Ryan Rozicki hopes to put a long layoff behind him and land a big fight in 2026.
Rozicki will face Gerardo Mellado in a 10-round cruiserweight bout on Saturday night at Centre 200 in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Rozicki, 20-1-1 (19 KOs), is a power puncher who fought to a draw against Yamil Alberto Peralta in December 2024. The bout was a rematch of a fight that Rozicki won by split decision in May 2022.
In his return, Rozicki, 31, is trying to position himself for a big fight, one that brings with it a career-high payday. After not fighting at all in 2025, he hopes that with a good performance he can put himself in the mix to land a big fight.
“I’m just looking forward, not looking backward,” Rozicki told BoxingScene. “I definitely feel I need to make a statement, and that is what I plan to do.”
The cruiserweight division is in an odd place at the moment. WBC titleholder Noel Mikaelian beat Badou Jack in December. IBF titleholder Jai Opetaia will fight on Sunday against Brandon Glanton in a bout that will be for the first-ever Zuffa belt – and who knows the implications that holds for Opetaia’s standing as an IBF titleholder? Meanwhile, Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez will put his WBO and WBA titles on the line against David Benavidez on May 2 in Benavidez’s first bout in the division.
When Rozicki was asked about each of the current titleholders, Mikaelian’s name stood out. Rozicki and Mikaelian were thought to be lined up to fight for the WBC title, but it never happened.
“I want to fight that guy [Mikaelian] – everybody else is just a name,” Rozicki said. “And I’ll fight whoever can make me the most money.”
Rozicki’s lone loss came when he moved up to heavyweight to challenge former title contender Oscar Rivas. Since the loss, he is unbeaten in eight starts, with all of his fights happening in Canada.
“My fights speak for themselves,” Rozicki said. “That is really it, but time will tell.”
Mellado, 12-4 (7 KOs), is entering after losing to Juergen Uldedaj last April via a unanimous decision. A 33-year-old from Valdivia, Chile, Mellado will be fighting in Canada for the first time. A majority of his fights took place in South America, with his most recent bout – in Manchester, England – being his first outside the region. Rozicki, of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is clear about his intentions for this fight.
“I don’t have any plans for this going to the late rounds,” Rozicki said. “I am looking to get this over in the first round.”
He also aims to make up for lost time – and to have his most memorable fights ahead.
“I just love to fight,” Rozicki said. “And I am happy I get paid for it.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.
