Rising heavyweight Jonathan Rice (10-3-1, 6 KOs) will take on the toughest test of his career when he battles undefeated rising prospect, Arslanbek Makhmudov (7-0, 7 KOs) on May 11, 2019, from the Montreal Casino in Canada.  The 10-round main event is being promoted by Eye of the Tiger Management. 

Here is what Rice, who is managed by Greg Hannley of Prince Ranch Boxing, had to say about training, his matchup and more:

On his upcoming matchup with Arslanbek Makhmudov:

"This is a very difficult fight but I'm up for the challenge. He has tremendous power in both hands so I must execute the game plan we have in place. I have power in both hands myself so it's going to be a very entertaining fight to say the least.  These are the type of fights I must take to further my career."

On his training camp with coach Wayne McCullough:

"I've made a lot of sacrifices during this training camp.  I've got the best sparring possible with top guys in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.  Wayne and I have been working great since we got together three fights ago. I'm going to be showcasing all the stuff we've been working on in camp.  All the hard work is about to pay off."

On what a win against Makhmudov will do for his career:

"A victory against Makhmudov will sky rocket me up the rankings. He's considered one of the top prospects in the heavyweight division.  Many doors will open up for my career with a win."

On fighting in Canada for the first time:

"I know it's going to be a hostile crowd going into his backyard but I'm up for the challenge.  To be great in this sport you must take risks.  From what I've seen, the boxing fans in Canada are great.  It's going to be fun fighting I front of that big crowd."

Undefeated super bantamweight prospect, Raeese Aleem (13-0, 7 KOs), who is managed by Greg Hannley of Prince Ranch Boxing, returns to the ring this Friday, May 10, 2019, at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA. Aleem will battle Mexico's Ramiro Robles (15-8-2, 9 KOs) in an 8-round bout promoted by Marshall Kauffman's King's Promotions. The fights can be seen on www.warfaresports.com at 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT.

Aleem, who is trained by former two-time world champion, Bones Adams and veteran trainer Brandon Woods, is well prepared going into this fight. After his last fight fell through, Aleem, who has been training at the Prince Ranch Boxing facility in Las Vegas, feels he's more then ready for this fight.

"I've been grinding hard in the gym for a fight that fell through last month, so I'm in great shape going into this fight," said Aleem. "Robles is a tough fighter from Mexico that I know will be coming forward.  This is the type of fight that I feel will be crowd pleasing to those watching.  I consider myself a volume boxer-puncher who is always throwing a lot of blows.   You'll never see me in a boring fight, and I plan on letting my hands go this Friday against Robles."

"Raeese Aleem is an incredibly talented fighter with a tremendous amount of upside," said manager Greg Hannley, of Prince Ranch Boxing. "He's working his way up the rankings with solid wins against good fighters.  Marshall is doing a great job promoting Raeese and I can see him fighting for a regional title by the end of the year."

"I've been working with Raeese for about a year now and he's one of the hardest working fighters I have in the gym," stated lead trainer Bones Adams. "Not only does he work hard, he can fight as well.  He's got the talent and work ethic to become a world champion if he continues on this path."

Frederik Hede Jensen (4-1, 2 KOs) has signed a contract extension with Team Sauerland and will return to the ring on June 22 at the Forum Horsens.

“It really means a lot to me to be a part of Team Sauerland,” said the Danish featherweight. “I feel very happy and proud, and I look forward to continuing to work with them. Together, I am sure we will be able to achieve great things.

“I want to keep up my development of becoming a world-class boxer and hopefully get some good fights in the book. One of my major goals is to get a title fight with one of the bigger boxing federations, and I am sure Team Sauerland will come up with a master plan to bring me closer to this dream.”

The 22 year-old from Grindsted will be back in action on June 22 on the undercard of Dina Thorslund’s WBO Female World Super Bantamweight title fight against April Adams at the Forum Horsens.

“The fight in Horsens will be my sixth as a professional,” he says. “Horsens is a great city with a good location central in Jutland. I hope to see a lot of people there, coming to support me and the team. I always look forward to stepping into the ring. I have been training harder since my last fight and will keep pushing myself in training. The fans can expect an excited fighter who will deliver a good fight and take the supporters on a fantastic journey on the June 22.”

With a new contract in place, Hede Jensen is hoping a victory in Horsens can lead to a hometown title fight, having got a taste of boxing in front of his local fans with a third-round TKO win over Ilia Beruashvili in his last bout in March.

“I really liked the atmosphere and would be very honored to once again come back to where it all started,” he said. “I feel very grateful for the local community and the support from all around. I would be even more excited to bring a bigger event ‘back home’, and if I am lucky it could be for a youth title.”

Promoter Nisse Sauerland says: “Frederik is one of Danish boxing’s brightest prospects. We look forward to working with him over the coming years and helping him reach his potential. He will be a great addition to our card on June 22 in Horsens, and we believe he has a big future ahead of him.”

An opponent for Hede Jensen will be confirmed shortly. He joins Danish heavyweight hope Kem Ljungquist and Horsens-boxers Amer Rasinlic and Michael Nielsen on the undercard of Dina Thorslund’s World title defence.

MTK Global is delighted to confirm the signing of IBF world flyweight champion Moruti Mthalane to MTK Africa.

 

The heavy-hitting ‘Babyface’ (37-2, 25 KOs) has joined the world’s leading boxing management team ahead of making the second defence of his title against Masayuki Kuroda in Japan on May 13.

South Africa’s Mthalane, who is trained by Head of MTK Africa Colin Nathan, said: “Since I have joined Colin, my career and life have changed for the better.

“When I heard Colin was becoming Head of MTK Africa, it was a natural move for me to sign for MTK Global because they are by far the best management company in the world.

“I have reclaimed the IBF title I never lost in the ring and now I’m looking forward to great things with my new company.”

Nathan added: "This is another landmark deal and we're so proud to welcome one of the all-time great South African fighters to MTK Africa.

“While Moruti's achievements have been outstanding, we believe there's so much more to come and the help and backing of MTK Global ensures all his efforts will be channelled correctly.

“Myself and Moruti are delighted to be working with the best management company in the world and look forward to more success. Unification fights are inevitable and this brings them closer."