WBC Heabyweight champion Deontay Wilder will defend the WBC Heavyweight title on September 26 against unheralded Johan Duhaupas in Birmingham, Alabama, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.
“I know my opponent has great size, and that’s what we’re looking for in opponents,” the 6-foot-7, 229-pound Wilder said of the 6-5, 242-pound Duhaupas. “He has a great record, and he’s never been knocked out — until he faces me. I know Duhaupas is tough and he comes to fight, and that’s exactly what we need.”
“Fighting at home last time exceeded my expectations, and coming back again is a blessing upon my life,” Wilder said. “I’m looking forward to bringing more boxing to Alabama and introducing the entire state to this great sport.”
Said Lou DiBella, who is promoting the card on behalf of the PBC, “Deontay Wilder is one of the brightest stars in boxing. It’s great for boxing to have an American heavyweight champion make a defense in his hometown, on free television, in prime time. In heavyweight years, Deontay is a young champion, and it’s great to see him fighting so often and continuing to grow and improve as a champion.”
“I am very happy to be challenging Deontay Wilder for the heavyweight world title,” said Duhaupas, who did not appear at the news conference but spoke in a pre-taped video. “This is a huge opportunity, and I will make the most of it on Sept. 26. Deontay is a good boxer, but I have the heart of a lion and the mental fortitude to handle anything in the ring.
“Fighting in the U.S. was a dream for me, and now I’ll achieve it. Fighting against Deontay Wilder is the next logical step for me. I’ve been dreaming about [fighting for a world title] for 15 years, boxing and training for 15 years, and now I can do it. Deontay is very dangerous. He is a huge champion, but I can be a huge champion, too, and I’ll do it.”
“From Holmes in ’85 to Wilder in ’15, NBC Sports continues its rich boxing heritage with a heavyweight championship fight in prime time,” said Jon Miller, the president of programming for NBC Sports. “This broadcast will introduce Deontay to a whole new group of sports fans, which is what we set out to do when we first partnered with PBC.”
In the junior welterweight co-feature, former lightweight titleholders Omar Figueroa Jr. (25-0-1, 18 KOs) and Antonio DeMarco (31-5-1, 23 KOs) will meet in a scheduled 12-round bout.
