By Per Ake Persson

Badou Jack "The Ripper" was interviewed by Swedish news agency TT recently and said that his next fight will be either January 12 or January 19.

It will be a non-title fight against an opponent to be announced. Jack also said he would be facing the winner of Adonis Stevenson and Oleksandr Gvozdyk most likely in May 2019. Stevenson and Gvozdyk battle for the WBC light heavyweight title next month in Canada.

Badou have been inactive since fighting a draw against Stevenson in May.

Jeremy Parodi, 42-4-1, and Luca Rigoldi, 18-1-1, clash for the vacant EBU super bantamweight title on November 17 in Hyeres.

Parodi won the EBU title at 122 back in 2008 but never defended it and has since challenged for the same title three times - coming up short every time. Rigoldi previously held the EU title but have not competed at the same level as Parodi.

On the undercard colorful super lightweight Renald "Le Lion" Garrido, 22-21-3, takes on Aboubeker Becheleaghem, 12-10-1, and former EBU bantam champ Karim Guerfi, 27-4, continues his way after losing to Michael Desmarinas in a IBO title fight with an eight rounder against Nicaraguan Cristian Narvaez, 15-11-4.

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EBU cruiser champ Yves Ngabu, 19-0, will takes on official challenger Micki Nielsen, 25-1, February 16 in Roselaere, Belgium. BFN Group won purse bids with an offer for 50,000 Euro.

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Team Sauerland will, according to the EBU, do the fight for the vacant EU featherweight title between Dennis Ceylan, 19-2-2, and Jesus Sanchez, 9-1, on January 19 in Aarhus. The fight was first set for November 24 but was postponed when Ceylan fell ill.

Sanchez stopped Ceylan in the second round earlier this year in a big upset.

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Kenyan all time great Richard Murunga passed away recently at the age of 65. Murunga won a bronze in the 72 Olympics and was among the first if not the first of many excellent fighters from East Africa to make the move to Europe.

Murunga went 3-0 in Denmark and Finland but due to injuries his career was cut short. He later became a coach but after an accident he was confined to a wheelchair since 2002.