Mbilli Passes the Test in Quebec - Event Recap

By William Dumoulin
Photo Credit: Vincent Ethier – Eye of the Tiger

This Saturday at the Vidéotron Centre in Quebec City, Christian "Solid" Mbilli faced the biggest challenge of his career against Ukrainian veteran Sergiy Derevyanchenko, who had given Jaime Munguia a strong challenge last year. Broadcast on ESPN in the United States, this fight lived up to all its promises. Here’s a recap of the evening.

In the main event, Christian Mbilli (28-0, 23 KOs) faced Sergiy Derevyanchenko (15-6, 10 KOs) in a 10-round bout for the WBC Continental Americas and WBA International super-middleweight titles. The fight, billed as a war, did not disappoint, as both men exchanged numerous blows throughout the 10 rounds. However, a left arm injury to Derevyanchenko prevented him from throwing punches with that arm and from effectively defending against Mbilli's powerful right hands. This allowed Mbilli to land repeatedly, shaking Derevyanchenko on a few occasions. The fight ended with a unanimous decision victory for Mbilli (100-90, 99-91, and 98-92).

In the co-main event, Arslanbek "The Lion" Makhmudov (19-2, 18 KOs) faced American-Italian Guido Vianello (13-2-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round heavyweight clash. From the first round, Vianello's technical superiority was evident, and Makhmudov struggled to land his powerful shots. In the second round, a severe injury to Makhmudov's left eye worsened the situation, preventing him from seeing properly. The doctor stopped the fight in the 9th round after Makhmudov had absorbed many punches from Vianello.

Osleys Iglesias (12-0, 11 KOs), seeking to continue his streak of spectacular knockouts, took on Sena Agbeko (28-4, 22 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round bout. True to form, Iglesias sent Agbeko to the canvas in the first round. The Cuban finished the fight in the second round, with his opponent no longer responding to the punches.

One of boxing’s top prospects, Abdullah Mason (15-0, 13 KOs), returned to the ring against Mike Ohan Jr (19-3, 9 KOs) in an 8-round bout. This fight was brief, as Mason knocked Ohan down twice before Ohan’s corner stopped the fight in the second round.

The talented Leila Beaudoin (12-1, 1 KO) finally got the chance to fight for a minor title, taking on Bolivian Lizbeth Crespo (15-8, 4 KOs) for the WBO International super featherweight championship. Beaudoin dominated most of the rounds with an excellent jab that kept her opponent at bay. She won the fight by unanimous decision (100-90, 99-91, 98-92).

Quebec City native Wilkens Mathieu (10-0, 6 KOs) fought his 5th bout of the year against the tough Argentine Facundo Nicolas Galovar (15-12-2, 9 KOs). Known for his durability, Galovar absorbed Mathieu's best punches and went the distance, but lost by unanimous decision (60-54 X 3) to the Quebecer.

Young American prospect Jahi Tucker (12-1-1, 5 KOs) faced Argentine Santiago Fernandez (8-2-1, 4 KOs), who had posed a major challenge to Quebecer Alexandre Gaumont last May. Learning from that fight, Tucker avoided trading punches and kept Fernandez at bay with his jab, winning by unanimous decision (80-72 X 3).

Thomas "The Ghost" Chabot (11-0, 8 KOs) had the opportunity to box for the second time this year, this time against Argentine Matias Ezequiel Guenemil (10-4-1, 5 KOs), who had given Avery Martin Duval a good challenge in 2022. Guenemil showed great resilience, but Chabot emerged victorious with a unanimous decision from the judges (80-72 X 2, 79-73).

To kick off the event, Eye of the Tiger's newly signed Dzmitry Asanau (8-0, 3 KOs) fought an 8-round bout against Alexis Gabriel Camejo (8-4-1, 1 KO), who had managed to hold his own against top prospect Jhon Orobio last May. Asanau displayed a lot of talent, especially with his fluid movement and angles, allowing him to win by unanimous decision (80-72 X 3).