FORMER WBO WORLD middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders will face Shefat Isufi for the same organisation’s vacant title up at super-middle on 13 April, it has been confirmed.
Saunders will move from 160 pounds to 168 in his bid to become a two-weight world champion when he faces the German-based Serbian at Wembley Arena on the undercard of Josh Warrington’s world-title defence against Kid Galahad.
The 29-year-old former British Olympic bronze medalist [27-0, 13KOs] made his ring return in December, dusting off the cobwebs in a points win over Charles Adamu having weighed a full 178.5lbs on the scales the previous day.
Former middleweight titlist Saunders forfeited his belt after he tested positive for oxilofrine — banned by VADA, who had conducted the voluntary test — in September, which caused the cancellation of his defence against now-WBO 160-pound champion Demetrius Andrade in Boston.
In Isufi [27-3-2, 20KOs], he faces an unheralded fellow challenger who drew two of his opening three bouts as a professional, and lost three times between 2014 and 2015 before going on his recent 10-fight win streak.
Isufi is also 29 but hasn’t fought since a points win over Mohamed El Achi last July.
A week after relinquishing his title, Saunders was fined £100,000 by the British Boxing Board of Control following a misconduct hearing regarding his role in an online video that was described by police as “sickening”.
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What were the County board at ?? Totally out of touch – if 2022 doesn’t got well they’ll say they told it so! If it does go well they better steer well clear of any celebrations!
Much be good to know the county board does not support you. I know what I’d tell them