Makabu And Bellew To Contest Vacant WBC Title

On April 8th WBC cruiserweight champion, Russian Grigory Drozd (40-1, 28KO), was due to defend against mandatory challenger, Ilunga Makabu (19-1, 18KO), from Congo.

Unfortunately, the bout was cancelled for the second time. It had been originally scheduled for November 4th, 2015.

Drozd suffered another injury, which will prevent him from fighting for some months.

The World Boxing Council Board of Governors unanimously voted to support Grigory Drozd, while he is recovering, naming him Champion in recess. With this measure he will have the opportunity to heal, return to training to unify the world championship minus pressure.

Drozd, on his social media commented: “I think it is the right decision to be named champion in recess, as I won’t be able to fight the mandatory right now. It is a good decision allowing other fighters to conquer the world championship. I am sure I will be able to re-conquer the world championship, but I will be focusing on my recovery for now.”

Makabu, mandatory challenger, has been patiently waiting for months for a title opportunity and after having an immediate offer to face Brit Tony Bellew (26-2-1, 16 KO’S) in the UK, the WBC Board of Governors voted to sanction the fight with the WBC cruiserweight title on the line