Ryan Rozicki and Yamil Peralta are set for a highly anticipated rematch on December 7th, with the interim WBC cruiserweight title on the line. This comes after a series of delays and legal complications involving Noel Mikaelian, who was originally slated to defend his title against Rozicki.
Mikaelian (27-2, 12 KOs) had captured the WBC cruiserweight title by defeating Ilunga Makabu under the promotional guidance of Don King. However, a scheduled June defense against Rozicki was postponed first to September due to an injury Mikaelian sustained, and then to December 7th without clear explanation. Now, the fight is officially off due to an ongoing legal dispute between Mikaelian and King, leaving Rozicki to seek another opportunity.
In a twist of fate, the WBC has sanctioned Rozicki (20-1, 19 KOs) to face Yamil Peralta (17-1, 9 KOs) for the interim title, a rematch of their controversial 2022 bout. In that fight, Rozicki was awarded a decision victory, a ruling so contentious that the WBC refused to recognize him as the "international" titleholder and recommended that the decision be overturned to a no contest.
Peralta, a 2012 Olympian, comes into the rematch with momentum, having secured a solid victory over Thabiso Mchunu. However, the Argentine boxer faces a tough challenge once again as he must travel to Rozicki’s home territory for the fight, a factor that adds extra tension to the already heated rematch.
While the fight promises to deliver high-stakes action, it will compete with Top Rank's title rematch doubleheader scheduled for the same evening. As of now, it remains unclear if any U.S. broadcasters will carry the Rozicki-Peralta fight.