BY KEITH IDEC
January 13, 2023
Source: Boxing Scene
Photo Source: Boxing Scene
Christian Mbilli is determined to maximize the ESPN exposure he’ll be afforded Saturday night.
The aggressive, hard-hitting super middleweight contender intends to take out Rohan
Murdock as quickly and impressively as possible to demonstrate his readiness for a title shot. Cameroon’s Mbilli (25-0, 21 KOs), who resides and trains in Montreal, and Australia’s Murdock (27-2, 19 KOs) will meet in the 10-round opener of an ESPN doubleheader that’ll feature undefeated light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev and former super middleweight champ Callum Smith in the 12-round main event.
“I think Murdock is a very technical boxer,” Mbilli told BoxingScene.com. “He’s very fast, very quick. He moves with his legs. He’s gonna move fast, and I think maybe he’s gonna box, like with a counterattack. I think he’s gonna try to outbox me.”
England’s Zach Parker (23-1, 17 KOs) knocked out Murdock during the 11th round of their March 2020 bout at AO Arena in Manchester, England. That is the only loss inside the distance Murdock has suffered during his 13-year professional career.
The 31-year-old Murdock has won each of his three fights since Parker stopped him, but he barely beat countryman Isaac Hardman in his most recent appearance. Nerang’s Murdock, who will end a 10-month layoff Saturday night, edged Brisbane’s Hardman (15-2, 13 KOs) by split decision last March 12 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.
Murdock could completely change his career if he upsets Mbilli, whom DraftKings sportsbook listed Friday as a 16-1 favorite. Mbilli, meanwhile, wants to show why he is ranked as the number contender by both the WBA and WBC, third by the IBF and fifth by the WBO.
“I think now in my fight I have to send a message,” Mbilli said. “I have to prove that I’m a future world champion. That’s why I need that type of fight. And that’s why I’m gonna win, and I’m gonna have a big win.”
The 28-year-old Mbilli wants to fight fully unified super middleweight champ Canelo Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) as soon as possible.
The 2016 Olympian understands, though, that he probably won’t get to challenge Alvarez next if he wins Saturday night. In fact, Mbilli believes he is more likely to fight for a vacant 168-pound championship at some point if he is installed as a mandatory challenger for one of the Mexican superstar’s four titles (https://www.boxingscene.com/christian-mbilli-i-hope-fight-with-canelo-very-soon-never-fought-boxer-like-me--180646).
Mbilli, who is co-promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc. and Eye of The Tiger, knocked out American veteran Demond Nicholson (26-6-1, 22 KOs) in the fourth round of his last fight September 8 at Hotel-Casino du Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.
ESPN’s two-bout broadcast is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday night.
Russia’s Beterbiev (19-0, 19 KOs), who also lives and trains in Montreal, will defend his IBF, WBC and WBO 175-pound championships against England’s Smith (29-1, 21 KOs), who is the WBC’s mandatory challenger for one of Beterbiev’s three titles, in the main event. Mbilli and Beterbiev are both trained by Marc Ramsey.
Comments