Zhang Zhaoxin will compete for the vacant 224-pound WBA world championship in July

Chinese boxing champion Zhang Zhaoxin will face Olympic silver medalist Russian player Muslim Gadzhimagomedov on July 12 for the vacant WBA bridgeweight (224 pounds / 101.60 kg) world championship title. The match will be held at the IBA Stadium in Serpukhov, Russia.

Zhang Zhaoxin (12-2-1, 7 KO) is 28 years old and 193cm tall. He started his professional boxing career in 2017, won the WBC Intercontinental Championship in 2020, challenged WBA light heavyweight world champion Ryad Merhy in July 2021, but unfortunately lost by TKO in the eighth round and missed the world championship. In August 2023, he fought Cameroonian player Rolly Lambert Fogoum and won by points after ten rounds. Just in February this year, he won the second round KO against the undefeated Russian player Evgeny Romanov in an away game after being knocked down in the first round. Zhang Zhaoxin is currently ranked No. 1 in the WBA bridgeweight division.

Musrimu Gazimagomedov (3-0, 2 KO) is 27 years old and 194cm tall. He won the gold medals of the 2019 and 2023 World Championships and the silver medal in the heavyweight boxing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In December 2021, he won his professional boxing debut by KO in the second round, won the eight-round boxing match in October 2023 by points, and just won the eighth round of the ten-round match in December 2023 by TKO. Gazimagomedov is currently ranked No. 6 in the WBA bridgeweight division.

Zhang Zhaoxin once again played against the undefeated Russian local fighter away from home. I wonder if he can create a miracle and win the world boxing champion gold belt for the second time.