By Alexey Sukachev

As overly late news kept coming, a new signing (and corresponding transition to the pros) – once overlooked – is worth of note.

Enters Ivan Dychko, a 26-year old Kazakh heavyweight and one of the bigger amateur standouts. Dychko has been signed by well-known Australian manager Mike Altamura to be added to his MJA Entertainment installment. Dychko is quite optimistic getting in.

“Anthony Joshua is one who motivates me. Not him of course but a thought of a rematch”, said Dychko. “I thought I beat him in London. If he beats [Wladimir] Klitschko and retains his title, our future collision will be highly probable at the end of the say”.

Dychko fought Joshua, now the IBF heavyweight champion, in the semi-finals of 2012 London Olympics and lost on a close decision: 11-13. Joshua went on to become the Olympic champion, and then the next big thing in the pro game.

As an amateur, the 6’9’’ giant was always close winning something big but failed to make one last step each time. Dychko is a two-time (2012, 2016) Olympic bronze medalist, a two-time WC silver (2011 and 2013) and once (2015) WC bronze medalist as well as Asian (2013) and three-time (2009-2011) Kazakh national champion. His amateur record is 181-18.

“I have been considering a turn to the pro for a long time, and I’m glad to sign with Mike Altamura, as we have common goals for the future. Together we shall realize them. My ultimate goal is to become a unified heavyweight champion of the world and to hold this title for as long as I can”, added Dychko, whose debut is most likely to take place in Beijing this coming May.

Dychko isn’t the only Kazakh star to sign with Altamura. It was earlier revealed that 2016 Olympic welterweight gold medalist and 2013 world champion Daniyar Yeleussinov has also joined the MJA Team.