Swedish heavyweight Otto Wallin (25-1, 14 KOs) is set to square off against former unified cruiserweight champion Murat Gassiev (30-1, 23 KOs) in Antalya, Turkey. The bout, scheduled for 12 rounds and contending for a WBA regional title, will be hosted at the Regnum Carya Hotel.
This upcoming fight marks a significant moment for Wallin, especially after his anticipated bout against Dillian Whyte in October 2021 was abruptly canceled due to Whyte’s reported shoulder injury. Instead of rescheduling the Wallin fight, Whyte took on Tyson Fury, the WBC’s reigning champion, in a bout that saw Fury triumph in the sixth round. This match attracted a record-breaking audience of 94,000 at London’s Wembley Stadium in April 2022.
Reflecting on the upcoming fight, Wallin expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “The last couple of years has been tough with no significant fights, but finally I have a big opportunity and I’m ready to take it with both hands.” Wallin’s last fight was in January, where he secured a unanimous decision victory over Helaman Olguin.
On the other hand, Russia’s Gassiev has maintained an undefeated record in the heavyweight division since his loss to Oleksandr Usyk five years ago in Moscow. Usyk, who later went on to defeat Anthony Joshua twice, had unified the cruiserweight titles by besting Gassiev. Gassiev's recent performance saw him knocking out the then-undefeated Mike Balogun in March at the Karen Demirchyan Sports Complex in Yerevan, Armenia.
Fight card:
▪️Otto Wallin vs. Murat Gassiev, 12 rounds, heavyweight ▪️Fatih Keles vs. Khuseyn Baysangurov, 10 rounds, junior middleweight ▪️Vladimir Sarukhanyan vs. Burak Akkus, 8 rounds, lightweight ▪️Luis Miguel Bayona vs. Bakhromjon Fozilov, 6 rounds, junior middleweight ▪️Tarik Sozer vs. Unal Allun, 6 rounds, junior welterweight ▪️Arsen Aziev vs. Serdar Sirin, 4 rounds, light heavyweight
