{"id":493315,"date":"2025-10-12T10:10:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T10:10:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/493315\/"},"modified":"2025-10-12T10:10:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T10:10:14","slug":"zhilei-zhang-calls-for-fight-with-fellow-heavyweight-veteran-derek-chisora","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/493315\/","title":{"rendered":"Zhilei Zhang calls for fight with fellow heavyweight veteran Derek Chisora"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chinese heavyweight Zhilei Zhang<\/a> has called for a showdown with British veteran Derek Chisora<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m thinking about someone,\u201d Zhang (27-3-1, 22 KOs) said in an Instagram video before old footage of Chisora and him talking at ringside began to play.<\/p>\n

Over the top of the George Michael ballad \u201cCareless Whisper\u201d, Zhang looked into the camera and spoke directly to Chisora (36-13, 23 KOs).<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to fight you,” he said. “I want to bang you. Maybe you want to bang me, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is believed that Chisora will make his 50th \u2013 and supposedly final \u2013 professional appearance at Manchester\u2019s Co-Op Live Arena on December 13. Undefeated Moses Itauma<\/a> (13-0, 11 KOs) is scheduled to headline the event. At the time of writing, neither man has an opponent confirmed.
Last February, Chisora, 41, rolled back the years and dominated Otto Wallin<\/a> over 12 rounds, but his hopes of securing an unlikely world title shot before calling time on his near 19 year-long career have been dealt a significant blow.
The No. 1 position in the IBF\u2019s heavyweight rankings is vacant, but while Chisora sits at No. 2, the governing body recently announced that former champion Daniel Dubois<\/a> (22-3, 21 KOs) will take on Cuba\u2019s Frank Sanchez<\/a> (25-1, 18 KOs) in the final eliminator.
Zhang\u2019s schedule is currently empty. He hasn\u2019t boxed since suffering a sixth round stoppage at the hands of Agit Kabayel <\/a>last February.<\/p>\n

The 42-year-old, who stopped former WBC titleholder Deontay Wilder in June of last year, has been competing at the highest level of heavyweight boxing for the past few years and won\u2019t want to take too big of a backward step.<\/p>\n

Zhang is no stranger to British shores. In 2023 he recorded back-to-back victories over Joe Joyce in London. Chisora remains an incredibly popular figure and his high world ranking would also make him an attractive option for Zhang.<\/p>\n

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