Australian star Nikita Tszyu will box again on Wednesday, August 20, at the ICC Sydney Theatre.
The 10-0 (8 KOs) Tszyu has not fought in almost a year, since an August 28 nine-round victory over Koen Mazoudier.
The southpaw junior middleweight, nicknamed “The Butcher”, will face the seventh-undefeated opponent of his career when he meets Germany-based Macedonian Lulzim Ismaili (12-0, 7 KOs) for a minor WBO belt.
“It’s been a while, but I haven’t been sitting still. I’ve used the time to reset, refocus and take things to another level,” said Tszyu. “Ismaili’s undefeated and dangerous — and that’s exactly what I want. I’m not here to play it safe. I’m here to entertain and knock people out on my climb to the top.”
The co-feature sees middleweight contender Michael Zerafa make his return against Mikey Dahlman, from Indiana. Veteran Zerafa is 33-5 (21 KOs), while Dahlman is 18-1 (16 KOs), and there is talk of Tszyu and Zerafa meeting should they come through their respective tests. “This is the comeback Australian boxing fans have been waiting for,” said No Limit Boxing CEO George Rose.
“Nikita’s last performance was one of the most thrilling we’ve ever seen. Raw power, non-stop pressure, and pure entertainment. After nearly a year out, he’s stepping up again with his first international opponent and remarkably, his seventh undefeated opponent in just 11 fights. “And then you’ve got Michael Zerafa back in the mix, and as controversial as ever. He’s in a very tough fight against a serious knockout artist in Mikey Dahlman, and that makes this card even more dangerous. The history between Zerafa and the Tszyu family is no secret. If Nikita and Zerafa both get through, it opens the door for one of the biggest all-Australian fights we’ve seen in years. This is a fight night you don’t want to miss.”
Brock Jarvis, Jasmine Parr, Brandon Grach, and Ahmad Reda are all slated to appear on the show.
