Alexandre Gaumont to headline first event in front of Gatineau home crowd

Middleweight Alexandre Gaumont, headlining his first event in front of his home crowd, will face Andres Viera on Thursday at Casino du Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.

Gaumont, 11-0 (7 KOs), a 29-year-old from Gatineau, says he has added new elements to his team and training regimen in anticipation of a moment like this one. He’ll take on Uruguay’s Viera, 12-8 (9 KOs) in the main event of a card that will stream on ESPN+ (6 p.m. ET).

“It’s been a dream of mine to headline at home, so I want to thank Camille Estephan and the entire Eye of the Tiger team for making this happen,” Gaumont said. “I also want to thank everyone who will be there for me on Thursday. Since my last fight, I’ve hired a nutritionist and a physical trainer to be in the best shape of my life. I’ve worked hard, and everything is in place to put on a great show for you.”

In the co-main event, Russian-Canadian junior welterweight Arthur Biyarslanov, 16-0 (14 KOs), who has trained with Artur Beterbiev, will make a quick return from last month’s stoppage of Tamas Kiliti to take on Jonathan Eniz, 35-20-1 (16 KOs).

“The last time I came to Gatineau was [in 2016] for an Artur Beterbiev fight,” Biyarslanov said. “Being around him, training with him and seeing everything he’s accomplished since then motivates me to take my game to the next level as well. On Thursday … it’s my turn to be on the path to a world championship fight by showing the people of Gatineau what I’m capable of. I don’t plan on missing this opportunity.”

The undercard features the separate returns of former junior welterweight title challenger Steve Claggett, 38-8-2 (26 KOs) and cruiserweight Pascal Villeneuve, 4-2-1 (2 KOs), a fighter from Quebec’s Outaouais region who will be boxing for the first time in more than eight years.

Most recently, Claggett lost a unanimous decision to 10-pound titleholder Teofimo Lopez Jnr in June.

“I’m more motivated than ever, and I have a point to prove,” Claggett said. “I already knew I could compete at the world level with guys like Teofimo Lopez, but now that I’ve experienced it, I know that with the right adjustments, I can win those fights. You’ll see it on Thursday, but this is far from the end for me.”

Additionally, top prospects Mehmet Unal, 10-0 (8 KOs), Luis Santana, 12-0 (6 KOs), Shamil Khataev, 12-0-1 (3 KOs) and Moreno Fendero, 7-0 (5 KOs) will also be in action.