This Saturday, at the Centre Videotron in Quebec City, Canada, the potentially explosive clash between the aggressive French puncher Christian “Solide” Mbilli (27-0-0, 23 KO) and the veteran Ukrainian fighter Sergiy “The Technician” Derevyanchenko (15-5-0, 10 KO) will take place. The WBC Continental Americas super middleweight title will be on the line, but more importantly, the winner will take a significant step closer to a potential world title shot.
Christian Mbilli: The Real-Life Version of Clubber Lang
Anyone who is a fan of the Rocky film series knows exactly who James “Clubber” Lang is, the fierce opponent of the protagonist in the third installment of the series. Played by Mr. T, Lang is a brawler who never takes a step back, throws almost exclusively hooks, and puts all his strength into every punch. While such a fighting style has often amused boxing experts for being unrealistic, it must be admitted that Christian Mbilli’s wild boxing faithfully replicates it—minus, of course, the cinematic exaggerations. The Frenchman is a true war machine who relentlessly advances, throwing extremely powerful punches, never backing down even in moments of apparent difficulty. What’s most impressive about the Cameroon-born fighter is that, unlike other punchers accustomed to putting great power into all their shots, he doesn’t slow down over time, even managing to increase his pace as the rounds progress. Of course, defense is not, and will never be, his strong suit, but taking advantage of that is not as easy as it seems.
Sergiy Derevyanchenko: A Talented Demolisher with Little Luck
A “demolisher” is a boxer who gradually breaks down the physical resistance of his opponents through a high work rate and relentless pressure. Such fighters tend to secure their KOs in the later rounds after softening up their opponent, and many of them partly neglect the technical aspects of boxing in favor of physical strength, showing a somewhat rough but highly effective style. Compared to the average fighter in his category, Derevyanchenko is gifted with exceptional technical skills: composed, clean, and always balanced on his feet, “The Technician” lives up to his nickname, thanks to an extensive amateur background. He certainly deserved to win a world title during his career. Unfortunately for him, boxing also requires luck in finding the right opponent at the right time, and “Dere” has had little of it. The fighters who blocked his path — Daniel Jacobs, Gennady Golovkin, and Jermall Charlo — were true mountains to climb, and in all three cases, despite giving a good account of himself, the Ukrainian couldn’t quite reach the summit.
What Will Happen? Boxe Punch’s Prediction!
The characteristics of both fighters should guarantee great entertainment: both are used to controlling the center of the ring, both are comfortable in close-quarters combat, and both are always ready to go all out. Mbilli and Derevyanchenko will step into the ring determined to give the Quebec City crowd an unforgettable night, and they have all the makings to do so.
From a technical standpoint, Derevyanchenko is certainly the more skilled of the two, but the physical freshness, execution speed, and raw power seem to favor the emerging Mbilli. While still retaining many of his qualities, The Technician, who will turn 39 at the end of October, no longer has the sharpness, pace, and stamina of his prime and will need to draw on all his remaining resources to avoid being overwhelmed by his fierce rival.
During the inevitable heated exchanges, Mbilli will likely throw at least twice as many punches as his opponent, using his physical strength and energy to his advantage. Derevyanchenko will need to hang tough, absorb heavy blows, and look for the openings that Mbilli often leaves during his attacks to surprise him with his superior precision and land clean shots.
For the Ukrainian to have a chance of winning, he will need to hurt his opponent. Only by shaking Mbilli, knocking him down, or at least making him think twice before charging forward can Derevyanchenko showcase his talent and make the judges appreciate his skills. However, that might not be enough. In fact, Derevyanchenko would need the same flash of brilliance that allowed Alexander Povetkin to knock out Dillian Whyte in 2020: a perfect punch that, exploiting the defensive gaps of his opponent, nullifies his physical superiority and puts him out cold.
The problem is that Derevyanchenko, as mentioned earlier, is more of a demolisher than a knockout puncher, and he probably doesn’t have the lightning power necessary to resolve this fight in an instant. The Ukrainian will likely land some nice shots here and there, relying on his timing and experience, but he won’t be able to quell the indomitable spirit of Mbilli.
The Frenchman, who showed in his fantastic fight against Carlos Gongora a year and a half ago that he can come back with renewed determination from very difficult moments, should be able to maintain his relentless pressure, even at the cost of taking a few hard counter shots. As the rounds progress, the difference in age and athletic freshness between the two fighters will become increasingly evident.
Considering that the fight is scheduled for ten rounds, the writer’s prediction is that Derevyanchenko, despite suffering immensely in the later stages, will manage, with skill, cunning, and experience, to make it to the final bell — likely with his face heavily marked. While a collapse before the final round cannot be ruled out, I predict a unanimous decision victory for Christian Mbilli.