Boxers are truly a different breed. Take super middleweight fighter Sergiy Derevyanchenko, for instance. Earlier this month, at the Centre Videotron in Quebec City, he faced Christian Mbilli and came up short in a unanimous decision loss. But what stood out wasn’t just the result—it was Derevyanchenko’s sheer determination. 

Despite suffering a torn biceps during the fight, the Ukrainian warrior kept pushing forward, earning the respect and admiration of thousands of fans for his unwavering resolve. It appears the 38-year-old has undergone surgery to repair the damage. And now Cuban boxer Yordenis Ugas has expressed his support for the Ukranian through social media. 

Sergiy Derevyanchenko will continue his boxing career

Over ten days after the fight, renounced boxing journalist Dan Rafael took to X to share an update on the Feodosia, Crimea native. “Super middleweight Sergiy Derevyanchenko had surgery today to repair the torn tendon in his biceps suffered vs. Mbilli,” Rafael wrote. This was the latest mishap for the Ukrainian, having gained nothing major from the sport of boxing.

He suffered a unanimous decision loss against Jaime Munguia in June last year, which came after another unanimous decision loss against Gennady Golovkin in October 2019. A win in either of these fights could have propelled him to the very top. But it was not in the cards for Derevyanchenko.

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However, despite the torn bicep and stagnant career, the 38-year-old is not quite ready to hang up his gloves. “Once he is healed, [he] intends to continue his #boxing career,” Rafael continued. Hours later, former WBA welterweight champion Yordanis Ugas shared prayers for a quick recovery. 

Responding to Rafael’s tweet, Ugas wrote, “I had this surgery. It’s hard and dangerous. Recover well champ.” It’s worth mentioning that Ugas suffered a torn tendon on his bicep before his bout against the legendary eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao. Ugas later confirmed that he underwent surgery on his bicep after the fight. Despite the injury, he went on to win the fight via unanimous decision. 

Coming back to Derevyanchenko, his gallantry was especially evident to his trainer, who shared what went down during the fight. 

Andre Rozier wanted it to end

Derevyanchenko’s trainer Andre Rozier, considered one of the best at his job, recollected the events that unfolded during the fight. Rozier revealed that he wanted to stop the fight after Derevyanchenko suffered the injury, but the Ukranian warrior wouldn’t have it. He was there to fight, and he did.

“I said, ‘Do you want me to stop this fight?’ and he said no,” Andre Rozier revealed during the post-fight interview with ESPN. “That is the sign of a warrior, and he continued to fight one of the best 168-pounders in the world with one hand.” This just goes to show that Derevyanchenko is no normal man—he is a warrior and carries the true spirit of boxing.

That said, Sergiy Derevyanchenko seems to be in recovery following his injury during the Christian Mbilli fight. Everyone from EssentiallySports wishes the Ukrainian boxer a speedy recovery and a quick comeback to the ring. What do you think about the situation?