A thrilling twelve-round cruiserweight battle between former world title challenger and Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (17-1-0, 16 KOs) and current EBU European Union champion Jean Jacques “Hercule” Olivier (15-2-1, 10 KOs) from Paris, France was originally set to take a place in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
But after Jean Olivier pulled out of the fight with no explanation, Rozicki is moving up to the heavyweight division to face Zamig Atakishiyev (8-1-1, 6 KOs) in a 10-round main event.
Rozicki, a formidable force ranked in the top 15 by all four major sanctioning bodies, faced his sole loss when he bravely challenged Oscar Rivas for the vacant WBC bridgerweight title in October of 2021. On the other side of the ring, Olivier became a household name in 2019 when he was shot in the chest during an alleged confrontation in a French supermarket car park.
Against all odds, Olivier made a miraculous recovery after the life-altering event that left him in intensive care and cast doubt on his boxing future. Undeterred, he claimed the Euro champion title with a stunning victory over Olivier Vautrain in March 2022.
The undercard promises to be just as electrifying: Ukrainian light heavyweight Artur Ziyatdinov (14-1-0, 10 KOs) faces off against Francisco Rivas (18-4-0, 6 KOs); junior middleweight prospect Jake Daoust (5-1, 3 KOs) of Orangeville, ON challenges fellow Canadian Roody Rene (2-7-1) of Montreal, QC; and former Olympian lightweight Reda Benbaziz (2-0, 1 KO) of Montreal, QC takes on a TBA.
The night will also showcase local talent with three Halifax fighters squaring off against all-Canadian opponents: Kyle McNeil (13-4-1, 2 KOs) battles Dylan Rushton (2-9-3, 0 KOs) of Ontario for 8 rounds in the welterweight division, while Brett Beaton (3-1, 2 KOs) meets Mikhail Miller, and Daniel Beaupre (3-2, 2 KOs) goes toe-to-toe with Drake Olchowecki, both of Ontario, Canada.
In the co-main, current WBC Youth world titleholder Pedro “Simba” Bernal (11-1, 3 KOs) will meet former world title challenger Tyson Cave (35-3.13KOs) in an 8-round lightweight clash.
Fight card:
▪️Ryan Rozicki vs. Zamig Atakishiyev, 10 rounds, heavyweight ▪️Pedro Bernal vs. Tyson Cave, 8 rounds, lightweight ▪️Artur Ziyatdinov vs. Jesus Palomares, 8 rounds, light heavyweight ▪️Kyle McNeil vs. Dylan Rushton, 8 rounds, welterweight ▪️Brett Beaton vs. Mikhail Miller, 4 rounds, middleweight ▪️Daniel Beaupre vs. Drake Olchowecki, 4 rounds, middleweight
