Vienna, Austria - Murat Gassiev is making his long-awaited return to the ring on October 26, 2024, facing Denmark's undefeated Kem Ljungquist in Armenia. This marks Gassiev’s first bout since his loss to Otto Wallin last year, where he struggled to cutoff the ring and lacked aggression, ultimately losing the decision​.

Since 2020, Gassiev 30-2 (23 KOs) has seen his career hampered by injuries and geopolitical realities. Now representing Armenia and based in the U.S., Gassiev is looking to regain whatever momentum he had prior to 2023. He first gained prominence with his pressure style of fighting, including his cruiserweight title win in the World Boxing Super Series in 2018​. However, after moving up to heavyweight, Gassiev has struggled to maintain consistent activity, compounded by his recent defeat to Wallin​.

On the other side of the ring, Ljungquist 18-0 (11 KOs) is a lesser-known fighter outside of Denmark but brings an undefeated record to the fight. At 6'6", Ljungquist is a towering presence in the ring and has been building his resume in Denmark, albeit against lower-tier competition. The Danish fighter also has experience as a sparring partner for top heavyweights like Tyson Fury, which has potentially helped him gain higher lever experience​.

For Gassiev, this fight offers a crucial opportunity to at least reassert himself as a fringe contender in a very crowded field. Should he perform impressively, especially with a clean knockout, Gassiev could position himself for bigger opportunities in the rapidly changing heavyweight landscape, potentially even in the lucrative Saudi boxing scene, where Russian fighters already have established connections​.

Ljungquist, meanwhile, is looking for a breakthrough on the world stage, and a win over Gassiev would provide the recognition he has yet to achieve. While Gassiev is expected to come out on top, Ljungquist’s size and determination make this a somewhat intriguing match.

Both fighters have something to prove, and while Gassiev will most likely dominate, the unpredictability of heavyweight boxing always leaves room for surprises.

This bout originally scheduled for October 19th has been postponed to October 26th in Yerevan, Armenia. You can watch the fight and the whole card live here.