Havana, December 5 (JIT) - Cuban boxing star Julio César La Cruz heads the list of boxers who will be present in professional engagements scheduled for the rest of the year.

The federation of that sport on the island informed that the double Olympic champion will compete on December 16 against Nigerian Austine Nnamdi, in a 10-round bout in the 200-pound division.

Called for Conakri, capital of Guinea, the duel will put the five-time world champion against an opponent who celebrated by knockout his six victories in those circuits, in which he also has four defeats.

On the same day, but in Kazakhstan, Osvaldo Diaz (57 kg) and Jorge Cuellar (71 kg) will engage in five-round bouts against hosts backed by more outstanding records.

Diaz will cross blows with Maxmud Sabyrhan, king of the orb in the current season and silver medalist in 2021, and Cuellar against Aslanbek Shymergenov, another winner in the universal event of Tashkent 2023.

These announcements are in addition to the one made earlier about the presence of the triple world gold medalist Lazaro Alvarez (60 kg) in the fight for the first professional title of the IBA.

It will be on December 9 for 10 rounds against Russian Albert Batyrgaziev, who lifted the Olympic belt in Tokyo 2020, where he left the Antillean in bronze medal, now determined to get revenge.

Lazaro accumulates six professional successes, holds the belt of the Central American and Caribbean Boxing Federation (Fecarbox) and in March was registered among the nominees for the knockout of the year by the ESPN television network, when he knocked out the Mexican Edgar Espinosa.

Cuba could add another chapter to this end of the year showcase if a bilateral bout against Russia takes place on December 22 in Samara.

The project, still subject to details, would involve La Cruz, two-time Olympic champion Arlen Lopez (80 kg), Saidel Horta (57 kg), Cuellar and Alejandro Claro (51 kg), with four-round bouts.

The home roster would be headed by 2021 world runner-up Dzhamulat Bazhamov (80 kg), and would be completed by European leader Vakhid Abbasov (71 kg) and national medalists Bair Baltaev (51 kg), Ruslan Belousov (57 kg) and Sergey Slobodyan (92 kg).