Michael Soro and Hassan Mwakinyo clash for the IBO World middleweight title

Michael Soro vs Hassan Mwakinyo for the IBO middleweight title

Frenchman Michael Soro (38-4-2, 27 KOs) will clash with Tanzanian Hassan Mwakinyo (25-3, 18 KOs) for the vacant IBO middleweight title on June 10 in the Ivory Coast.

31-year-old Mwakinyo has reeled off five victories in a row since his 2022 defeat to Liam Smith in Liverpool.

The former WBO Africa middleweight champion has KO'd his last four foes to take his knockout ratio up to 72%.

38-year-old Soro, who resides in France, was born in the Ivory Coast. He has win his last three in a row, all via KO and now has a 71% knockout ratio.

Soro is a former European middleweight champion and once challenged for the WBA Interim belt at super-welterweight.

This will his second attempt at winning an IBO world title. In 2012, he challenged for the WBO and IBO super-welterweight belts, but was decisioned by Russia's Zaurbek Baysangurov in Ukraine.

Kevin Lele Sadjo also appears on the bill, against Abdul Ubaya over 10 rounds at super-middleweight.

A third French boxer, Milan Prat, meets unbeaten super-welterweight Amiri Rashidi Matumia, making it a trio of France vs Ivory Coast rivalries on the Dream Ring Promotions event.

DID YOU KNOW? Gennady Golovkin win the IBO World middleweight title in December 2011 and made a record 20 defences