Abass Baraou has relinquished the EBU junior-middleweight title instead of defending it against his mandatory challenger Milan Prat.
Germany’s Baraou, 16-1 (9KOs) and 30 years old, won the EBU title in March 2024 by beating Sam Eggington and defended it against Macaulay McGowan three months later. Since then Baraou, ranked first by the WBA, has been inactive; a fight with Prat, 26-1 (20KOs) and aged 25, has never taken place despite often appearing on course to.
The European Boxing Union finally put their fight out to another round of purse bids in April, and again the French organisation EuroProm, with €60,001, were the sole bidders. A date and site regardless was never confirmed.
Prat, one of France’s leading fighters, held the EBU title in 2022; his mandatory challenger was once none other than Baraou. He is scheduled to fight Jesus Emilio Bojorquez of Mexico in Annecy, France on June 14.