Belgian Ryad Merhy will make the first defense of his World Boxing Association (WBA) Cruiserweight Championship against Chinese Zhaoxin Zhang this Saturday in Brussels, Belgium.

Merhy is 28 years old and a native of Ivory Coast but a citizen of Belgium, where he has lived and pursued his fighting career. He defeated the previously undefeated Imre Szello in his last fight in October 2019.

The pandemic break has forced Merhy to be out of the ring for almost two years and he will now return to face a difficult Asian opponent in a big show.

Zhang arrives with little media attention but with great motivation and a lot to win. The Chinese is 25 years old and has a five-fight winning streak.

The weigh-in ceremony will be on Friday, where they must weigh no more than 200 pounds to be eligible to fight for the belt. Merhy has 29 wins, 1 loss, and 24 KOs, while Zhang has 10 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw on his record.