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Imam Khataev’s international tour will continue on December 7. After Quebec in January, Sydney in May and Montreal in September, the Tokyo Games medalist will end the year fighting Cuban challenger Yunior Menendez, undefeated and ranked 15th by the WBC, at the Grozny Coliseum in Russia.
“Imam dedicates his life to boxing. It’s like every promoter’s dream to have a guy who is constantly training to stay active. It’s perfect for us, because facing a world top 15 like Yunior Menendez on less than a month’s notice is much more than staying active,” underlined Eye of the Tiger president Camille Estephan, via press release.
Last January, on the undercard of Beterbiev-Smith, Khataev (8-0, 8 KOs) won the NABF light heavyweight title by stopping Polish champion Michal Ludwiczak in the second round. The following May, he stopped world contender Ricards Bolotniks in the 6th round, in Sydney, Australia, on the undercard of the big international fight between Vasyl Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr. Then, in November, he returned to Montreal to defeat Beijing Games Olympian Ezequiel Maderna in 7 rounds. He is now ranked 7th by the IBF and 13th by the WBC.
“I am constantly working to be able to face anyone, anywhere and anytime. On December 7, I plan to put on another good show, but also to show my progress. Above all, I plan to get a little closer to the world title, without ever slowing down until I become undisputed champion,” promised Imam Khataev.
Yunior ‘Bronco Man’ Menendez (11-0, 8 KOs) will be in his 12th fight and will be looking for a 4th victory against an undefeated boxer. The 28-year-old athlete notably reached 15th place in the WBC rankings by capturing the WBC FECARBOX title in 2023, a title he defended last June by quickly stopping veteran Junior Boada.
In the semi-finals, another duel of undefeated boxers will pit Eye of the Tiger rookie Shamil ‘The Warrior’ Khataev (13-0-1, 4 KOs) against Tokyo Games Olympian and champion from Uganda, Shadiri Musa Bwogi (7-0, 5 KOs), with the WBC Asian title at stake,
“It’s exciting to be able to fight again at home, even more so for a title! But even though an ocean will separate us, I also want to say that I do not intend to disappoint my team and the Eye of the Tiger fans in Canada,” Khataev testified.