David Lemieux returns December 7th against Max Bursak

Former IBF middleweight champion David Lemieux is set to make his long-delayed super middleweight debut on December 7th, taking on two-time title challenger Max Bursak in his native Montreal’s Bell Centre. The fight will be Lemieux’s first appearance in nearly 15 months.

Lemieux (40-4. 34 KO) has had a rough go of things since obliterating Spike O’Sullivan on Canelo-Golovkin II in September of last year. He was supposed to rejoin Canelo three months later for the latter’s bout with Rocky Fielding, only to once more bungle the cut to 160 pounds and withdraw from his planned fight with Tureano Johnson. This prompted a move to super middleweight, where he was set to fight John Ryder on Canelo-Jacobs before injuring his right hand.

Bursak (34-5-2, 15 KO) is a step back from those two, but not an egregious one. Though the Ukrainian vet has fallen short in practically every step up, dropping decisions to Hassan N’Dam and Zurdo Ramirez among others, he’s never been stopped and is a fair bit taller than Lemieux. At the very least, this looks to be a decent trial run for Lemieux’s power at 168 pounds.

The card will also feature heavyweights Arslanbek Makhmudov and Simon Kean against the badly faded Sam Peter and Siarhei Liakhovich, respectively.