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Mbilli Stops Heffron In Just 40 Seconds – ‘This Guy Is The Real Deal’
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Christian Mbilli stopped Mark Heffron in the first round following a shot to the body in their super middleweight clash.

The challenger attempted to start on the front foot, opening up with his left hooks. Mbilli managed to sidestep any adversity as he lined up Heffron on the ropes. Once the Brit was on the ropes, Mbilli landed a left hook to the liver, sending his opponent to the canvas. The win took Mbilli’s record to 27-0, with 22 KOs. The win summed up his pre-fight comments.

Mbilli Gets The Stoppage

“A great fight, [I need] a great performance. He has a good style, good punching power, I think he’s a very competent fighter. [I think it will be] a great show for the fans. Very explosive. My mind is on this fight, I’m very focused on this fight. I’m never seen Derevyanchenko fight. After this fight I’m going to see. I think there will be opportunities. We have a lot of fighters moving up. I think now is the time for me to shine. I think I’m going to have more opportunities,” Mbilli stated

He continues his rise in the super middleweight division, as he is ranked in the top three across all governing bodies. He has spoken about facing the biggest names in the division, having previously called out Canelo Alvarez. After beating Rohan Murdock, Mbilli targeted Alvarez.

“I know Canelo is the best. Everyone knows that. I want to show I am the best of the division. My goal is to fight Canelo. I will do everything I can do to fight Canelo. He’s a good fighter, but I’m the best today,” Mbilli said

Mbilli’s Next Fight

That fight is unlikely, given Canelo’s failure to fight David Benavidez. The Benavidez fight is arguably just as risky, if not more. A bout with Mbill has fewer rewards, given that Benavidez is considered Canelo’s biggest rival. A loss to Benavidez still leaves the Mbilli fight on the table. But if Alvarez were to lose to Mbilli, the Benavidez fight may not be on offer.

The Frenchman is already planning as he targets an August 17 clash with Sergiy Derevyanchenko. Derevyanchenko had a close fight with Jaime Munguia, who eventually faced Canelo for the Undisputed Super Middleweight Title, coming up short.

Co-Main Event

In chief support, Arslanbek Makhmudov stopped Miljan Rovcanin in the second round to bounce back from his first defeat. Makhmudov was dropped three times before getting stopped by Agit Kabayel in round four in his last bout. But this time around, he made no mistake. Makhmudov landed flush on Rovcanin in the opening round, sending his opponent through the ropes. Rovcanin recovered before a right hand sent him to the canvas in the second. The referee stepped in to stop the fight.

Full Card

Jhon Orobio def. Arturo Torres Gonzalez via a unanimous decision: (40-36, 40-36, 40-36) – Lightweight

Alexandre Gaumont def. Santiago Fernandez via a split decision: (74-78, 77-75, 78-74)- Middleweight

Moreno Fendero def. Rolando Wenceslao Mansilla via a first-round TKO – Middleweight

Christopher Guerrero def. Kenny Larson via a first-round TKO – Welterweight

Wilkens Mathieu def. Przemyslaw Gorgon via a first-round TKO – Super Middleweight

Mehmet Unal def. Rodolfo Gomez Jr via a fourth-round TKO – Light Heavyweight

Arslanbek Makhmudov def. Miljan Rovcanin via a second-round KO – Heavyweight

Christian Mbilli def. Mark Heffron via a first-round KO – Middleweight

This article first appeared on BoxingNews.com and was syndicated with permission.

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