Next “Steppe” WBC Silver title defense for Makabu

World Boxing Council Silver cruiserweight champion, Congolese Ilunga Makabu (25-2, 24 KOs), will have a tough test when he faces the undefeated Russian Aleksei Papin (11-0-0, 10 Ko’s) on August 24 at the Traktor Sport Palace in Chelyabinsk, Russia.

Ilunga comes from scoring an important victory by knocking out Russian Dmitry Kudryashov in the fifth round to win the vacant WBC Silver cruise title in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

Papin, on the other hand, comes from knocking out fellow countryman Alexandru Jur on the same card where Makabu won the WBC Silver crown.