An official announcement is imminent for Nikita Tszyu’s toughest test yet, as he prepares to face domestic rival Michael Zerafa in a catchweight fight, overcoming recent inactivity and a car crash.
Tszyu, undefeated at 11-0 (9 KOs), battled through a grueling fight against Koen Mazoudier last summer but suffered a hand injury that sidelined him for 12 months. He made a brief return in August, dispatching Lulzim Ismaili in just one round in Sydney — his only ring action since August 2024.
Now, Tszyu is set to take on former middleweight world title challenger Michael Zerafa (34-5, 22 KOs), over four years after Zerafa was originally scheduled to face Tim Tszyu, Nikita’s brother.
Despite Tszyu’s recent car accident earlier this month, the fight is expected to proceed before Christmas. There’s also talk that Liam Paro’s IBF eliminator bout against Paddy Donovan could feature on the undercard.
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Speaking to Boxing News, Zerafa expressed excitement about the matchup and confirmed the fight will take place at a catchweight of 71.5kg (157.6lbs).
“I haven’t heard anything about the fight being off due to the car crash,” Zerafa said.
“It’s exciting—not just for me, but for Australian boxing as a whole. My goal is to be a world champion and get back into another world title contest. This one will be a catchweight fight at 71.5kg.”
Zerafa challenged Erislandy Lara for the WBA middleweight world title last year and currently holds high rankings across major sanctioning bodies: #5 in the WBA at 160lbs, #8 with the WBO, and #14 in the IBF.
