There is no venue or date yet, but one thing is certain: a purse bid has been avoided between WBC titlist Ilunga Junior Makabu and his mandatory challenger Thabiso Mchunu, and they will both fight for the green belt in the immediate future.
Don King, who represents Makabu, came to an agreement with Mchunu’s representatives on the 12-round championship fight, to be held in the next two months.
Makabu (28-2 with 25 KOs) hails from the Democratic Republic of The Congo. He defended his championship in his hometown of Kinshasa as he stopped Nigeria’s Olanrewaju Durodola with two solid left hooks in the seventh round last December.
Makabu is riding a nine fight winning streak, and he won the vacant title on Jan. 31, 2020 with a unanimous decision over Michael Cieslak. Prior to that, he had an unsuccessful attempt to lift a title belt against Tony Bellew in 2016, being stopped in the third round.
Thabiso (23-5, 13 KOs), who hails from South Africa and is nicknamed “The Rock”, has won his last four fights. This will be his second attempt a world title belt, having already lost by decision against current heavyweight triple titlist Oleksandr Usyk back in 2016.
This will be their second meeting. In 2015, Makabu picked up a win against Thabiso by stoppage in the 11th round, in what was shaping up as a close fight.
“This is going to be one action packed championship fight,” said King. “They are both warriors and this battle could result in one of the best championship fights of the year.”
–ringtv.com
