Arslanbek Makhmudov and Guido Vianello set to clash in Canada on Aug. 17

Heavyweight contenders Arslanbek Makhmudov and Guido Vianello will do battle in a 10-rounder on Saturday, Aug. 17 at Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada.

The clash of 6-foot-6 fighters will serve as the co-feature to the Christian Mbilli-Sergiy Derevyanchenko super middleweight main event.

Promoted by Top Rank and Eye of the Tiger, Mbilli-Derevyanchenko and Makhmudov-Vianello will be broadcast live in the U.S. on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Sky Sports will have coverage in the U.K. & Ireland.

Makhmudov (19-1, 18 KOs) is hungrier than ever since recovering from a double fracture in his right hand sustained halfway through a loss to current heavyweight contender Agit Kabayel. In May, Makhumdov 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, as Vianello was forced to retire in the fourth round due to an ear injury.

“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 (12-2-1, 10 KOs), a 2016 Olympian, opened his 2024 campaign in February with a first-round knockout of Moses Johnson in New York City. Less than two months after icing Johnson, he battled one of the division’s biggest punchers, Efe Ajagba, and was on the short end of a closely contested split decision.

“I’m ready to compete against the top heavyweights in the world. This is only the beginning of my journey,” Vianello said. “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.”

The ESPN+-streamed undercard includes Cuban super middleweight contender Osleys Iglesias (11-0, 10 KOs) returning after his one-round destruction of Evgeny Shvedenko earlier this month. Earlier, Wilkens Mathieu (9-0, 6 KOs) and Leïla Beaudoin (11-1, 1 KO) will be back in front of their own in Quebec City crowd in separate fights. Thetford Mines native Thomas Chabot (10-0, 8 KOs) will also be in action. Cleveland-born lightweight Abdullah Mason (13-0, 11 KOs) and middleweight Jahi Tucker (11-1-1, 5 KOs) will be making their respective Canadian debuts.

A press release by Top Rank was used in this article.

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