Xu Can to defend IBO international super feather belt against Belmehdi

Chinese world champion boxer Xu Can will fight Jaouad Belmehdi of France in Beijing on August 15 to defend his International Boxing Organization (IBO) international super feather title belt, his promoter, the M23 boxing club, announced Tuesday.

"Of course, I have experienced defeats and gone through periods of setbacks and faced doubts," Xu said.

Back in January 2019, Xu defeated Jesus Rojas by unanimous decision at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, to win the World Boxing Association featherweight belt. He became the third boxer form Chinese mainland to win a major international title after Zou Shiming and Zhang Zhilei.

Xu defended the belt twice before losing it to Leigh Wood of England by technical knockout (TKO) in July 2021. He then won the vacant IBO international super feather title with a TKO victory over Jhonatan Arenas in Nassau in December last year.

"The unwavering support and encouragement from my fans have kept the fire within me burning brightly," Xu said. "I am truly grateful for the experiences of these past 10 years and, most importantly, for the companionship of everyone throughout this journey."

"I know all too well that defending a title is even more difficult than winning it in the first place. My opponent is a tough competitor. He has an impressive record of 23 wins with only one loss," Xu said of Belmehdi. "He is a worthy adversary, and I am leaving nothing to chance in my preparations."

Belmehdi, 27, current keeps a 23-1-3 record with 11 knockouts and ranks second in the super feather category in France.