Professional career
Mikaelian made his professional debut against Adam Gadajew on 27 May 2011. He won the fight on points after four rounds. Mikaelian amassed an 18–0 record during the next four years, [1] before being booked to fight Daniel Alejandro Sanabria for the vacant WBO International cruiserweight title on 5 September 2015, the first regional championship of his career. [2] He captured the vacant belt by unanimous decision, with scores of 99–90, 98–91 and 100–89. [3] Mikaelian made his first title defense against Valery Brudov on 9 January 2016. [4] He won the fight by unanimous decision, with two scorecards of 99–91 and one scorecard of 98–92. [5] Mikaelian made his second title defense against Cristian Javier Medina on 7 May 2016. [6] He won the fight by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the bout 98–92 in his favor. [7] Mikaelian made his third title defense against Stephen Simmons on 14 October 2016. [8] He won the fight by split decision, with scores of 116–112, 116–112 and 113–116. [9]
On 28 April 2017, it was announced that Mikaelian would face Krzysztof Włodarczyk in an IBF cruiserweight title eliminator. The bout headlined a card which took place at the Hala Arena in Poznań, Poland on 20 May 2017. [10] He lost the fight by split decision. One judge scored the bout 115–113 in his favor, while the remaining two judges scored it 116–112 and 115–114 for Włodarczyk. [11]
Mikaelian faced the #1 seed of the 2018 World Boxing Cruiserweight Super Series Mairis Briedis on 10 November 2018, in the main event of an ESPN broadcast card, which took place at the Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago, Illinois. [12] Although Briedis was a 25-1 favourite, Mikaelian largely controlled the bout with jabs and hard rights landed on Briedis. However, the judges controversially awarded the fight to Briedis by unanimous decision, with scores of 114–112, 115–111 and 116–110. [13]
Mikaelian faced Jesse Bryan for the vacant WBC International cruiserweight title on 12 December 2020, following an eighteen-month absence from the sport. He won the fight by a fourth-round technical knockout. [14] Mikaelian next faced the former WBA interim cruiserweight champion Youri Kalenga on 12 February, this time coming back from a fourteen-month absence from the sport. [15] He won the fight by unanimous decision, with scores of 119–109, 118–108 and 117–111. [16]
On December 9, it was revealed that Mikaelian would fight Ilunga Makabu for the WBC cruiserweight title. The bout was expected to take place at the Casino Miami Jai-Alai in Miami, Florida, on 21 January 2023, [17] but was abruptly cancelled when Makabu was arranged to defend the belt against Badou Jack instead on 26 February, despite Mikaelian being the mandatory challenger. [18] After Jack vacated the belt to move up to bridgerweight, Mikaelian was scheduled to fight Makabu for the vacant title on 4 November 2023, at the Casino Miami Jai Alai in Miami, Florida. Mikaelian won the fight by a third-round technical knockout and became the new WBC cruiserweight champion of the world. [19]
Mikaelian is scheduled to challenge Badou Jack, who was reinstated to WBC cruiserweight champion in December 2024, [20] for his title on May 3, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, replacing Ryan Rozicki, who pulled out with injury. [21] [22] [23]
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