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EXCLUSIVE: Camille Estephan to Host Christian Mbilli vs Kevin Lele Sadjo in Paris or Quebec City

Originally posted on Fights Around The World
By Adam Noble-Forcey | Last updated Jan 8, 2025 3:29 PM ET

Promoter Camille Estephan of Eye of the Tiger Management has revealed to FightsATW in an exclusive interview that he will pick between the French capital of Paris or Quebec City in Canada to stage the IBF-ordered duel between Christian Mbilli (28-0, 23 KOs) and Kevin Lele Sadjo (24-0, 21 KOs).

“With Mbilli, we are in negotiations for the Sadjo fight with his promoter Y12 for a final eliminator with the IBF,” Estephan said. “A lot of our fighters are avoided so we have to force the issue with elimination fights.” Jaime Munguia was one of a small group of super middleweights that Estephan has been pursuing for his charge. However, in December, Frenchman Bruno Surace scored an unexpected knockout against the one-time super welterweight world champion.

“It was a big surprise,” Estephan continued. “That’s the beauty of the sport; you never know what could happen. One punch changes everything, and Surace changed his life. We were disappointed because [Erik] Bazinyan fought Munguia and looked good against him. Looking back at it, we wished Bazinyan pushed the matter a little harder. Munguia will rematch this guy and we will see what happens, but we are happy with the Sadjo fight. They are both firefighters; they both bring fire to the ring. There will be a lot of action and the winner has a lot to gain. I think we have the guy that will beat everyone in Mbilli.”

The IBF has given an extended deadline of January 16 to negotiate the fight between the two Frenchmen, who are both originally from Cameroon.

“We did get an extension because, during the holiday, you can’t find many people at work,” Estephan explained. “The IBF was very understanding and gave us the new deadline. The Mbilli fight could go to France or it could go to Quebec City. We should know pretty soon; within the next couple of weeks. We are evaluating both options. We are undecided and gathering data for both venues. Mbilli is regarded in France as the top French fighter and Sadjo is very highly respected. It could be one of the biggest fights in French history. It will either go to Paris or Quebec City; it will be one of the two. The French were very high on Tony Yoka, but it didn’t go his way. They need a star. Every country needs a star, and hopefully, Mbilli will be the one.”

William Scull is the current IBF super middleweight world champion, winning the vacant belt against Vladimir Shishkin by unanimous decision in October. It has been reported that Scull is in negotiations to face Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in May.

“We also have the IBO champion in Osleys Iglesias, who is right behind Sadjo in the IBF,” Estephan added. “We don’t really want our two aces to fight each other at this point. We want to take different routes. Then, if it makes sense for both of them to fight, we will have to do it. Iglesias is a big problem for the division. Since Mbilli and [Artur] Beterbiev, we haven’t seen the type of upside this guy has; it’s incredible. Finding him sparring partners is not the easiest thing. He’s the ultimate pro. We have kept him very busy and very active. In a sense, he is very easy to manage because he wants to fight the best, and he believes in his abilities. Honestly, I think he is the boogeyman of the division.”

This article first appeared on Fights Around The World and was syndicated with permission.

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