Firat Arslan vs. Sefer Seferi

Headlining at Baden-Württemberg's EWS Arena. WBO Intercontinental cruiserweight title at stake, 1st defense of Arslan in his second reign (the first spanning 2005 & 2006, with two defenses before vacating).

The incumbent champion, a 48-year-old southpaw, is on a 10-0 (8) run since his last professional defeat via split decision in an unsuccessful bid to wrest the IBF cruiser world title from Yoan Pablo Hernández Soárez in August of 2014. Seferi, a 39 year old Albanian with a VERY padded record of 23-2 (21), has lost in the only two significant matches of his career - dropping a UD to Manuel Charr in 2016 and retiring on his stool after four rounds with a returning Tyson Fury this past June. Despite the numbers, Seferi would be AT BEST the second biggest h2h threat of Arslan's streak to date, below his own elder brother Nuri "The Albanian Tyson" Seferi, whom Arslan outpointed comfortably. One could argue that Sefer is a lesser foe than Bosnian southpaw Goran Delić (whom Arslan knocked out last July), however.

I don't say that in order to disparage Arslan. On the contrary, I've been a fan of his for years. I am in fact relieved that, if he insists on competing while pushing 50, his competition level has plateaued where it has. I don't want to see him thrown in with any elite cruisers half or less his age, to get torn asunder. Let him milk his trinket and run up the score in his W column until he feels like hanging them up, I say. He more than earned that right in the first several acts of his pro campaign.

 

Yeah, unless Father Time catches up with him in a hurry, Arslan should toy with the inferior Seferi bro.

 

Also, is Pfeifer worth keeping an eye out for?

 

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