Heading into Saturday night’s fight, ESPN commentator Tim Bradley had labeled Sergiy Derevyanchenko as a "washed" fighter, predicting an easy victory for Christian Mbilli. However, the outcome told a different story, as the 38-year-old Ukrainian veteran, fighting with an injured left hand from the fourth round, pushed the undefeated Mbilli further than many expected.
Mbilli, who was expected to secure a dominant victory, found himself struggling against Derevyanchenko despite the Ukrainian's injury. Though the official scores were 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92 in favor of Mbilli, the performance was anything but impressive.
Throughout the fight, Mbilli's game plan revolved around volume punching rather than the knockout power fans were expecting. He consistently pressured Derevyanchenko, throwing a high number of punches, but failed to land anything decisive. The Canadian-based fighter's lack of power, combined with frequent shots that skirted the rules, made for a performance that did little to convince spectators that he is ready for a title shot against someone like Canelo Alvarez.
Watch his interview right after the bout: Watch
The turning point in the fight came when Derevyanchenko injured his left hand in the fourth round, effectively reducing him to a one-armed fighter. Despite this significant disadvantage, Derevyanchenko managed to stay competitive, even hurting Mbilli in the later rounds. The Ukrainian expressed disappointment after the fight, saying, “If I had two hands, I think it would be another situation.”
As fans and analysts dissect the fight, the consensus on social media suggests that a healthy Derevyanchenko might have been able to pull off the victory. While Mbilli remains undefeated, his performance against Derevyanchenko raises more questions than it answers about his potential to become a world champion.
Read more about Christian Mbilli’s career here.
Image Credit: Top Rank