Nikita Tszyu refused to allow a fender bender to stand in the way of a long-sought grudge match.

The second-generation boxer is officially set to bump with longtime domestic rival Michael Zerafa. Their middleweight affair is due to take place on January 16 at a location to be determined in Australia.

No Limit Boxing – who promotes both boxers - confirmed the news during a press conference held Wednesday in Sydney.

“Bad blood, one date, no excuses,” the company stated in revealing the matchup. “January 16, the score gets settled.”

Plans for the bout have been in place for months, further heightened when both appeared on the same August 20 show in Sydney.

Tszyu, 11-0 (9 KOs) knocked out Lulzim Ismaili in the 1^st round, a feat matched by Zerafa, 34-5 (22 KOs) who took out Mikey Dahlman in just over two minutes.

The idea at the time called for the pair of Aussies to meet later this year. However, Tszyu was forced to slow down his campaign a bit when he sustained minor injuries in a car crash earlier this month.

It was only enough to stall out this matchup by one month, though it also limited Tszyu to just one fight on the year. The 27-year-old southpaw was already out of the ring for 12 months, the downtime used to recover from injuries following his grueling affair with Koen Mazoudier whom he stopped in the 9^th round last August 28 also in Sydney.

The same card saw Zerafa enter a partnership with No Limit Boxing. His motivation behind the move was entirely geared towards getting at least one Tszyu in the ring – either Nikita or older brother Tim Tszyu, a former WBO 154lbs titlist now on the comeback trail after three defeats in his last four fights.

Nikita and Tim are both the proud fighting sons of Hall of Fame former undisputed 140lbs champion Kostya Tszyu. Needless to say, they are boxing’s royal family in Australia, and thus an attractive option to any fighter in and around their weight.

Zerafa added two more wins in 2025, both in Sydney. Prior to his destruction of Dahlman, the 33-year-old Melbourne man halted Besir Aye inside of seven rounds on March 12. He has now won three in a row since a 2^nd round knockout loss to WBA middleweight titlist Erislandy Lara last March 30 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Further details regarding the Tszyu-Zerafa card – including location and undercard bouts – are expected in the coming days. Rumors have swirled of the ordered Liam Paro-Paddy Donovan IBF welterweight eliminator landing on this show, though no such clarification was offered as this goes to publication.

Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.

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