Subsequently, during a training session in September at the Oakville Boxing Academy in Ontario, Canada, the boxer sustained a re-injury to his right bicep while sparring. This occurred under the guidance of his coach, Hayden (Gord) Jones, a former amateur pugilist with whom he had collaborated for the preceding ten months. Despite plans to compete against Akani Phuzi in October, this setback compelled Rozicki to pull out of the fight, marking his second successive withdrawal.
“I disregarded all recommendations regarding my recovery and resumed sparring prematurely. I believed I was fully recovered, but I swiftly irritated my tendon once more, leading to swelling. Fortunately, I avoided a complete re-tear,” stated Rozicki, who now feels his injury has entirely mended after allowing sufficient time for recuperation.
The pugilist, aged 31, employing an orthodox stance, is set to make his comeback to the boxing arena to face Mellado. This headline event will take place at Centre 200 in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, the venue for his three previous contests. This upcoming fight will mark Rozicki’s return after a fifteen-month absence, concluding the lengthiest break in his decade-long professional journey.
“I anticipate this will be an engaging contest for its duration,” declared Rozicki confidently, having mainly trained with cruiserweight boxer Hassan “Hsmash” Oseni (2-2, 1 KO) throughout his camp. “He [Mellado] tends to advance and seek a knockout himself, therefore, the moment I connect with a precise strike, the match will conclude.”
Mellado, an orthodox boxer aged 33, hailing from Valdivia, Chile, boasts a record of six victories in his most recent eight bouts. In February, he secured a second-round knockout against Carlos Enrique Peralta Ramos, followed by a unanimous 10-round decision loss in April to Juergen Uldedaj, who has only one defeat. This upcoming match will be Mellado’s third professional contest held beyond his native country.
“I never underestimate any competitor, so my attention is entirely on my bout with Mellado; however, following this fight, my ambition is to challenge the world champions within this weight class,” stated Rozicki, currently holding the number one ranking with the WBC and number four with The Ring Magazine. “Naturally, I desire to contend for the WBC championship, having pursued this particular belt for three years, yet should a chance arise for an alternative world title, I will seize it.”
During the 63rd yearly WBC convention, convened in Bangkok, Thailand, between November 30th and December 5th, the World Boxing Council declared Polish pugilist Michal Cieslak as the compulsory contender for the cruiserweight championship challenge against Noel Mikaelian. Cieslak surpassed Rozicki in line for this world title opportunity, primarily due to his fourth-round knockout victory over former world champion Jean Pascal in June 2025, securing the interim WBC cruiserweight title, whereas Rozicki had been inactive for over a year. Nevertheless, the WBC communicated to Rozicki that he would be granted the initial chance to face the victor of the Cieslak-Mikaelian contest.
“My opportunity for a world title match was legitimately earned. It was never rescinded. I hold an undefeated record within the cruiserweight category [his sole defeat occurred against heavyweight Oscar Rivas for the bridgerweight world title in 2021]. Cieslak secured his chance during my period of injury, thus I cannot resent his position as the next challenger for the world championship bout. I eagerly await the chance to compete against the winner and pursue my goal of becoming a world champion,” stated Rozicki, who was present at the WBC convention.
Even though Rozicki had been the mandatory challenger for Mikaelian for more than two years, he never received his opportunity for a world title bout. Mikaelian declined to face him and avoided all other opponents. Despite this, the WBC refrained from divesting him of his championship. Instead, they reclassified him as “Champion in Recess” and instated Jack as the titleholder. Following Rozicki’s withdrawal from his scheduled fight with Jack, Jack subsequently overcame Mikaelian through a contentious twelve-round majority decision in May. Mikaelian later triumphed over Jack in their return match, securing a twelve-round unanimous decision in December 2025.
“It is incredibly exasperating that I never had my world title confrontation with Mikaelian. He unequivocally declined to engage me. He withdrew from five successive contests. First, there were three immediate cancellations; the fourth instance offered no justification, and on the fifth occasion, he explicitly stated his unwillingness to compete against me in Canada,” expressed Rozicki, whose career is managed by Daniel Otter of Three Lions Promotions, a partnership that began in 2018, two years after Rozicki turned professional.
Given that a WBC world title opportunity might not materialize soon, Rozicki has expressed keenness to challenge Jai Opetaia (29-0, 23 KOs), the reigning Ring and IBF world champion, widely regarded by many boxing specialists as the premier fighter in the cruiserweight division. Opetaia, however, has displayed a lack of inclination to face Rozicki and is slated to compete against Brandon Glanton on March 8th, the day following Rozicki’s upcoming fight.
“I aspire to compete against Opetaia. He represents the fighter everyone wishes to challenge, recognized as the division’s top contender. I am prepared to face him universally, without time constraints. In his public statements, he acknowledges my identity but asserts he is unwilling to fight me due to my lack of a championship belt. Nevertheless, his previous seven adversaries, alongside Glanton, his opponent in March, are also non-titleholders, which leads me to believe this is not a legitimate reason to decline a bout with me,” Rozicki commented.
Rozicki remains undefeated across his most recent eight contests, which encompass a victory and a draw against Yamil Alberto Peralta, currently ranked third by the WBC, with six of these wins coming via knockout. His singular professional defeat came in a twelve-round unanimous decision (116-111, 115-112, and 115-112) against Oscar Rivas, his former sparring partner and a heavyweight with one loss, contending for the bridgerweight world title. This bridgerweight category, introduced by the WBC in 2020 for athletes weighing between 200 and 224 pounds and subsequently adopted by the WBA, marked Rivas’s final professional appearance.
During his most recent appearance in December 2024, Rozicki concluded his rematch with Peralta for the interim WBC cruiserweight title in a twelve-round majority draw (scores being 115-113 for Rozicki, and two judges scoring it 114-114). He persevered through a severely swollen left eye that started to close early in the match, and his forceful, aggressive punches inflicted damage on Peralta, disrupting his ability to establish an offensive pattern. Approximately three years prior, in their initial encounter, Rozicki had overcome the undefeated Peralta, securing a ten-round split decision victory (97-93 and 95-94 in favor of Rozicki, with one judge scoring it 95-94 for Peralta) for the unclaimed WBC International cruiserweight title. This particular outcome represented his sole career win by decision.
This extensively tattooed, diligent, and traditional boxer exhibits an unreservedly aggressive, forward-moving, offensive combat method, primarily emphasizing potent power punching. His pugilistic approach bears a resemblance to his revered boxing icon, Jack Dempsey. Rozicki demonstrates a disregard for defensive caution, often absorbing multiple blows to connect with a single strike. Although this combat strategy exposes him to lacerations and significant contusions, it simultaneously enables him to unleash the devastating knockout blows he has consistently delivered with both his left and right hands throughout his professional tenure.
Rozicki maintains an remarkable ninety-five percent knockout rate. Among the nineteen opponents he has defeated by knockout, eighteen occurred within the initial three rounds, encompassing his inaugural twelve bouts. Six of these stoppages were achieved in the very first round. His knockout victories span three distinct weight classes: heavyweight, bridgerweight, and cruiserweight, with several triumphs against significantly heavier opponents, owing to the difficulty he faced in securing matches with elite boxers.
He has acquired considerable combat expertise through sparring sessions with numerous accomplished boxers, notably his compatriot Eleider Alvarez (25-2, 13 KOs), a previous light heavyweight world champion, and Adam Kownacki (20-4, 15 KOs), a former heavyweight challenger.
To obtain further details concerning Rozicki’s pugilistic journey and forthcoming contests, connect with him on X via @RRpzicki, track his updates on Instagram at @Ryan_Rozicki, and establish a connection on Facebook: RyanRozickiBoxing.
“I am grateful for all the backing I’ve received from everyone throughout the years. I eagerly anticipate my return to the ring and delivering a strong showing on March 7th. Don’t blink, as I intend to conclude the match swiftly, perhaps in the opening round,” Rozicki stated. “I simply view all my obstacles as part of a path, which will render my eventual capture of the WBC world title significantly more fulfilling.”
