Mikaelyan and Badou Jack held their first staredown ahead of the WBC title rematch

Armenian boxer Norair (Noel) Mikaelyan (27-3) and Swedish champion Badou Jack (29-3-3) held their first face-off ahead of their highly anticipated rematch for the WBC World cruiserweight title. The intense moment took place in front of the monument to the legendary Kobe Bryant — symbolic for Los Angeles, where the biggest fight of the year for Armenia and Armenians around the world will take place on December 13.

Context of the first fight
Their first meeting took place in Riyadh, where Mikaelyan accepted the bout on short notice — only three weeks before the event. In a close and competitive fight, Jack retained his champion belt by majority decision:
115–113, 115–113, and 114–114.

However, the result caused major controversy. Many experts, fans, and even WBC officials expressed doubts about whether the victory went to the right fighter. As a result, Mikaelyan filed an official appeal, stating his disagreement with the outcome.

Mikaelyan’s statement
In an interview with The Ring, the Armenian boxer spoke openly:

"The world knows I was better in the first fight, which is why they ordered a rematch. I had only three weeks to prepare, had to fly through three countries and several time zones, and the fight time was moved from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. — and even then he couldn’t beat me. I remain the real champion, and with a full training camp I will prove it without question."

What fans can expect
This time Mikaelyan enters the rematch with a full training camp, in optimal shape and mindset. The second meeting is expected to be even more intense and spectacular, and the question of the true cruiserweight champion will finally receive a definitive answer.

The rematch will take place on December 13 in Los Angeles.