The number 2 ranked WBC and WBA super-middleweight contender Christian Mbilli is set to step inside the ring to face Mark Heffron (30-3-1, 24 KOs) on Saturday night, May 25th, at the Centre Gervais Auto in Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada, live on ESPN+.
Since David Benavidez and David Morrell have both temporarily moved up to the light heavyweight division, a serious threat to Canelo’s throne hasn’t been identified as of yet. Christian Mbilli is a man who believes he is the boxer who can fill that void.
A native of Yaounde, Cameroon, Christian Mbilli won the vacant WBC Continental Americas title when he defeated Ronny Landaeta back in September 2021. He would go on to make six successful title defenses.
In his most recent ring appearance, Christian Mbilli faced Rohan Murdock. The Mbilli-Murdock clash quickly transitioned from a boxing match to a phone booth-style brawl. The back-and-forth action lasted for a few rounds, and then Mbilli began to take over.
Mbilli dictated the pace of the fight as he dominated the action on the inside. After witnessing his fighter get hit by an overwhelming number of Mbilli power shots throughout the course of the fifth round, Murdock’s trainer decided to stop the contest.
Now, the 29-year-old Christian Mbilli (26-0, 22 KOs) plans on taking another step towards proving he deserves a shot at the undisputed 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez. Standing in Mbilli’s way is a man who admits his goal is to wreck Mbilli’s plans.
Mbilli is very aggressive with his offensive attack, but on the flip side he is prone to getting hit with a lot of his opponent’s shots. Mark Heffron is confident that if he’s able to land countershots like some of Mbilli’s past opponents, he will be victorious on the night of May 25th.
A product of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, Mark Heffron started his pro boxing career with 21 straight victories. In his 22nd pro bout, Heffron fought for the vacant British middleweight title, but he lost to Liam Williams via tenth-round TKO.
Two years later, Heffron fought for the British middleweight title for a second time and lost to Denzel Bentley. Heffron would finally win a British belt in July 2022 when he defeated Lennox Clark and won the British Commonwealth super-middleweight title.
A year later, in the highly anticipated bout versus Jack Cullen, Mark Heffron lost his British and Commonwealth super-middleweight title when Cullen landed a devastating left hook late in the third round. After suffering his third career defeat, Heffron bounced back with a second-round TKO victory over Serhii Ksendzov.
On Saturday night May 25th, Mark Heffron wants to play the role of spoiler. Heffron knows a win against a highly ranked contender like Mbilli could reenergized his career and possibly earn him a top 15 ranking.
“It’s a great opportunity, and I’m looking forward to it. I feel like I punch harder, and my boxing ability is better than Christian,” Mark Heffron recently stated.
The May 25th Mbilli-Heffron clash is a matchup that features contrasting styles. Heffron likes to set up his power shots by working off the jab, while Mbilli’s game is based on pressure, cutting off the ring, and combination punching.
Mbilli is set to be in a firefight on Saturday night, but he may have given his opponent some bulletin board material. Approximately one week ago, a rumor started circulating in regards to Christian Mbilli and Sergiy Derevyanchenko agreeing to a fight set for August 17th.
While Christian Mbilli believes he’s two steps away from a shot at undisputed, Mark Heffron believes he’s one step away from being a legitimate contender. On Saturday night, May 25th, live on ESPN+, will Mbilli do the expected and take care of business, or will Heffron pull off the big upset?
Read the full article here
