Rising super middleweight contender Christian Mbilli hopes to make a statement against Rohan Murdock in their scheduled 10-round contest at Centre Videotron, Quebec City, Canada, on Saturday.

Mbilli, rated at No. 2 by The Ring at super middleweight, welcomes the opportunity to head up the undercard of stablemate Artur Beterbiev, who will be putting his IBF, WBC and WBO light heavyweight titles on the line against mandatory Callum Smith.

Mbilli expects to provide the fireworks before the main event.

“This fight will be a great fight, a good fight for the fans, good fight for ESPN, a good fight for me and a good fight for him,” Mbilli (25-0, 21 knockouts) told The Ring. “We are different type of fighter, I’ve never fought a style like him.

“I think he counterattacks, he moves very well, he’s very fast, very fast hands. I have to stay focused at all times. I think it will be a great fight and I am going to win this fight of course. I’m going to show again how great I am.”

Last year was a big one personally and professionally for Mbilli. The 28-year-old impressively beat Carlos Gongora, in a thrilling fight in March, in which he had to fight through considerable adversity in the eighth round before winning a 10-round unanimous decision. He followed that up by stopping and retiring Demond Nicholson in four rounds in September.

Then, in October, he officially became a Canadian citizen, leaving behind his humble beginnings in Cameroon. Mbilli moved to France at the age of 11 before migrating to Canada.

“I was playing soccer and I moved to boxing, I was 15 because on the street I had a lot of problems,” he said of how he became interested and took up boxing. “I was in a very difficult town with poverty, a lot of problems. I was a teenager and many people want to challenge you on the street, want to fight. That’s how I found boxing.

“My evolution in boxing was very fast. Maybe four months of boxing, I started and boxed at the French championships. I was third and after this the French team saw me and in one year of boxing I was on the French team.”

He went on to represent France at the 2016 Olympics before moving to Montreal to work with Marc Ramsay.

“Now I am Canadian, I received my Canadian passport,” he said proudly. “I have a big history, I am a world citizen!”

Mbilli hopes to build on the successes of 2023.

“My big goal in 2024 is to be a world champion,” he said. “I want Canelo, I want to be the best, I want to fight the best and everyone knows Canelo is the best in the division. I hope after this maybe Canelo but I’m going to stay patient. I’m going to wait for my time. For me, I want to fight Canelo right now.”

And if he could speak to the undisputed super middleweight, what would he say?

“Let’s go, lets do it, give me my chance,” he said. “I am the best and I am going to show you. Lets go, I am ready for this fight. I was born for this fight.”

Camille Estephan, of Eye of The Tiger, hopes his fighter can further advance his claim by beating Murdock.

“Christian proved in the last few fights that he is the legitimate feared contender for any titleholder at 168,” said Estephan. “We would like to see him in a world title fight in 2024. Whether it’s Canelo or another, he is ready to be world champion. Murdock is a very dangerous fight on our way we need to take care of that business first on January 13th.”

The fight should be an interesting matchup of styles. Murdock will look to box and stay on the backfoot, while Mbilli will press the action. I believe the later will enjoy more success and break Murdock down and score a stoppage in around nine-rounds.

Murdock (27-2, 19 KOs), who hails from Australia, has been a professional since 2010. He suffered an early defeat but reeled off 22 consecutive wins before losing to then undefeated British fighter Zach Parker (TKO 11).

The 31-year-old has won his last three, including edging past countryman Isaac Hardman (SD 10) on the Tim Tszyu-Tony Harrison undercard in March.

Beterbiev-Smith, plus supporting undercard, will be broadcast on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT and on Sky Sports in the U.K. at 3 a.m.

Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at [email protected].

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