American middleweight Rob Brant will face the unbeaten Khasan Baysangurov at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minnesota, on Feb. 15.

The 12-round bout will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 9.00 p.m. ET/ 6.00 p.m. PT.

Brant, who is rated No. 4 by The Ring at 160 pounds, has fought several times in the Hinckley area, which is just over an hours’ drive from Saint Paul, where he grew up.

“I am already working hard in a full training camp in Las Vegas in order to be prepared for top-level competition. I am confident and ready,” said Brant (24-1, 16 knockouts).

“My opponent is very talented and certainly deserving of his world ranking. I know that Khasan has weaknesses, and I feel we can exploit them.”

In his last bout on Oct. 20, Brant defeated the heavily-favored Ryota Murata by unanimous decision. Shortly thereafter he signed a co-promotional deal with Top Rank, who will work in conjunction with Brant’s original promoter, Greg Cohen.

Baysangurov (17-0, 7 KOs) is originally from Russia and now resides in Kiev, Ukraine.

The 21-year-old, who is rated No. 8 by the WBA, was victorious in his last fight on Oct. 2, defeating fringe contender Paul Valenzuela by unanimous decision over 12 rounds.

“I am very proud and happy to receive this great opportunity to showcase my skills,” said Baysangurov, who turned pro at 16.

“I won’t disappoint my team. Of course, Rob Brant is a good boxer, but now is my time to shine.”

Editor’s Note: Brant will be defending a version of the WBA title that is unrecognized by The Ring. Canelo Alvarez is the reigning WBA middleweight titleholder.

Two more fights will round out the ESPN telecast.

Bantamweight contender Joshua Greer (19-1-1, 11 KOs) will face Giovanni Escaner (19-3, 12 KOs) of the Philippines in a 10-round bout.

Junior lightweight contender Mikaela Mayer (9-0, 4 KOs) will square off against Mexico’s Yareli Larios (13-1-1, 3 KOs) in an eight-round bout.
The undercard will be streamed in its entirety beginning at 6 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. PT.

Francisco A. Salazar has written for RingTV.com since October 2013. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing

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