Fans had been anticipating a WBC-ordered clash last month between undefeated France`s Christian Mbilli (28-0, 23 KOs) and fellow unbeaten fighter Diego Pacheco (23-0, 18 KOs) from California. The expectation was that the winner would be in a prime position for a potentially lucrative challenge against Canelo Alvarez, possibly for the undisputed super-middleweight championship in 2026.
However, Pacheco has since withdrawn from the planned contest, with the 24-year-old reportedly opting to gain more experience in the division before pursuing a world title opportunity. Reports now indicate that Christian Mbilli`s replacement opponent has been confirmed.
Mbilli, born in Cameroon but fighting primarily out of Canada, has been actively pursuing a major fight against Canelo and the super-middleweight division`s top honors in recent years. Despite his rise, securing bouts against the biggest names to truly prove his elite status has been challenging.
Nevertheless, “Solide” remained active in 2024, competing three times. He secured stoppage wins against Rohan Murdock and Mark Heffron before going the distance with the notably tough Sergiy Derevyanchenko in August, ultimately earning a unanimous decision victory.
The potential bout with Pacheco was seen as an ideal chance for Mbilli to make a significant statement on the global stage. While Pacheco`s decision is likely frustrating for Mbilli, the vacant WBC interim title now represents an important and still attainable goal.
Sources now report that following initial considerations for a fight against Croatia`s WBC #4 ranked super-middleweight Luka Plantic (11-0, 9 KOs), Mbilli and his team have finalized an agreement to face Poland`s Maciej Sulecki (33-3, 13 KOs). The fight will be for the WBC interim super-middleweight championship and is scheduled to take place on June 27 in Quebec.
Sulecki was previously stopped by Pacheco in the sixth round when they met in August. However, he bounced back three months ago by stopping Ali Akhmedov on the road in Astana, claiming the vacant WBC Silver title.
Meanwhile, Luka Plantic is now set to fight undefeated Argentine Bruno Damian Acosta (11-0, 8 KOs) for the WBC International title. That bout is scheduled for May 23 in Plantic`s hometown of Zagreb.
