Julio Cesar La Cruz is to main event Cuba’s first IBA Champions’ Night Havana as he eyes becoming the IBA Pro World Champion at 92kg on home soil against Uzbekistan’s Madiyar Saydrakhimov on 27 August.

The event will also mark 50 years since the first IBA World Boxing Championships was hosted here, in the capital of Cuba.

The two-time Olympic and five-time IBA World Boxing Championships gold medallist faces his long-time opponent for the title, coming up against the 2021 world bronze medallist.

La Cruz is considered one of the greatest boxers of his generation, recently turning professional with an unbeaten record so far.

Cuban Arlen Lopez meets with Luis Antonio Tejada from the Dominican Republic in the 80kg weight category contest following his rival Aliaksei Alfiorau from Belarus was pulled out as he received an injury.

Fresh off the back of an Olympic bronze medal in Paris to add to his two Olympic titles, Lopez returns home to be crowned the IBA title holder. His professional record currently stands at 3-0. Tejada will look to bounce back from his IBA Champions’ Night defeat to Bekzad Nurdauletov from Kazakhstan in Almaty in April.

Roniel Iglesias, another two-time Olympic champion from Cuba, is to meet Armenia’s Gurgen Madoyan in a 67kg ranking fight. He will be looking for redemption after losing his last IBA Champions’ Night match in Aguascalientes to Mexico’s Marco Verde, but previously defeated Kazakhstan’s Dulat Bekbauov at the event.

Right off the back of winning Olympic gold in Paris, Erislandy Alvarez is to face off with Colombia’s Jose Munoz (16-3) in a ranking fight at the 63.5kg weight limit, the same division that three-time world champion Lazaro Alvarez is to take on Mujibillo Tursunov from Uzbekistan (4-0).

Finally, Saidel Horta, the World championships silver medallist, is to fight in the opening 57kg match against Ruslan Belousov from Russia, who remains undefeated in four professional fights so far in his career. 

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Media contacts:

Elena Sobol, Head of Communications and PR, International Boxing Association: elena.sobol@iba.sport

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