Former world title challengers Kubrat Pulev and Mahmoud Charr will meet in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia on March 30 to contest the vacant lesser version of the WBA heavyweight title. 

The contest was confirmed at a press conference in Sofia and was attended by both boxers, with the fight due to take place at Arena Sofia, a 12,000-seat venue.

Charr was reinstated as the WBA’s secondary title holder in September following a lengthy legal battle between himself, the WBA and Don King, following many failed attempts to defend the WBA title against King-promoted Trevor Bryan, which ultimately saw Charr stripped of the title. 

Bryan then claimed the secondary belt following his January 2021 victory against former WBC world heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne and defended the title once, in 2022, before being dismantled by Daniel Dubois in four rounds in June 2022. 

Pulev-Charr agreed on a deal to face one another in January to fight in March, as previously reported by BoxingScene.. 

“I will be facing a very serious opponent who, like me, has a lot of experience,” Pulev said at today’s press conference in the Bulgarian capital. 

Pulev’s manager, Ivaylo Gotsev, added: “This is the chance of my life and Kubrat’s life. I have been working as a promoter for 30 years and have always wanted to get to this world title fight in Sofia.”

Charr countered: “I am a fighter. I do not fight for money. I fight to leave a legacy. If you only fight for money, you are lost. Work hard and one day you will get everything you have dreamed of.”