Former WBA welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis will make his professional homecoming later this month. The 30-year-old Lithuanian faces South Africa’s Jabulani Makhense on September 27 at Zalgirio Arena in Kaunas, with the bout set for 10 rounds at a catchweight of 150 pounds.
The fight marks Stanionis’ first appearance in Lithuania as a pro and his first outing since suffering his lone career defeat. In April, he was stopped in the sixth round by Jaron Ennis during a welterweight unification clash. Ennis, then the IBF champion, claimed Stanionis’ WBA belt and the vacant Ring title in a one-sided performance that ended when Stanionis’ corner halted the fight after a knockdown.
Despite the setback, Stanionis (15-1, 9 KOs) remains ranked No. 2 at 147 pounds by The Ring, trailing only WBO titleholder Brian Norman Jr. He now looks to rebound in front of a home crowd, eager to regain momentum in a competitive welterweight division.
Watch Stanionis vs. Ennis highlights: Watch
His opponent, Makhense (16-2, 8 KOs), is a 32-year-old who has spent nearly his entire nine-year career boxing in South Africa. Though relatively unknown on the international stage, he will attempt to spoil the Lithuanian’s long-awaited homecoming.
The September bout will also mark the first time since 2021 that Stanionis fights twice in the same calendar year, a schedule he has admitted is vital for his mental well-being. “I get crazy and depressed with demons when I’m not fighting,” he told The Ring before the Ennis fight - words that underline how crucial this return is for him.
Fight card:
▪️Eimantas Stanionis vs. Jabulani Makhense, 10 rounds, super welterweight
▪️Aleksandr Trofimcuk vs. Denis Sudorov, 4 rounds, super welterweight
▪️Robertas Liorancas vs. Valantis Kaminiaris, 4 rounds, super middleweight
▪️Jonas Jazevicius vs. Michal Czykiel, 4 rounds, cruiserweight
▪️Algirdas Baniulis vs. Mohamed El Bouchaibi, 4 rounds, heavyweight
▪️Edgaras Skurdelis vs. Jak Johnson, 4 rounds, lightweight
