Mathebula to face Zarate in IBF Junior Featherweight Boxing Eliminator

WBC International Featherweight Champion Jeffrey Mathebula will drop a division to fight Mexican Julio Zarate in an IBF Junior Featherweight Title Eliminator on August 29. The venue has not been announced as the promotional rights for the fight are to be decided by purse bids to be held at the IBF convention in Germany on May 31.

Mathebula’s promoter, Branco Milenkovic, is confident of reaching a deal with Zarate’s promoters before the purse bid. “I am negotiating with Zarate’s camp and I must say everything is promising,” he said on Thursday.

Milenkovic wants to bring the fight to South Africa and stage it as a double header with another IBF Title Eliminator between Malcolm Klassen and Manuel Medina. The winner of the bout between Klassen and Medina will become the mandatory challenger to fight IBF Champion Cassius Baloyi.

Mathebula has been itching for a crack at a world title but Milenkovic has been unable to get him a shot at a featherweight title. “An opportunity opened in the junior featherweight division and since he does not have a problem fighting at that weight, we decided to take it,” Milenkovic said.

Zarate is a 32-year-old Mexican who has lost four of his 31 bouts, with one drawn. He has twice challenged for a world title. He lost on points against WBA Bantamweight Champion Wladimir Sidorenko in 2005 and was beaten by WBA Junior Featherweight champion Mahyar Monshipour, who stopped him in nine rounds. Mathebula has lost once and drawn twice in 24 bouts.