealer, Marc Ramsay.
This will be the first fight for Makhmudov (18-1, 17 KOs) since his defeat by KO. technical in the fourth round of his fight against Kabayel on December 23, 2023, in Saudi Arabia. He then suffered two fractures to his right hand.
“I am happy that we were able to find a replacement of this caliber, but above all I am all the more anxious to see how Arslanbek’s right hand will react following his injury,” admitted the president of EOTTM , Camille Estephan.
This fight is added to the card which will feature the duel between Christian Mbilli (26-0, 22 KOs), who will put his WBC Continental of the Americas and WBA International titles at stake, and the Englishman Mark Heffron (30-3-1, 24 KOs).
