MOSCOW, January 22. Boxer Kevin Johnson will hold his first fight after receiving Russian citizenship against Irishman Sean Turner on February 16, reports the Ren TV channel.
The fight according to the rules of mixed martial arts (MMA) will take place as part of the Fight Club super series at the volleyball arena Dynamo in Moscow will be the main event of the evening.
In March 2023, after defeating Vyacheslav Datsik, Johnson turned to Russian President Vladimir Putin with a request for Russian citizenship and announced his intention to change his name to Kevin Vladimirovich. On January 9, the head of state signed a decree on accepting the boxer as Russian citizenship.
Pop MMA fighters Evgeny Ershov and Svyatoslav Kovalenko will meet in the co-main fight. The semi-finals of the Fight Club Grand Prix will also take place. In the first fight, Sergei Romanov and Maxim Fedorov will compete, in the second, Sergei Khrisanov and Marcel Khanov will enter the octagon.
The 44-year-old Johnson has 60 fights in the professional ring (36 wins, 22 losses, 2 draws), in In 2009, he lost in a fight for the World Boxing Council (WBC) belt to Ukrainian Vitali Klitschko