Marc Ramsay rates ‘throwback fighter’ Mbilli alongside Beterbiev

MARC RAMSAY has ranked super-middleweight contender Christian Mbilli alongside light-heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev as one the best fighters he has trained to date.

Ramsay’s resume includes former world champions Jean Pascal, David Lemieux and Eleider Alvarez, while also currently guiding Mbilli and Beterbiev out of his Montreal gym.

“To be honest with you, he always had the right style even when he was an amateur fighter,” Ramsay said of the 2016 Olympian. “For me, it was not to identify the best amateur boxer, but to identify the guy who can become the best professional. His style was already very professional when he came to us and worked with our team. We worked on specific things to create maximum performance, but we still had to make sure that he grew up to be a man.”

Plucked from the amateur system by Ramsay, Mbilli (27-0, 23 KOs) was to set up a new home in Canada to start his professional career in 2017.

“When he came here, he was only just finishing being a teenager,” Ramsay explained. “Now he is a man! He has the physical age, he’s working at maximum capacity. People, a little bit, underestimate his technical ability. When they watch video on him, they only see a pressure fighter, a guy who can only make war. He’s way more complex than that, he’s not just a pressure fighter. 

“In the last few years, he is easily in the top three athletes I have worked with. He is very easy to deal with, professional at all times. He’s very focused on what he is doing, I rank him alongside Beterbiev. He never does anything wrong in training, always sleeps at the right time, always eats the right food, he always makes the correct decision in training. I do still have to make sure he takes a break though. Even with the outside publicity, he appreciates it, but the main focus is not there. 

“After the Carlos Gongora fight [a unanimous-decision victory in March 2023] we believed we were ready to take a step to the next level, It’s just a question of opportunity. I think that right now we are ready and able to fight the very best of the super-middleweight division and beat them. This has always been our goal, but we still have to prove it and we will do it.”

Mbilli headlines the Centre Videotron in his adopted Quebec on August 17 where he will face Ukraine’s multiple world title challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko (15-5, 10 KOs). The 29-year-old Frenchman, born in Cameroon, joins the super-middleweight bottleneck waiting for a stab at world glory, currently held up by unified champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

“Sergiy is a very good boxer,” Ramsay continued, “I think it will be a great challenge for Christian before challenging those top guys in the division. We need to make sure Christian learns something from this fight, not have another blowout. He needs to learn something to get him ready for a big fight because when we go into those world title fights, we don’t just want to appear on stage, we want to win and stay champion. 

“Derevyanchenko is a very complete fighter, a tough guy, a very good technician and a good counter puncher. This is a new level for Christian, I really believe he is the best opponent we have ever faced. It’s a chance for us to build a market in Quebec City. He left a very good impression at the last show [there] where he was the co-main event to Artur Beterbiev [vs Callum Smith].”

Australia’s Rohan Murdock was victim to Mbilli’s insistent pressure and power in January, having to retire at the end of the sixth round in January. He has since signed a co-promotional agreement with Top Rank alongside long-time promoter Eye of the Tiger. Following his breakthrough night against Murdock, Oldham’s Mark Heffron succumbed to an early 40-second knockout in Shawinigan this past May. 

“He stole the show a bit on the Beterbiev fight,” Ramsay added. “We just want to use that platform once again for this show and make sure we get maximum publicity for him. He’s a big pressure fighter, he’s an offensive fighter and throws a big volume of punches. He’s a full action fighter, I believe people like these throwback type fighters. They appreciate great fighters in Quebec. I think this upcoming fight is a great way to continue to promote Christian.”