Ryan Rozicki-Robin Safar cruiserweight clash in talks, eyed for May 2

A cruiserweight bout between Ryan Rozicki and Robin Safar is currently in talks, BoxingScene has learned.

If the two sides can reach terms, it could land on the undercard of the May 2 PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view event from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Topping the bill, Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, 48-1 (30 KOs) is set to risk his WBA and WBO 200lbs titles versus unbeaten two-division titlist David Benavidez, 31-0 (25 KOs), who moves up from light heavyweight.

Given the significance of Ramirez-Benavidez to the cruiserweight division, there is plenty of motivation for Rozicki and Safar to shine, should they land on the bill.

The bout would be a home game of sorts for Safar, 19-0 (13 KOs), a 33-year-old Swede who now resides in Vegas. His connection to the show is that he is signed to Golden Boy Promotions, who represents Ramirez and will co-promote the event along with TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing.

Safar is coming off a modest two-win campaign in 2025 following his most notable victory to date, a May 2024 landslide decision over former 175lbs titlist Sergey Kovalev in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The past year saw the unbeaten contender mark times with a 5^th round stoppage of Roberto Silva in March and a ten-round decision victory over Derick Miller Jnr last November.

There were prior whispers of Safar possibly facing Ramirez earlier this year. However, plans fell through at a point where Ramirez was unable to both reschedule and preserve his already agreed-upon date with Benavidez.

Safar also tried to entice England’s Chris Billam-Smith into a fight. He now has his sights on a fellow hard-luck contender.

Rozicki, 21-1-1 (20 KOs), brushed aside a forgettable 2025 littered with injuries to return to the ring earlier this month. The 31-year-old Canadian contender from Nova Scotia ended a 15-month ring absence with a 2^nd round stoppage of Geraldo Mellado on March 7 in his hometown.

The bout was his first since a December 2024 draw with Argentina’s Yamil Alberto Peralta, which ruined plans for the WBC to crown an interim titlist while the main belt was tied up.

Rozicki is No. 1 with the WBC and Safar is No. 14 with the organization. The current title is held by Noel Mikaelyan.

As far as a pathway to the Ramirez-Benavidez winner, Safar is ranked No. 10 by the IBF and WBA and No. 4 with the IBF.

Tris Dixon covered his first amateur boxing fight in 1996. The former editor of Boxing News, he has written for a number of international publications and newspapers, including GQ and Men’s Health, and is a board member for the Ringside Charitable Trust and the Ring of Brotherhood. He has been a broadcaster for TNT Sports and hosts the popular “Boxing Life Stories” podcast. Dixon is a British Boxing Hall of Famer, an International Boxing Hall of Fame elector, a BWAA award winner, and is the author of five boxing books, including “Damage: The Untold Story of Brain Trauma in Boxing” (shortlisted for the William Hill Sportsbook of the Year), “Warrior: A Champion’s Search for His Identity” (shortlisted for the Sunday Times International Sportsbook of the Year) and “The Road to Nowhere: A Journey Through Boxing’s Wastelands.” You can reach him @trisdixon on X and Instagram.