Canadian world cruiserweight contender Ryan Rozicki will return to the ring on March 7, headlining a Three Lions Promotions card against Gerardo Mellado in a scheduled 10-round main event at Centre 200 in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Rozicki (20-1-1, 19 KOs) endured a frustrating 2025 due to injuries, despite entering the year as the WBC’s No. 1 mandatory challenger. A long-awaited title opportunity against then-champion Noel Mikaelian never materialized, with Mikaelian declining multiple times. A subsequent world title bout against Badou Jack was scheduled for May, only for Rozicki to withdraw after suffering a right bicep injury in training camp.
The injury setbacks continued later in the year, forcing the cancellation of an October fight for the vacant WBC Continental Americas title. Now fully recovered, the 30-year-old Sydney native says he is healthy and motivated to restart his climb toward a world championship, emphasizing that the March 7 bout is a necessary step to regain momentum.
Mellado (12-4, 7 KOs) enters the fight following a 10-round decision loss to current IBO cruiserweight champion Juergen Uldedaj in April, his first bout outside Chile. The orthodox fighter says he is unfazed by hostile environments and is coming to Canada aiming for a knockout rather than leaving the result to the judges.
Currently ranked No. 2 by the WBC and No. 5 by Ring Magazine, Rozicki is targeting future bouts against top champions, including a potential showdown with either Noel Mikaelian or Jai Opetaia, as he pursues his goal of becoming the first Canadian-born world cruiserweight champion.
Fight card:
▪️Ryan Rozicki vs. Gerardo Mellado, 10 rounds, cruiserweight
▪️Brett Beaton vs. David Logue, 10 rounds, for the vacant NCC super middleweight title
▪️Meilyn Sanchez Martinez vs. Silvia Duran, 6 rounds, super bantamweight
