Kubrat Pulev (24-1, 13 KOs) will defend his WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship against former World title challenger Kevin ‘Kingpin’ Johnson (30-7-1, 14 KOs) on Friday, April 28 at the Arena Armeec in Sofia, Bulgaria. Pulev made a triumphant homecoming on December 3, 2016, fighting for the first time in his home country, and forcing former WBC World Champion Samuel Peter to retire after three rounds in front of a capacity crowd of 15,000 Bulgarian fans.

“It was an overwhelming experience for me to receive so much support from the crowd. I could feel the energy surging around the arena, and that gave me the power to win by stoppage,” said ‘The Cobra’, who is now looking forward to a second fight on home soil as he aims to secure a second shot at World honours.

“My number one goal is to fight for the World title, and on April 28, I will take another step towards achieving this goal. I’m already training hard to prove I am worthy to fight again for the heavyweight crown.

“Johnson is a tough opponent. You must only look at his resume to tell this will be a real challenge. He has shared the ring with many World-class fighters like Vitali Klitschko and Anthony Joshua.

“I know I will need to be at my best to beat him, but with the help of my coach Ulli Wegner and the support of the Bulgarian people, I’m confident my hand will be raised, and we will be able to celebrate another great night for Bulgarian boxing and another step towards me fulfilling my dream of becoming the Heavyweight Champion of the World.”

“We’re delighted to be returning to the Arena Armeec for what promises to be another great night of boxing on April 28,” said promoter Kalle Sauerland. “We have promoted shows all over the World, and I must say, the atmosphere in Sofia was second to none. The support that Kubrat receives from the Bulgarian people is special, and this will help him to reach the top.

“He faces a tough test against Kevin Johnson, who having fought many of the biggest names in the heavyweight division, has only been stopped once. Kubrat must prove himself once again, and show that he is ready for a World title challenge.”

Further details including ticketing information will be announced shortly.