MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Russian boxer Denis Lebedev told TASS on Wednesday he views his next fight’s opponent Thabiso Mchunu of South Africa as a very dangerous challenger.
The fight for the silver belt of the World Boxing Council (WBC) in the cruiserweight category (under 90.71 kg) between Lebedev and Mchunu will be held on December 21 in Russia’s Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk.
"Mchunu is dangerous not for me only, but the rest [of boxers] as well," Lebedev said in an interview with TASS. "I can deliver a blow and he can do it as well because this is what our weight category is about."
"He is fast, sharp and flexible, but I am not a gift as well. The one who is quick enough to adjust to another will win the fight," the Russian boxer added.
Lebedev, 40, is a former IBF/WBA/WBC cruiserweight champion and has a record of 32 wins (23 by KOs) and two defeats. He last fought in November 2018 defeating Mike Wilson of the United States in Monte Carlo.
In July, Lebedev made a surprise announcement on wrapping up his boxing career, but later decided to return to the ring.
South Africa’s 31-year-old Thabiso ‘The Rock’ Mchunu boasts a record of 21 wins (13 by KOs) and five defeats (three by KOs).