Unbeaten opponent locked in for Nikita Tszyu comeback fight — with crazy twist in Zerafa bout

Nikita Tszyu’s hyped August comeback has taken an unusual twist – and it’s all thanks to an American who has been jailed twice, fought six times in Colombia and once knocked a rival clean out of the ring.

Only a week after Tim Tszyu’s heartbreaking world title loss against WBC super welterweight champ Sebastian Fundora, younger brother Nikita will today front a Sydney press event to reveal his own Sydney pay-pay-view headliner.

Sidelined for almost a year with a troublesome hand injury, Fox Sports Australia can reveal ‘The Butcher’ will return on August 20 against Lulzim Ismaili – a 27-year-old Macedonian who, now living and training in Germany, has himself gone undefeated through a dozen fights.

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Elsewhere on the same card, Michael Zerafa will also look to punch his own way into a huge domestic blockbuster against colourful American Mikey Dahlman – whose crazy backstory includes jail, being offered rat poison to cut weight, and a highlight reel KO so spectacular it featured on TMZ.

As first revealed by Fox Sports Australia last month, promoters No Limit initially wanted both Nikita Tszyu and Zerafa to fight in August and, if successful, then square off in a December grudge match.

Yet following Tim Tszyu’s shock title loss against Fundora, there is now a chance Zerafa could go straight into an all-Australian showdown with the former world champion he famously walked away from in 2021.

Wonderfully, a Sydney press event will today confirm how all of this will now be decided on an ICC Sydney Theatre card also featuring Brock Jarvis and an Australian super lightweight title fight between Billy Polkinghorn and Ahmad Reda.

Five months after being stopped by American great Keith Thurman, Jarvis will make his return against undefeated Gold Coast middleweight Sam Beck (7-0).

Others slated for the card include Australian heavyweight Brandon Grach and Jasmine Parr.

Yet undeniably, the biggest story of fight week could prove to be America’s Dahlman (18-1).

While he may be unknown to Australian fight fans, the 33-year-old suddenly emerges as the fighter capable of ruining one of Australian boxing’s greatest grudge matches between Zerafa and the Tszyus.

Making his professional debut in 2017, the Illinois product found himself immediately headlining on TMZ — courtesy of a vicious right hand that not only iced rival Rick Ogden, but sent him crashing through the ropes and out of the ring.

Speaking on a Millions podcast recently, Dahlman revealed that after boxing in high school, and eventually being handpicked for the sport “by the boxing Gods”, he finally decided to turn pro after enduring a second stint in jail.

“I went to prison as a juvenile and did almost a year,” the American started, when asked to explain his incredible story.

“Then I got out, was on parole, and two weeks after successfully completing parole, I got caught with a dope case – totally my fault – and I went to jail (again).

“I was in for a little while.

“Then the day I got out, I was like ‘you know, I’m gunna go head first with this’

“I stopped at the gym after court, after I got out, and ever since have been going so consistently.

“For me, it was ‘man, I gotta do something’.

“And so I put my head down.”

However, it wasn’t exactly the strongest start for a fighter who remembers, for sparring, being put in without headgear and used as “just a body” by a coach who he refuses to name.

But the worst of it?

That would likely be when finding himself a few pounds overweight nearing a fight.

“(And the coach) said to take some rat poison,” he laughs.

“I was like ‘bro, what? Hell no’.”

“Dude told me to take rat poison.

“I was ‘what the hell are you talking about, I’m not taking that s***’.”

While Zerafa is looking to secure his third straight win since being stopped by WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara, Dahlman is looking to build on his own run of six straight wins.

According to his BoxRec resume, the American went undefeated through his first dozen fights in the US.

After then suffering his first loss in 2022 however, has fought six times since in Columbia.

Elsewhere, the American also made headlines for that highlight reel debut, where he knocked his rival out of the ring.

Asked about said debut recently, he revealed: “Midway through the first round I slapped him through the ropes … had this feeling of like ‘let’s f***ing goooo’.

“That was something.

“Like I could’ve grew wings right there and just took off.

“That was an amazing one.”

For Nikita Tszyu, meanwhile, his own Macedonian rival has gone undefeated since debuting in 2019.

Ismaili has won all 12 fights, seven by knockout.

He is now based out of Germany, and has won five times there.

While the younger Tszyu sibling is expected to open as a strong betting favourite, there is no doubting question marks hang over the rising star who only returned to training in recent months and hasn’t fought since that epic finish against Koen Mazoudier in August, 2024.

Due to ongoing complications following hand surgery, the 27-year-old southpaw has already twiced delayed his return to the ring.

Regardless, The Butcher remains one of the sport’s most exciting prospects and is now ranked at No.11 with the IBF and No.15 with the WBO.

Ismaili, meanwhile, has not also not fought since defeating Germany’s Florian Wildenhof in July last year.

Speaking about the August comeback of Nikita Tszyu recently, No Limit CEO George Rose declared: “The Butcher is back, baby.

“You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone — and we’ve all been craving Nikita Tszyu.

“He’s special. He’s unique.

“He’s must-see TV.

“Nikita’s style, energy and chaos is unlike anything else in the sport.

“Now he’s healthy, he’s focused, and he’s ready to bring that unmissable, all-action brand of boxing back.

“Nikita Tszyu is not just a fighter…he’s an experience.”