By Ricardo Lezama 
Canadian knockout artist Christian Mbilli emerged victorious in a sensational fight that highlighted his rank as a leading Super Middleweight contender. Specifically, the WBC has him as their number 1 contender. Mbilli won a unanimous decision over 3x world title challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko, with the match scores 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92. Mbilli’s record now moves up to 28-0, maintaining him in the 1st contender position for the WBC while also likely moving him up the rest of the rankings. The bout took place in Quebec, Montreal, Canada on August 17, 2024.
The purse amounts for the fighters were likely 350,000 for Christian Mbilli while Sergiy was able to take home somewhere north of half a million dollars. At the conclusion of the match, Mbilli serenaded his girlfriend for her birthday in a lighthearted moment for the fighter who also appeared to have a torn rotator cuff. More relevant to boxing, however, was the potential invocation of Canelo as an opponent for Christian Mbilli.
Canelo is set to battle Edgar Berlanga on September 15, 2024, but most see the veteran Canelo – with 62 wins, 2 losses, and 2 draws – as the obvious favorite to win against Berlanga’s whose inexperience will be exploited at every turn. In a remark to Mark Kriegel and Bernardo Osuna, Mbilli alluded to the possibility of fighting the number 1 boxer in the world who is also coincidentally the most favored global attraction, like Floyd Mayweather and Oscar de la Hoya before him.
Remarkable Show of Resilience by Derevyanchenko
At some level, Sergiy Derevyanchenko stunned the audience with his extraordinary resilience and stole the show, braving a torn left bicep to carry on with the fight from the 4th round.
Watch Derevyanchenko's bicep 😳#MbilliDerevyanchenko | LIVE on @ESPN pic.twitter.com/yX0HAicm13
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) August 18, 2024
That’s part of the power of being a veteran of the sport. While Sergiy could not possibly pull off the victory, the strategy around his survival was still impressive and reflected his experience against big punchers. The skill shone through the bout as Derevyanchenko achieved successful stretches despite the injury, battling off Mbili during the 4th and even 5th round with just his right hand, landing straight rights and uppercuts. His fighting spirit elevated the competition, making it a memorable event, but at some point close to the 7th round many fans and commentators, like Tim Bradley, wanted for the fight to be stopped.
Challenges Ahead for Mbilli
While Mbilli’s strength and determination are undeniable, his defense has been called into question with critics suggesting the need for improvement. As an undefeated contender, Mbilli prepares for future clashes with the top players of the division. The potential face-off with other top contenders promises to be entertaining because of those pressure focused exchanges from Mbilli. The undefeated boxer signaled that he had an injured shoulder, not clear whether it was from the exchanges at mid-range from Derevyanchenko.