Mikaelyan and Makabu meet for vacant WBC title

Former WBC cruiserweight champion Junior Ilunga Makabu, from the Congo, and Noel Gervor Mikaelyan, from Germany via Armenia and now based in Florida, meet for the vacant WBC cruiserweight title at the Casino Miami, Jai-Alai Miami in Florida, USA, on Saturday night.

Makabu (29-3; 25), who fights from the southpaw stance, hopes to regain the title that he lost when faces the WBC mandatory challenger.

The 35-year-old Makabu met Tony Bellew in 2016 at Goodison Park in England in a clash for the vacant WBC cruiserweight title and was knocked out in the third round.

However, Makabu came back to win the vacant WBC silver title when he stopped Dmitry Kudryashov in the fifth round.

Then in his home country of Kinshasa he beat Michal Cieslak on a unanimous points decision to win the WBC cruiserweight title.

Makabu made successful defences of his belt against African champion Olanrewaju Durodola with a seventh-round stoppage and then against South Africa’s Thabiso Mchunu on a majority points decision.

He lost the WBC title against Badou Jack, who put him down with a big right hand in the fourth round and again in the 11th round, and then stopped him in the last round.

Badou has relinquished the title to fight in the Bridgerweight division.

Mikaelian (26-2; 11) is a fair puncher and both his defeats were on points.

In 2017 he lost on a split decision against Kryzsztof Wlodarczyk and his only other loss was against Mairis Briedis for the WBC Diamond belt.

He won the WBC International belt on a fourth-round stoppage against Jesse Bayan and in his last fight he captured the WBC's Silver title with a unanimous 12-round points decision over Youri Kayembre Kalenga.

Makabu is hoping to use his power but Mikaelian who has height and reach advantages and could win on points over 12 rounds.

The 33-year-old Mikaelian has won the WBO Youth world and WBO International cruiserweight titles in 2014 and 2016 and the WBC International title in 2020, and won the WBC Silver title in 2022.