Joshua Buatsi to face former world title challenger on December 18

Joshua Buatsi will face former world title challenger Maxim Vlasov on the undercard of Joseph Parker’s rematch with Derek Chisora at the AO Arena in Manchester on December 18.

Buatsi (15-0, 13 KOs) scored his 10th knockout in a row when he stopped Latvia’s Ricards Bolotniks in the 11th round of their WBA light-heavyweight world title eliminator on the third and final week of Matchroom Fight Camp in August.

That win followed on from the Croydon man’s brutal fourth-round stoppage of undefeated Frenchman Daniel Blenda Dos Santos in May and the 28-year-old contender returns to the famous arena next month to take on his toughest challenge yet in the professional ranks.

Russia’s Vlasov (45-4, 26 KOs) dropped a controversial 12-round majority decision to the USA’s Joe Smith in a challenge for the vacant WBO light-heavyweight world title earlier this year and the former interim cruiserweight world title challenger is determined to bounce back by becoming the first man to defeat Buatsi.

The show will be shown live on DAZN.