"El Diamante" Mijares to defend IBF super flyweight title against Malik Bouziane

Cristian Mijares - who many had written off after he dropped three in a row (suffering a beating and knockout in a stunning nightmare of a stylistic match-up with Vic Darchinyan, and then dropping consecutive close and somewhat disputed decisions to up-and-comer Nehomar Cermeno) - came back to capture a new piece of the alphabet pie (third overall) in his 2nd stint as a strap-wearer at 115. To do so he easily beat the tough but tailor-made Juan Alberto Rosas, who had been on a good run since lasting the distance with Fernando Montiel back in 2008.

Mijares will look to begin another lengthy reign starting in April with inaugural challenger Malik Bouziane - a French-Algerian Olympian whose pro resume only recently started to deepen, but who has managed to get himself well ranked in a short period. Bouziane most recently drew with then-IBF champ Simphiwe Nongqayi - the very man Rosas lifted the belt from before he hot-potatoed it to Mijares. Nongqayi - now 38 - is a curious case, having come out of total obscurity to mount a nice little three-win streak against Julio Ler (an infamously negative-styled spoiler and Jorge Arce opponent) and both Arce brothers. Drawing with him certainly doesn't tell us Bouziane is great, but that he's at least decent. Bouziane has also comfortably outclassed solid British gatekeeper Ian Napa.


More on the Rosas win for Mijares (including video):
http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=275395

A look at Mr. Bouziane against Nongqayi:
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We've got two guys who are primarily counterpunchers but both are prone to get antsy and start taking the lead if not pressured. It should be good fun. :good

 

For those too lazy to click links (and you are legion :yep):

Now there is a balance, showing the recent form of each in their last outing.

This should be a really nice match - a fast-paced, tactical and technical brawl that is almost guaranteed to go the distance and may result in some flash knockdowns either way.

 

Yeah. :good

Fortunately for him, a lot of the really dangerous guys that had been hovering around the flyweight divisions (Darchinyan, Donaire, Montiel, Kameda) have moved up, whereas Mijares seems to have decided to hang tight at 115 and didn't look at all drained there against Rosas. It isn't necessarily a weak division, but it's one he could thrive in given the lack of really awkward/powerful guys at the top.

It's highly unlikely that we'll see it, but a unification between Mijares and Narvaez (WBO) could be an absolute thing of beauty and a bit of a brainteaser. Far more plausible (but less attractive) is a unification rematch between Mijares and Tomas Rojas (WBC), who he already schooled once years ago. IMO he'd also cruise to victories over Cazares and Nashiro (unless the judges are afflicted with anti-Mijares-itis).

 

Get on that! The pair with Nashiro is pretty cool. :thumbsup

Those two are evenly matched, and are on about the same 2nd-tier level as Naito and Rojas.

The top dogs right now are pretty clearly Cristian and Omar, but as you say El Huracan is all too content to stay collared to his house and snack on the bones he gets tossed by the WBO rather than go barking out challenges to the best to become the alpha (which, yeah - he might well have the ability to do...too bad we aren't likely to find out).

 

No, man. I spoke to Mijares (online) as recently as Wednesday March 2nd and he confirmed that Bouziane was his next opponent. :think

 

I asked Mijares today whether it's going to be Bouziane or Martinez next.

He posted this in reply:

"Parese k malik tdv no savemos"

Can any native Spanish speakers give us a good translation?

The internet ones seem to suggest something along the lines of "Don't know", but it's murky.

Malik Bouziane's first name is clearly in there.. :think

 

The plot thickens...

A search for recent news on Mijares turns up this article on Jose Alfredo "Cookies" Tirado:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...d=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.com

Internet translation made little sense, but seemed to indicate that Tirado (who I can't remember ever having heard of and who has a losing record...but who's been in with a murderer's row of Mijares x2, Raul Martinez, Luis Maldonado, Z Gorres and Diosdado Gabi) is angling for a rubbermatch with El Diamante. :think

 

It is going to be Malik Bouziane after all!

It's listed with a location set for May 14th on Boxrec and was reported on B-Scene within the last 48 hours (but still not on ESPN.com's boxing calendar).

Basically the issue of whether it was going to be Martinez or Bouziane stemmed from the IBF's incompetence. They wanted Mijares to face Martinez, who became the #1 contender after beating Rodrigo Guerrero. The problem is that they waited to make their intentions known until after Mijares' people had already agreed and signed to fight IBF #5 Malik Bouziane. Pretty embarrassingly unprofessional of a major sanctioning body to be so off the ball, honestly.

So, if Mijares beats Bouziane he will likely have an immediate date booked with Martinez (as presumably would Bouziane should he spring the upset). :good

 

Thanks, btw. :good