Makhmudov And Vianello Clash In A Bid To Land Major Heavyweight Contest

In an interesting heavyweight clash, Arslanbek Makhmudov will take on Guido Vianello in a 10-rounder in Quebec on August 17.

They will be at the Videotron Center on the card headlined by super middleweights Christian Mbilli-Sergiy Derevyanchenko.

Makhmudov (19-1, 18 KOs) has recovered from a double fracture in his right hand sustained halfway through a loss to heavyweight contender Agit Kabayel. In May, Makhmudov made a triumphant return when he sent Serbian giant Miljan Rovcanin out of the ring en route to a second-round stoppage. Makhmudov defeated Vianello in a World Series of Boxing fight in 2015, when Vianello was forced to retire in the fourth round due to an ear injury.

Vianello (12-2-1, 10 KOs), a 2016 Olympian, last boxed in February, scoring a first-round knockout of Moses Johnson in New York City. Less than two months later, Vianello lost a closely-contested split decision to the heavy-hitting Efe Ajagba.

“Vianello is a tough fighter but also a very good fighter, as we saw in his last fight,” Makhmudov said. “This is an important step for me. I want to show that I am a top contender and to get closer to my goal, I must prove that I’m better than this guy.”

Vianello countered: “I’m ready to compete against the top heavyweights in the world. This is only the beginning of my journey. The fight with Arslanbek is exactly what I wanted at this point in my career, and I look forward to a great fight on August 17 in Quebec City.”

“Guido and Arslanbek are two huge heavyweight punchers who like to mix it up, and the winner will be in line for even bigger fights,” said Top Rank’s Bob Arum.

The ESPN+-streamed undercard includes:

Cuban super middleweight Osleys Iglesias (11-0, 10 KOs) returns following his one-round destruction of Evgeny Shvedenko earlier this month.

On the undercard, combining the best talents from north and south of the border, Wilkens Mathieu (9-0, 6 KOs) and Leïla Beaudoin (11-1, 1 KO) will be back in front of their home crowd in Quebec City. Thetford Mines native Thomas “The Ghost” Chabot (10-0, 8 KOs) will also be in action.

Two of Top Rank’s brightest prospects will appear on the bill in scheduled eight-rounders. Cleveland-born lightweight phenom Abdullah Mason (13-0, 11 KOs) and rising middleweight Jahi Tucker (11-1-1, 5 KOs) look to impress in their respective Canadian debuts.