Kevin Lerena to defend WBC bridgerweight title against Ukraine’s Serhiy Radchenko

JOHANNESBURG – Kevin Lerena is set to make history as he defends his WBC bridgerweight title against Ukraine’s Serhiy Radchenko.

The fight is happening on the 1st of May at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria and marks the first time the title is defended on South African soil.
This will be the first time Lerena steps into the ring to defend his championship after Englishman Lawrence Okolie vacated the belt last year to pursue his dream of becoming a heavyweight champion.

READ: SA's Kevin '2 guns' Lerena is the new WBC Interim Bridgerweight Champion

With Okolie moving on, Lerena was subsequently named the new champion, marking a historic moment in South African boxing as he became the country's first bridgerweight champion and only the third boxer to hold a WBC title, following Dingaan Thobela and Thulani Malinga.

Kevin Lerena's record currently stands at 30 wins, 3 losses, and 0 draws.

The 32-year-old previously held the WBC interim bridgerweight title after defeating German fighter Senad Gashi at Emperors Palace in November 2023. He was upgraded to the full titleholder in October 2024, when Lawrence Okolie moved up to heavyweight.

This will be his first time stepping into a ring since his unsuccessful WBO global heavyweight title fight against Australian Justis Huni in Saudi Arabia in March 2024.