British-born cruiserweight Ola Afolabi will attempt to pick up the interim WBO cruiserweight title for the second time in his career and hopes a victory over Valery Brudov at the ESPIRIT Arena in Dusseldorf on Saturday will lead to a rematch with WBO full title holder Marco Huck.

The 31 year-old, who has 18 wins in his 23 contests with two losses, knocked out Enzo Macarinelli as a huge underdog in 2009 to claim the belt for the first time and eventually lost to Huck on a tight points decision nine months later in what was a controversial decision.

The California-based boxer now faces three-time world title challenger Brudov, 35, and is fully focusing on becoming the interim champion to place himself first in line to face the recently defeated Huck, who lost out to Alexnader Povetkin in a heavyweight title challenge last week.

“The Brudov fight is a tough fight, he is a good fighter,” Afolabi told World Boxing News.

“I just have to stop looking ahead to Huck and focus on this guy. I’ve seen him fight and he’s legit so I have to show him the respect he deserves.”

6ft 2ins Brudov has lost out twice in full world title challenges against Virgil Hill in 2006 and more recently, Guillermo Jones in 2010 and goes into the fight at the weekend on the back of second round stoppage win over journeyman Jim Franklin.

 

By Phil D. Jay

Phil D. Jay covers boxing for worldboxingnews.net

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=50143

 

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El ex campeón interino AMB de los cruceros Valery Brudov (39-3, 28 KOs) pronto tendrá otra oportunidad para alcanzar nuevamente un título de importancia. Brudov, de 35 anios, native de Pskov y promocionado por Don King Promotions, está listo para enfrentar al pegador y elusivo (al mismo tiempo) nigeriano Ola Afolabi (18-2-3, 8 KOs) por el título interino OMB en 200 libras.

La pelea está programada para darse en el ESPRIT Arena en Dusseldorf, Alemania, como parte de la función donde verá acción Wladimir Klitschko vs. Jean-Marc Mormeck. Los anteriormente mencionados contendores BJ Flores y Latif Kayode han rechazado una pelea con Afolabi por varias razones, según se reporta.

Brudov está clasificado #8 OMB y #14 AMB. Su primer intento a un título mundial fue anulado por Virgill Hill, quien fácilmente derrotó a Brudov en enero de 2006. El ruso regresó en diciembre del mismo año y noqueó al panameño Luis Andres   Pineda para obtener el título AMB interino. Luego lo perdió seis meses después por decisión dividida ante el turco radicado en Alemania, Firat Arslan. En su segunda oportunidad al título, Brudov fue noqueado en el undécimo por otro panameño, Guillermo Jones. La pelea se detuvo por una severa cortada.

El clasificado #1 OMB Ola Afolabi (#4 AMB, #7 CMB/FIB), de 31 años, es también un ex campeón mundial. Regresó al ring en el 2008 luego de un extenso periodo sin acción para derrotar al muy nombrado prospecto Eric Fields. Un años después, Afolabi estaba por debajo en las anotaciones de los jueces hasta el noveno asalto de su pelea con el ex campeón OMB, Enzo Maccarinelli, cuando noqueó al gales con un terrible gancho de izquierda para obtener el título   OMB, el mismo que perdiera unos cuantos meses después por decisión ante Marco Huck en una unificación OMB. Esta vez, el nigeriano promocionado por K-2 tendrá oportunidad al título interino.

 

Por Alexey Sukachev, BoxingScene.com

http://www.notifight.com/artman2/publish/Reporte_7/Brudov_busca_cetro_OMB_frente_a_Afolabi.php?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

 

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Former WBA interim-cruiserweight champion Valery Brudov (39-3, 28 KOs) will soon get another opportunity to capture a meaningful belt. Don King-promoted Brudov, 35, a native of Pskov, is set to fight hard-hitting and elusive (at the same time) Nigerian Ola Afolabi (18-2-3, 8 KOs) for the interim WBO title at 200-pounds. The fight is booked take place at ESPRIT Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany, as a part of the Wladimir Klitschko vs. Jean-Marc Mormeck undercard. Previously mentioned contenders BJ Flores and Latif Kayode have reportedly rejected a bout with Afolabi for various reasons.

Brudov is ranked #8 by the WBO and #14 by the WBA. His first attempt at a world title was nullified by the great Virgill Hill, who one-sidedly outpointed Brudov in January 2006. The Russian came back in December of the same year and stopped Panamanian Luis Andres Pineda to get the WBA interim belt. He lost it half a year later by dropping a close split decision to Germany-based Turk Firat Arslan. In his second world title opportunity, Brudov was stopped late by another Panamanian, Guillermo Jones; Brudov lost the fight via TKO 11 due to a bad cut.

WBO #1 Ola Afolabi (also WBA #4 and WBC/IBF #7), 31, is also a former world champion. He came back to the ring in 2008 after a lengthy hiatus to stop highly touted prospect Eric Fields. A year later, Afolabi was trailing on judges’ scorecards up until the ninth-round of his fight with former WBO champion Enzo Maccarinelli, before he put the Welshman down for the count with a terrifying left hook, getting the WBO interim belt. He lost it several months later with a close decision to Marco Huck in a WBO unification. This time, K2-promoted Nigerian will get a crack at interim title.

By Alexey Sukachev

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=50071

 

 

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