Christian Mbilli Overcomes Obstacles To Achieve Hard-Fought Victory

Mbilli outpoints a resilient Derevyanchenko in a gripping contest

In Quebec City, Christian Mbilli [left] triumphs decisively against the tough Sergiy Derevyanchenko /

By Mohamed Bahaa

Rising in the boxing scene, Christian Mbilli is confirming his reputation as a fierce competitor. The undefeated super middleweight contender (28-0, 23 KOs) won unanimously over seasoned Sergiy Derevyanchenko (15-6, 10 KOs) on Saturday night at the Centre Videotron in Quebec City. The triumph emphasized Mbilli's strength and tenacity as well as Derevyanchenko's unflinching attitude and sad sequence of hard losses.

With marks of 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92, the judges fairly rated the bout in Mbilli's favor. CompuBox claims that Mbilli, with his 193 power punches to Derevyanchenko's 113, showed his match control. Mbilli was in command, but the battle was fierce and tough, particularly when Derevyanchenko battled a major injury trying to keep his record of never being stopped.

Mbilli took an aggressive posture right away, heavily punching Derevyanchenko. Though Derevyanchenko's jabbing and moving strategy worked, Mbilli's strong strikes swung the early rounds in his advantage. The crowd was totally behind Mbilli by the third round, yelling his name in a display of solidarity.

When Derevyanchenko clearly damaged his left biceps in the fourth round, he was left to fight mostly with his right hand and underwent a turning point. Amazingly, this seemed to energize the 38-year-old who gave one of his finest fighting rounds. Mbilli adjusted fast, though, hitting big blows that shook Derevyanchenko and confirmed his lead even further.

In the seventh round, Derevyanchenko's will was on full show as he fired a flurry of right punches, momentarily putting Mbilli on defense. Mbilli, however, answered with a forceful shot that shook Derevyanchenko, perhaps guaranteeing the round for him.

Derevyanchenko concentrated on survival as the bout went on; his trainer, Andre Rozier, let him go on even with an injury. Mbilli maintained pressure on, landing combinations to both the body and head, unrelenting in his quest of a knockout. Derevyanchenko stayed on his feet, though, and even controlled the final moments of the fight.

When Derevyanchenko thought back on the battle, he admitted that using one hand presented challenges and said, “I want to punch, throw the shot, and I can’t... But if I have two hands, I think it will be another situation.” Rozier praised his fighter’s bravery, saying, “He has the heart of a warrior... He fought one of the best 168-pounders with one hand. And he gave it everything he had.”

Dealing with a shoulder injury as well, Mbilli said, “This man, he’s a gladiator, he’s a warrior. I have learned a lot... I’m going to have a lesson from this.”

Looking ahead, Mbilli is focused on a fight with Saul "Canelo". Alvarez. “I’m ready for a big fight. I want to be world champion. To be the best, I have to beat the best,” Mbilli said. Although his performance against Derevyanchenko raised concerns about his preparedness, he is unquestionably a strong opponent in the super middleweight class.