Eye of the Tiger Management returns to Casino de Montréal on March 5 with Steven Butler facing Ramadan Hiseni for the WBA Continental super middleweight title. Butler (37-5-1, 31 KOs), now 30, has knocked out three straight opponents since moving to 168 pounds, most recently stopping Stéphane Fondjo. Hiseni (22-2-2, 8 KOs) returns to Quebec for the third time, having shown comfort against local opposition.
Butler’s trainer John Scully has noted improved conditioning and power since the weight shift. The Montreal fighter challenged for world titles twice at middleweight without success. His recent form suggests the division change has helped, though Hiseni presents different problems than Jose Macias or Fondjo. The Swiss contender works behind a high guard and maintains a measured pace. He dropped Gaumont once and controlled enough rounds to take a decision most observers scored clearly in his favor.
Perez-Chilemba Headlines Co-Feature
Lenar Perez (15-0, 14 KOs) makes his Eye of the Tiger debut against Isaac Chilemba (27-10-3, 11 KOs) for the WBC Continental light heavyweight title. Perez sits third in WBA rankings but has fought mostly in Europe. Chilemba, 41, has been stopped twice in 40 fights and went twelve rounds with Osleys Iglesias in 2022. He beat Vasily Lepikhin in Quebec eleven years ago and lost a tight decision to Eleider Alvarez later that year. The African veteran absorbs punishment and stays upright, which has kept him employed against prospects who need rounds.
Perez carries heavy hands but this marks his first fight under the promotion. Chilemba has shared rings with Tony Bellew, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, and Sergey Kovalev during a long career. He understands how to survive and has upset opponents before. Whether Perez can break through remains the question.
Local Matchups Round Out Card
Christopher Guerrero (16-0, 9 KOs) defends his WBC Continental welterweight title against Samuel Rodriguez (12-0, 11 KOs) in a fight between unbeaten fighters. Guerrero holds the 18th spot in WBC rankings. His trainer Giuseppe Moffa acknowledged recent performances have not met expectations. Rodriguez trains in Gatineau and has sparred with Gaumont regularly since moving to Quebec in 2023. Eleven knockouts in twelve fights suggest finishing ability.
Jhon Orobio (16-0, 14 KOs) defends his WBC Continental super lightweight title against Yomar Alamo (22-5-1, 13 KOs). Orobio stopped former world champion Xolisani Ndongeni in November and sits 15th in WBC rankings. Alamo floored Liam Paro in 2021 and has tested himself against Jamaine Ortiz and Delante Johnson without getting stopped. Steve Claggett returns after injury while Moreno Fendero fights for the second time in 2026. Opponents for both will be announced later.
They always bring these cards to Montreal but never give local guys real chances to shine unless they undefeated or some hype job. Some good talent gets ignored because of politics.
That’s facts bro! They only push who they want, not who earned it in the gym or small shows where the real fights happen!
I seen dudes get passed over just cause they not flashy enough for TV, even when they win all their fights.
People act like moving up in weight makes a boxer better but that ain’t always true. Butler might have more power now but that don’t fix bad defense or weak chin 🤷♂️.
Everybody hyping Guerrero but his last fights was boring and he didn’t look sharp at all. Rodriguez might be unknown but that guy got power and I think he gonna upset him.
Perez ain’t proven nothing to me yet. Beating people in Europe don’t mean you ready for someone like Chilemba who been through wars with top guys. We gonna see what Perez really got.
Exactly man! Chilemba been fighting real competition forever, Perez might hit hard but that don’t mean he can handle someone smart like Chilemba who knows how to survive.
Y’all sleeping on Perez too much though. If he catches Chilemba clean early, it could be over fast. Old fighters can’t take hits like they used to.
I don’t get why folks think Butler is some big shot now just cuz he moved up in weight. He already had two chances at a title and lost both. Hiseni is tough and ain’t gonna just fall over. People should stop acting like this is a sure win for Butler. 🥊