Former three-division world boxing champion Vasiliy Lomachenko will attempt to become a champion again on Saturday when he faces George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF lightweight title. Their 12-round boxing main event tops the Lomachenko vs. Kambosos fight card (8 p.m. ET) from RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. The title is vacant because it was left behind by former unified lightweight champion Devin Haney, who discarded all four major belts before moving up to junior welterweight. Coincidentally, Lomachenko hasn’t fought since dropping a disputed decision last May against Haney for the unified lightweight title that Haney won by defeating Kambosos. Kambosos is coming off a majority decision victory against Maxi Hughes last July.
Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. George Kambosos Jr. preview
Lomachenko (17-3) is a two-time Olympic gold medalist who is widely considered one of the most prolific amateur boxers in the history of the sport. The 36-year-old Ukrainian has since gone on to become one of the top professional boxers of this generation. In a rarity for boxing, and on the strength of his colossal amateur career, Lomachenko was fast-tracked to a title fight in just his second appearance as a pro and won the vacant WBO featherweight title in his third pro fight with a majority decision over Gary Russell Jr. in June 2014.
In just his 12th professional fight, Lomachenko won a title in a third weight class, but he became something of a polarizing star for the sport. Although he had become one of boxing’s dominant champions, it often appeared as though he purposely exhibited a risk-averse style that involved him doing the minimum necessary to defeat overmatched opponents.
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