Christian Mbilli Wins, Sergiy Derevyanchenko Earns Respect Saturday

The beautiful brutality of boxing at its best was on full display Saturday in Quebec City, Canada, between super middleweights Christian Mbilli of Montreal (28-0, 23 KOs) and three-time world title challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko of Ukraine (15-6, 10 KOs).

Mbilli proved his emerging talent is for real, delivering ten rounds of sheer punishment for fans at the Videotron Centre, who could hear the power shots connecting with force from the top rows in the arena. Mbilli wins by a unanimous decision. Scores were 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92.

Derevyanchenko Displays Bravery In Loss

Sergiy Derevyanchenko is the best fighter never to win a title, and among the most respected in boxing. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

Derevyanchenko again reminded fans why he’s among the most admired warriors in the sport. He refused to yield, even after he appeared to tear his left biceps after the fourth round of the fight. Derevyanchenko carried on with one good right hand.

“I have learned a lot,” said Mbilli after the win. Of his opponent, Mbilli said, “He’s a gladiator. He’s a warrior. He was in a difficult position. He was fighting, he’s a good boxer. I’m going to look at the fight again and learn some lessons from this.”

Whether you believe (like this writer) that longtime trainer Andre Rozier should have taken the decision out of Derevyanchenko’s hands and stopped the bout to prevent unnecessary damage, he kept his record of never being stopped intact. But to what end?

“I don’t want to lose. I’m still fighting. My legs were good here. I have only one arm. I need to move because if I stay, he punches in combination,” said Derevyanchenko. “I went to punch, throw the shot. I feel it, and I understand.

“But if I have two hands, I think it will be another situation,” said the proud Ukrainian, who thanked his fans, country, and family, leaving with his wife Iryna.

Should The Fight Have Been Stopped Earlier?

After the halfway point, was there really any reason to let Sergiy Derevyanchenko continue? Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

Rozier explained after the fight he knew the nature of Derevyanchenko’s injury, which is a painful one. “He has the heart of a warrior … and I asked him, do you want me to stop this fight? And he said no. That is the sign of a warrior. And he comes to fight. He fought one of the best 168 pounders with one hand, one hand, and he gave it everything he had.”

Mbilli landed 193 of 446 punches thrown (43%) against an impressing 113 of 308 punches thrown (37%) by the compromised Derevyanchenko. Mbilli landed 76 body shots.

Derevyanchenko won the fourth round on two scorecards as he adjusted to being a one-handed man. However, once the fight had passed the halfway point, Rozier should not have left the decision to Derevyanchenko. By stopping the fight, Derevyanchenko might be able to return to the ring. At this point, it’s a tough call asking him to risk his health after being in some of the most brutal wars any fighter has delivered in his career, including the 2023 Fight Of The Year against Jaime Munguia.

Christian Mbilli: “I want number one”

Christian Mbilli may not be ready for Canelo Alvarez – but how about Jaime Munguia? Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

Mbilli appeared after the fight with an ice pack on his right shoulder, saying he suffered his own injury and had trouble raising his right hand. Nevertheless, he put on an impressive performance. Asked what he'd like to do next, Mbilli said, “I'm ready for a big fight. I want to be world champion. I know I will be the best. To be the best, you must beat the best.

“I don't know to say any name, but everybody knows who is the number one. I have to beat the number one. I want my fight with the number one,” declared Mbilli.

The boxing world knows this means unified and former undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez of Mexico. Mbilli said he will be ringside for Alvarez's upcoming fight against Edgar Berlanga. But it's doubtful Alvarez will want to face the hard-punching Mbilli. How about setting the Cameroon native up against another Mexican fighter, Jaime Munguia? Sign us up for this.

Guido Vianello Delivers Best Ever Performance, Whips Makhmudov

Guido Vianello took Aslandbek Makhmudov apart in an impressive performance. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

In the co-main event, Guido Vianello of Italy (13-2-1, 11 KOs) had perhaps the best win of his professional career. Coming off a split decision loss to Efe Ajagba, Vianello applied the lessons learned and delivered nothing less than a whipping to Arslanbek Makhmudov (19-2, 18 KOs), a Russian-born fighter based in Marc Ramsey’s stable in Quebec. Vianello won after an eye injury to Makhmudov forced a referee stoppage after the eighth round.

After Makhmudov’s left eye was damaged in the third round on a right hook, Vianello took it to the bigger man, boxing smartly and launching nicely timed attacks to Vianello’s left where he couldn’t see. The smaller, nimble Vianello neutralized Makhmudov’s power to perfection.

The damaged eye of Aslandbek Makhmudov. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

The ringside physician examined the damaged eye three times before stopping the fight. Vianello was well ahead on the scorecards. Makhmudov had a point deducted for holding in the sixth round. In addition, a legitimate knockdown when Makhmudov’s gloves touched the canvas was missed by the referee in the eighth round. But it wouldn't have affected the outcome in the end.

Vianello landed 82 of 198 power punches thrown in eight rounds (41%) against just 21 of 131 power punches for Makhmudov (16%).

Makhmudov was also in a must-win situation after a shocking fourth-round TKO loss to Agit Kabayal in Riyadh last December. But where Makhmudov suffered a setback from his loss, Vianello grew from it. His performance likely earned him a nice payday and perhaps his own trip to Saudi Arabia later this year.

Abdullah Mason Moving Up Quickly

There's nothing not to like about lightweight Abdullah Mason, including the fact he's still just 20 years old. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

Top Rank’s lightweight star, 20-year-old Abdullah Mason of Cleveland (15-0, 13 KOs), delivered a swift end to his against 30-year-old veteran Mike Ohan, Jr. of Holbrook, Massachusetts (19-3, 9 KOs). Mason scored two knockdowns en route to a second-round TKO win.

Mason nailed Ohan with a left uppercut in the first round, sending Ohan onto his backside. The dazed Ohan was a sitting duck when Mason blew him out with a combination series, a right hook doing the honors to drop Mason again. At this point, Mason’s corner wisely decided to ask the fight be stopped.

The quick ending allowed fans to hear from Mason at length in a post-fight interview with ESPN’s Mark Kriegel. Mason is as poised outside the ring as he is skilled inside it.

Abdullah Mason won a swift second-round TKO victory. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

“I've always been like that with the guidance of my parents, my father, and my mother, and having a tight household that keeps me focused,” explained Mason, whose four brothers are also boxers under the guidance of his father/trainer.

“We executed the game plan how we wanted to. I stepped on it a little bit. I set the initiative a little bit early because I saw that he wasn't coming for it … He might have been surprised a little bit how clean the shots were landing,” said Mason, adding he took the initiative when Ohan Jr. wasn’t coming forward to set up the knockdown.

Mason said he might have one more eight-round bout before graduating to ten-round fights and a title fight opportunity next year, promising to fight at home in Cleveland and make a big statement by headlining there. “I want to see everybody, all the familiar faces. I want to see y'all in the hometown,” said Mason as he looked into the camera like a seasoned news anchor, reminding fans to buy his t-shirts with a smile and thanking his new fans in Quebec.

More Undercard Results from Quebec City

Osleys Iglesias stopped Sena Agbeko for the first time as a pro. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

Super middleweight Osleys Iglesias, a Cuban defector training in Germany (12-0, 11 KOs), made short work of sturdy Sena Agbeko of Ghana (28-4, 22 KOs). Iglesias dropped and stopped Agbeko for the first stoppage loss of his long career. Iglesias is a southpaw with power and Cuban school technical skills, similar to his countryman David Morrell.

Iglesias dropped Agbeko near the end of the first round with a check right hook. Agbeko was still in a bad way at the start of the second round, and Agbeko pounced on him, causing referee Steve St. Germain to stop the fight at 1:16 of round two.

Super featherweight Leila Beaudoin should be ready for a title fight. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

Quebec-based super featherweight Leila Beaudoin (12-1, 1 KO) defeated veteran Lizbeth Crespo of Bolivia (15-8, 4 KOs) in a ten-round decision win. Scores were 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92. Beaudoin is ready for a title fight, ranked in the top five in the division.

Jahi Tucker came away with a solid decision victory. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

American middleweight Jahi Tucker of New York (12-1-1, 5 KOs) won a unanimous decision over Santiago Fernandez of Argentina (8-2-1, 4 KOs). Tucker boxed smartly and won by scores of 80-72. The nonstop commentary and coaching from the corner by Tucker’s father and trainer, Makonnan Tucker, was far more entertaining than the fight.

19-year-old prospect Wilkens Mathieu got the win over Facundo Nicolas Galovar. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

Wilkens Mathieu of Montreal (10-0, 6 KOs) took on his opponent Facundo Nicolas Galovar of Argentina (15-12-2, 9 KOs) even though Galovar missed the super middleweight limit by 13 pounds. The 19-year-old Mathieu dominated Galovar in a six-round decision win.

In the opening fight, Dzmitry Asanau of Los Angeles (8-0, 3 KOs) won a unanimous decision over Alexis Gabriel Camejo of Argentina (8-4-2, 1 KO) in an 80-72 shutout on all three cards.