Report: Rob Brant’s First Title Defense Set For February 15
Rob Brant could be coming home for his first WBA “Regular” middleweight title.
A report from ESPN stated that Brant will defend his title in the main event of a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card on February 15. The report also said Brant’s fight will be against Khasan Baysangurov and take place at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minnesota.
Brant, a former competitor on the World Boxing Super Series super middleweight tournament, won the title back in October in Las Vegas. Brant defeated Ryota Murata in the main event of a Top Rank card on ESPN+. Soon after winning the title, Brant signed a multi-year, co-promotional deal with Top Rank to have Brant remain fighting on ESPN.
Baysangurov is undefeated as a pro, winning all 17 of his fights since making his debut in 2013. In 2015, Baysangurov won the WBO Youth junior middleweight title and in 2018, he won the WBA Intercontinental middleweight title. Baysangurov is ranked No. 8 by the WBA and No. 14 by the WBO.
When Brant defeated Murata to win the WBA title, there was a rematch clause, but a rematch never came. While Brant is the WBA’s “Regular” titleholder, Canelo Alvarez currently holds the “Super” version of the title, considered to be the top world title by the WBA.
The February 15 would be the third Top Rank card on an ESPN platform in February with the first one taking place on February 2 in Texas and one on February 10 in California.
