According to the handlers for former cruiserweight world champion Murat Gassiev, the boxer is going to face heavyweight veteran Carlouse Welch (21-2-1, 18 KOs).

As krikya360.com previously reported, Gassiev (28-1, 21 KOs) will return to the ring on August 26th in Serbia. The event is being targeted to land in an ancient castle in the country.

Welch is up there in age at 42-years-old, but he's a puncher in the weight class and he's also been active during the COVID-19 pandemic with eight fights taking place between 2020-2021. He was a very later starter, with his pro debut taking place in 2017.

He's knocked out a variety of known veterans and fighters who were world title challengers in lower weight classes - like Alejandro Berrio, Edison Miranda, Epifanio Mendoza and Fulgencio Zuniga.

Although from the United States, the bulk of Welch's fights have taken place in Colombia and the Dominican Republic. Only three of his bouts have been staged in the United States.

Gassiev has been out of the ring since July 22 of last year, when he defeated Germany's Michael Wallisch by TKO in the fourth round. In December of last year, Gassiev was scheduled to fight against Ukrainian contender Andrei Rudenko, but the bout was canceled.

Over the last few years, the 28-year-old Gassiev has been very inactive.

After unifying the WBA, IBF cruiserweight titles with a stoppage of Yuniel Dorticos in February of 2018, in the semi-finals of the World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight tournament.

However, he lost both belts five months later in a one-sided decision loss to Oleksandr Usyk in the final bout of the WBSS tourney.

Due to injuries and legal issues, Gassiev was then inactive from July 2018 until October of 2020, when the Russian puncher made his heavyweight debut and knocked out Nuri Seferi in one round.

He then returned the following year against Wallisch and has been on shelf ever since.