June 27: Christian Mbilli-Maciej Sulecki
Interim Super Middleweight World Title Showdown
Set For Videotron Centre In Quebec City LIVE On ESPN+!
(April 24th) Montreal-based slugger Christian Mbilli is finally getting his opportunity.
The unbeaten 29-year-old contender will lock horns with Poland’s Maciej Sulecki for the WBC Interim super middleweight world title on Friday, June 27, at Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada.
In the 10-round super middleweight co-feature, once-beaten Erik Bazinyan and two-time world title challenger Steven Butler will collide in an all-Canadian clash.
Mbilli-Sulecki, Bazinyan-Butler and additional undercard fights will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.
Promoted by Eye of the Tiger, in association with Top Rank, tickets go on sale Friday, April 25, at 10 a.m. ET via Ticketmaster.com.
“Christian Mbilli is one of the most exciting fighters in boxing today, and this is the moment he’s been waiting for,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “He’s taking on a tough, experienced veteran in Maciej Sulecki, who’s coming off a huge upset. This has all the makings of a firefight in front of one of North America’s best boxing crowds.”
Mbilli (28-0, 23 KOs), a 2016 Olympian from France by way of Cameroon, turned pro in 2017 and rattled off 13 straight knockouts. Since then, all but five of his wins have come inside the distance. In 2024, he solidified his status as the division’s top contender, dismantling Rohan Murdock in six rounds in January before icing Mark Heffron in one in May. Mbilli capped off the run with a grueling 10-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko. He is currently ranked No. 1 by the WBC and WBA and No. 2 by the WBO.
Mbilli said, “I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long, I’ve worked so hard to get here, and there’s no way I’m leaving without the belt on June 27. I want to salute my opponent for having the courage to accept this challenge. But once we’re in the ring, he’ll have to face all the intensity and rage I’ve built up against those who refused to fight me.”
“A world title is on the line, but in Christian Mbilli’s case, it’s also the culmination of a lifetime of work. That’s why we’re confident he won’t miss his chance. We saw the beating Sulecki handed to the fearsome Ali Akhmedov, but as we’ve been saying for years now, Christian is on another level. The winner of this fight will solidify their position as the top contender to Canelo and Scull’s titles. So, the stakes are sky-high for Christian and for all of Quebec boxing. We’re calling on the entire province to show up in Quebec City to support him on June 27,” said Eye of the Tiger President Camille Estephan.
Sulecki (33-3, 13 KOs) is a 35-year-old veteran whose only defeats have come against former world champions Daniel Jacobs and Demetrius Andrade, along with unbeaten contender Diego Pacheco. The Polish former title challenger bounced back from the Pacheco loss by traveling to Kazakhstan in February to take on unbeaten slugger Akhmedov in front of a hostile crowd. Sulęcki outworked the younger Akhmedov, building a lead on the cards before closing the show with a 10th-round TKO.
Sulecki said, “This fight is between me and Canelo, so we can square away our beef from sparring. Of course, Christian Mbilli will not be an easy fight, but I have never felt better since my return with my trainer. I am in a great place with my team, and everyone is doing their part. On June 27, I will make sure I do mine with a statement in his hometown.”
Bazinyan (32-1-1, 23 KOs) is an 11-year pro from Armenia who moved to Canada as a teenager. In 2023, he earned wins over Jose de Jesus Macias and Ronald Ellis to retain his regional titles and top 10 status. He faced his first professional setbacks the following year, fighting to a draw versus Shakeel Phinn in May before losing via 10th-round knockout against Jaime Munguia in September. Butler has twice fought for a world title, challenging Ryota Murata for the WBA crown in December 2019 and Janibek Alimkhanuly for the WBO title in May 2023. Since the Janibek fight, he’s 3-1 with three knockouts, including a first-round stoppage over Fernando Ezequiel Farias last November.
In additional ESPN+-streamed action:
Heavyweight knockout artist Arslanbek Makhmudov (19-2, 18 KOs) returns in a 10-rounder versus unbeaten Ontario-based Ricardo Brown (12-0, 11 KOs). Makhmudov looks to bounce back from his loss to Guido Vianello last August, while Brown, who represented Jamaica at the Tokyo Olympics, takes a huge step up in opposition.
Junior lightweight contender Leïla Beaudoin (12-1, 1 KO) will battle against former world champion Elhem Mekhaled (17-3, 3 KOs) in a 10-rounder. Last year, Beaudoin avenged her loss to Elizabeth Chavez Espinoza via eight-round decision in January before decisioning Lizbeth Crespo across 10 in August. Mekhaled returns after challenging Chantelle Cameron for an interim title last July.
21-year-old junior welterweight phenom Jhon Orobio (13-0, 11 KOs) and undefeated lightweight Luis Santana (13-0, 6 KOs) will return in separate 10-round fights, while Quebec City native Wilkens Mathieu (13-0, 9 KOs) sees action in an eight-rounder.
About ESPN+
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About ESPN
In the UK, ESPN operates a successful and growing business that includes a collection of leading sports websites and apps, an expanding sports content sales business, live and on-demand streaming service ESPN Player, and a long-term collaboration with BT Sport that includes BT Sport operating an ESPN-branded channel as part of its television business.
ESPN UK combines bespoke content from an experienced London-based team with the best writing on other sites in ESPN’s global digital portfolio, including ESPNcricinfo.com and ESPN FC. More than 100 staff from multiple locations contribute to ESPN UK’s coverage across football, rugby, cricket, tennis, boxing and golf, offering both a local and global view.
ESPN’s UK business is part of ESPN International, a division of ESPN, Inc., which has grown to include ownership — in whole or in part — of 26 television networks outside of the United States, as well as a variety of additional businesses that allow ESPN to reach sports fans in more than 60 countries and territories across all seven continents. Since 1983, ESPN (founded in Bristol, Connecticut, in 1979) has grown around the world, establishing itself as the leading global sports media brand – ESPN.com is one of the world’s leading sports websites. The company’s philosophy to global growth is to always serve sports fans and be locally relevant to them, with content and products that tap into their great passion and dedication. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.
About Top Rank
Innovation has been the standard at Top Rank since it was established in 1966 by Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. The boxing industry’s leading promotional company, Top Rank has shaped, developed, and promoted the careers of top international pay-per-view superstars and Hall of Famers, including Muhammad Ali, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Aaron Pryor, Alexis Arguello, Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miguel Cotto, Erik Morales, Terence Crawford, and Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Top Rank has promoted some of the most memorable fights in the sport’s history, including 26 Ali events, Leonard vs. Hearns, Pryor vs. Arguello, Duran vs. Leonard, Hagler vs. Hearns, Leonard vs. Hagler, Foreman vs. Holyfield, Morales vs. Barrera, De La Hoya vs. Trinidad, and the most lucrative fight in boxing history, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. In addition to the previously mentioned super fights, Top Rank possesses one of the largest sports libraries, which includes nearly 10,000 fights.
Known for creating strategic collaborations between athletes, sponsors, and television networks, Top Rank has been an architect of boxing’s global growth by staging high-profile events in landmark settings around the world, including Madison Square Garden, MGM Grand Garden Arena, Staples Center, Wembley Arena, Araneta Coliseum, The Venetian Macao, Yankee Stadium, Radio City Music Hall, The “Fabulous” Forum, and AT&T Stadium. Top Rank has also been the leader within the boxing industry in creating unforgettable in-arena experiences for fans and embracing 21st century technological advancements to distribute world-class fights and shoulder programming across a variety of platforms.
Eye of the Tiger
Since 2008, Eye of the Tiger has been committed to recruiting the most promising talent, arming them with the tools and support to ensure their success, and creating opportunities that will allow them to scale the greatest heights of their endeavors. In order to achieve excellence, we work as arduously and with the same ferocious determination as our athletes do in the ring.
Ten years after its inception, EOTTM is as determined than ever and reiterates its goal of building a force to be reckoned with on the international scene, and to train champions who will transcend the sport and kindle passions.
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