Ukraine’s Arnold Khegai, known for his thunderous knockouts, has just clinched a significant deal with Top Rank, setting him up for several thrilling bouts. Perched high on the WBO’s leaderboard and holding the third slot in the IBF’s featherweight division, Khegai is gearing up for a fiery return to the ring this summer.
Bob Arum, the chief of Top Rank, couldn’t hide his enthusiasm for Khegai, proclaiming him a force to be reckoned with in the featherweight ranks, and is keen to watch him go toe-to-toe for the title. Khegai, brimming with anticipation, saluted Arum for this landmark opportunity, declaring his eagerness to face the division’s toughest and showcase his true grit on the global stage.
His manager, Sam Katkovski, was all in with his commendation, predicting Khegai to be Ukraine’s next boxing icon, following in the footsteps of heavyweights like Usyk and Lomachenko. He expressed deep gratitude towards Top Rank for setting the stage.
Khegai’s ascent from a youngster duking it out to support his family to clinching titles in Thai boxing and reigning as a national amateur boxing champion is a tale of relentless determination. Since stepping into the professional arena in 2015, he’s carved a path through the competition, save for a slight stumble in a bout against Yerzhan Zalilov that ended in a split draw. Making a splash in the US with a victory over Adam Lopez, and despite a minor blip against Stephen Fulton, Khegai has been indomitable in the featherweight class, highlighted by a victory over Eduardo Baez.