Christian Mbilli targeting WBC route after IBF eliminator with Kevin Sadjo collapses

Eye of the Tiger’s Camille Estephan has reiterated his desire for his super-middleweight contender Christian Mbilli to move towards a shot at the WBC title.


Estephan was speaking in the aftermath of the proposed IBF eliminator between Frenchmen Mbilli and Kevin Lee Sadjo being cancelled owing to what Eye of the Tiger allege to be insufficient financial guarantees. 


“Our Plan A for Mbilli was to go the WBC route, given that there’s an interim title available,” Estephan told BoxingScene. “So, we are waiting for a response from the WBC and the next available contender to see whether we can do that fight. That’s basically where we are at.”

Y12 Boxing won the purse bid to stage the Mbilli-Sadjo, which was on course to take place in Paris, France, on May 7 – after initially agreeing to a date of April 30. It would have pitched the third-ranked Mbilli against the fourth with the IBF.

The winning bid was $878,000; 60 per cent would have been due to Mbilli, who is promoted by Eye of the Tiger.

Mbilli, 29, was ready to travel, but he wanted several financial assurances.

“We were willing,” Estephan said. “Unfortunately, the conditions that we asked for are not being met… [Mbilli] basically asked for his purse to be held in escrow five days prior to the fight, among some other small details – among them number of flights – minor things that are usually simple to negotiate, and they refused to negotiate any of these and simply sent us the IBF basic template contract.”

Estephan said an opponent would be announced shortly.

“For such an important fight, it was just as important for my team and me to have certain financial guarantees,” said Mbilli, the WBC and WBA number-one-ranked contender. “A lot has been said about the purse from the purse bid, but all we were asking for was confirmation that the money was actually there before the first bell.”

The fight between Mbilli, 28-0 (23 KOs) and the 34-year-old Sadjo, 24-0 (21 KOs) is being overlooked in favour of pursuing the WBC title held by Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. 

“Plan A was always the WBC interim title – we’re happy to continue with that route for Mbilli,” Estephan said.

Sadjo, incidentally, is ranked seventh by the WBC, with Edgar Berlanga at six, Jaime Munguia at five, Luka Plantic at four, Eye of the Tiger stablemate Osleys Iglesias at three and Diego Pacheco at two.