Turkey’s Adem Kilicci will aim to defend his APB World Middleweight Championship on Saturday (February 6) when the two-time Olympian faces Russia’s Artem Chebotarev in front of a home crowd at Istanbul’s Bağcılar Olympic Sport Hall ©AIBA

Turkey’s Adem Kilicci will aim to defend his International Boxing Association (AIBA) Pro Boxing (APB) World Middleweight Championship on Saturday (February 6) when the two-time Olympian faces Russia’s Artem Chebotarev in front of a home crowd at Istanbul’s Bağcılar Olympic Sport Hall.

Chebotarev, a former EUBC European Boxing Confederation champion, earned himself a shot at the title after winning both his Cycle I contests against strong rivals - Dmytro Mytrofanov of Ukraine and Romania’s Bogdan Juratoni.

Meanwhile at welterweight, Lithuania’s hot new sensation Eimantas Stanionis is due to meet Iran’s Amin Ghasemipour, who defeated Dimitrios Poulikos Tsagrakos of Greece in Cycle I.

Stanionis, 21, was one of the youngest athletes in last year’s Cycle I, and the then relative unknown powered through to a remarkable European gold in Samokov, Bulgaria.

Azeri bantamweight Javid Chalabiyev has struggled to repeat the form that won him an AIBA World Championship gold in Almaty in 2013, and he will hope for a return to winning ways against compatriot Ibrahim Gokçek.

Having stopped Ayrin Ismetov of Bulgaria last September in APB Cycle I, Turkish light welterweight Batuhan Gozgec will no doubt be relishing his next crucial battle against Ireland’s Ray Moylette.

The Ukrainian-born Gozgec, who won gold at last year’s Liventsev Memorial Tournament in Belarus’ capital Minsk, has been boxing for Turkey since 2013 and has quickly established himself as one of the world’s best in his weight division.

Moylette has already tasted success on Turkish soil after winning gold at the 2011 EUBC European Confederation Boxing Championships in Ankara. 

Turkey’s Adem Kilicci is the holder of the APB World Middleweight Championship
Turkey’s Adem Kilicci is the holder of the APB World Middleweight Championship ©AIBA

APB is the only individual professional boxing competition that allows boxers to compete while retaining their Olympic eligibility.

It is run under the governance of AIBA in partnership with AIBA National Member Federations and showcases 90 of the world’s top-ranked boxers competing in 10 weight classes.

The APB boxers’ roster comprises the best AIBA Open Boxing and World Series of Boxing athletes as well as a selection of professional boxers from across the globe.

Rio 2016 will be the first Olympic Games in history where professional boxers are allowed to compete.

The only route professional boxers can take to qualify for the Games is through the APB competition, which is fully supported by the International Olympic Committee.

APB bouts feature eight and 12 rounds with boxers ultimately competing for the title of APB champion.