Prior to Saturday’s Nordic Fight Night in Frederikshavn, Team Sauerland is delighted to confirm that Mikkel Kessler (45-2, 34 KOs) will challenge Brian Magee (36-4-1, 25 KOs) for the WBA Super-Middleweight World Championship in Denmark later this year. The date and the venue will be announced in due time.
“This will be a massive event, I believe the whole country will get behind Mikkel,” promoter Kalle Sauerland said.
“He can become world champion for a record fourth time and restore the Danish boxing pride by avenging the bitter KOs of Rudy Markussen and Mads Larsen. It’s taken a while but now all is signed and sealed – except for the venue and the date, which we expect to be finalized shortly. Magee will feel the wrath of the Viking Warrior! It’s a question of honor!”
After stopping Mads Larsen (January 2010) and Rudy Markussen (February 2012), Magee will be looking to complete his Danish KO hat-trick. At the same time, Kessler will be trying to become world champion for a fourth time, having proved his class with a spectacular KO victory over Allan Green at PARKEN in May.
His one-punch knock-out has been dubbed as a potential KO of the year. “I look forward to fighting Magee,” the Viking Warrior said.
“He’s a good boxer with a lot of heart. It takes something to come to Denmark and knock out both Mads and Rudy. But his winning streak will end when we meet. I am very keen to be world champion again and Magee cannot prevent this from happening. It will be interesting as I think it will be a little like a national team match, I am a proud Dane and this guy will take a beating for having knocked out my countrymen.”
Magee is convinced he will claim another prominent Danish scalp. “I am ready for the hat-trick of KOs,” he said.
“I’ve stopped Larsen, I’ve stopped Markussen and now it’s Kessler’s turn. He’s a great fighter, no doubt about that, but I have the tools to break him. He ran from a fight earlier in the year after he was ringside and witness to the destruction of Markussen but now I have him and he will go the same way. I have already commenced early training and I am working on a fight plan with my coach Bernardo Checa. Denmark has been good to me and I am happy to be going back.”
Further details about the Kessler-Magee fight will be announced after Saturday’s Nordic Fight Night in Frederikshavn. At Arena Nord, Patrick Nielsen defends his WBA Intercontinental Middleweight Title against Spaniard Jose Yebes.
The card also features the “Pacquiao Mayweather of women’s boxing” – the showdown between WBA / WBC / WBO Female Welterweight Champion Cecilia Braekhus and French KO queen Anne Sophie Mathis. Ahmed Kaddour, Torben Keller, Dennis Ceylan and Erik Skoglund will also be in action. Tickets are available at arenanord.dk.
