Avoided Montreal-based slugger Christian Mbilli is finally getting a big fight. The unbeaten 29 year-old super middleweight will lock horns with Poland’s Maciej Sulecki for the WBC interim title on Friday, June 27th at Videotron Centre in Quebec City. In the ten-round super middleweight co-feature, once-beaten Erik Bazinyan and former title challenger Steven Butler will collide in an all-Canadian clash. Mbilli-Sulecki, Bazinyan-Butler, and additional undercard fights will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+. Promoted by Eye of the Tiger, in association with Top Rank, tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. ET via Ticketmaster.com.
“Christian Mbilli is one of the most exciting fighters in boxing today, and this is the moment he’s been waiting for,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “He’s taking on a tough, experienced veteran in Maciej Sulecki, who’s coming off a huge upset. This has all the makings of a firefight in front of one of North America’s best boxing crowds.”
Mbilli (31-0 including the World Series of Boxing), a 2016 Olympian from France by way of Cameroon, turned pro in 2017 and rattled off 13 straight knockouts. Since then, all but five of his wins have come inside the distance. In 2024, he solidified his status as a top contender, dismantling Rohan Murdock in six rounds in January. Next, he iced Mark Heffron in one round in May. Mbilli capped off the run with a grueling ten-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko. He is currently ranked #1 by the WBC and WBA.
Mbilli said, “I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long, I’ve worked so hard to get here, and there’s no way I’m leaving without the belt on June 27. I want to salute my opponent for having the courage to accept this challenge. But once we’re in the ring, he’ll have to face all the intensity and rage I’ve built up against those who refused to fight me.”
“A world title is on the line, but in Christian Mbilli’s case, it’s also the culmination of a lifetime of work. That’s why we’re confident he won’t miss his chance. We saw the beating Sulecki handed to the fearsome Ali Akhmedov, but as we’ve been saying for years now, Christian is on another level. The winner of this fight will solidify their position as the top contender to Canelo and Scull’s titles. So, the stakes are sky-high for Christian and for all of Quebec boxing. We’re calling on the entire province to show up in Quebec City to support him on June 27,” said Eye of the Tiger President Camille Estephan.
Sulecki (33-3, 13 KOs) is a 35-year-old veteran whose defeats have come against former champions Daniel Jacobs and Demetrius Andrade, along with unbeaten Diego Pacheco. The Polish former title challenger bounced back from the Pacheco loss by traveling to Kazakhstan in February to take on Ali Akhmedov in front of a hostile crowd. Sulęcki outworked the younger Akhmedov, building a lead on the cards before closing the show with a 10th-round TKO.
Sulecki said, “This fight is between me and Canelo, so we can square away our beef from sparring. Of course, Christian Mbilli will not be an easy fight, but I have never felt better since my return with my trainer. I am in a great place with my team, and everyone is doing their part. On June 27, I will make sure I do mine with a statement in his hometown.”
Bazinyan (32-1-1, 23 KOs) is an 11-year pro from Armenia who moved to Canada as a teenager. In 2023, he earned wins over Jose de Jesus Macias and Ronald Ellis. He faced his first professional setbacks the following year, fighting to a draw versus Shakeel Phinn in May before losing via tenth-round knockout against Jaime Munguia in September. Butler has twice fought for a world title, challenging Ryota Murata for the WBA regular crown in December 2019 and Janibek Alimkhanuly for the WBO title in May 2023. Since the Janibek fight, he’s 3-1 with three knockouts, including a first-round stoppage over Fernando Ezequiel Farias last November.
In additional ESPN+-streamed action:
Heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov (19-2, 18 KOs) returns in a ten-rounder versus unbeaten Ontario-based Ricardo Brown (12-0, 11 KOs). Makhmudov looks to bounce back from his loss to Guido Vianello last August, while Brown, who represented Jamaica at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, takes a huge step up in opposition.
Junior lightweight Leïla Beaudoin (12-1, 1 KO) will battle against former world champion Elhem Mekhaled (17-3, 3 KOs) in a 10-rounder. Last year, Beaudoin avenged her loss to Elizabeth Chavez Espinoza via eight-round decision in January before decisioning Lizbeth Crespo across ten in August. Mekhaled returns after challenging Chantelle Cameron for an interim title last July.
Junior welterweight Jhon Orobio (13-0, 11 KOs), age 21, and lightweight Luis Santana (13-0, 6 KOs) will return in separate ten-round fights, while Quebec City native Wilkens Mathieu (13-0, 9 KOs) sees action in an eight-rounder.
