Rob Brant returns to defend his title in Minnesota
Fresh of an upset victory, WBA middleweight champion Rob Brant (24-1, 16KOs) will make his first defense against unknown middleweight Khasan Baysangurov (17-0, 7KOs). The fight will take place at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minnesota and will air live on ESPN.
Back in October, Brant handed then-champion and former 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist, Ryota Murata, a resounding defeat. This time, the Minnesota native will look to avoid his own upset against Baysangurov especially having the hometown advantage.
Baysangurov is the WBA continental champion; a title he won by defeating Pavel Semjonov via technical knockout in the seventh round. He’s also the cousin of former junior middleweight champion Zaurbek Baysangurov, who held the WBO and IBO titles.
Little is known about the 21-year old Russian-born, Ukrainian fighter outside of this bout marking his United States debut and being currently ranked #8 by the WBA. Hopefully, the opportunity to become a champion motivates him to be ready to put on a great show February 15!
By: Jerrell Fletcher
