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Just after the IBF announced that it had pushed back a purse bid between Kubrat Pulev and Hughie Fury, “The Cobra” announced that the fight is set for October 27th in his home town of Sofia, Bulgaria. This was Pulev’s third attempt at securing an opponent for the heavyweight eliminator, as both Dillian Whyte and Jarrell Miller declined after their respective purse bids.
Pulev (25-1, 13 KO) is 5-0 over mediocre opposition since his one-sided knockout loss to Wladmir Klitschko four years ago and is coming off a 1.5-year layoff. His most notable victory was a decision over Dereck Chisora that was nowhere near as close as the scorecards would suggest. This should tell us whether the 37-year-old still deserves to be considered among the elite in a top-heavy division.
Fury (21-1, 11 KO) rebounded from his narrow loss to Joseph Parker with an easy win over British champ Sam Sexton this past May. Despite being 1.5 inches taller than the Bulgarian, he’ll give up around 20 pounds, judging by their most recent weigh-ins.