Canadian David Lemieux to face John Ryder in co-main event of Canelo vs. Jacobs

Rudi Schuller

Canadian David Lemieux to face John Ryder in co-main event of Canelo vs. Jacobs image

David Lemieux has an opponent for his next fight.

The former IBF middleweight champion is moving up to super middleweight to face John Ryder as the co-main event on the Canelo-Jacobs card in Las Vegas on May 4.

“I've seen Ryder fight,” said Lemieux in the press release announcing the fight. “He’s a credible rival, but I’m going to make a statement out of what I’m going to do with him. At 168, I’m going to be the strongest that I’ve ever been.”

Lemieux, a 30-year-old Montreal native, had been reportedly considering moving up a weight class last year but instead stayed at 160 pounds to fight Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan in September. He won that match, part of the undercard for Canelo-GGG II, in a first-round knockout.

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The win over O'Sullivan ended up being Lemieux's most recent match, as the Canadian was hospitalized due to dehydration a day ahead of his scheduled bout with Tureano Johnson in December.

Lemieux (40-4, 34 KO) will take on Britain's Ryder (27-4, 15 KO) in a bout that pits a pair of fighters currently enjoying win streaks. London native Ryder is rated No. 1 at 168 pounds by the WBA after defeating Andrey Sirotkin, Jamie Cox and Patrick Nielsen in successive fights.

Rudi Schuller