Germany’s Tyron Zeuge will make a mandatory defense of his WBA “world” super middleweight title on March 25, facing challenger Isaac Ekpo of Nigeria at MSB Arena in Potsdam, Germany.

Zeuge (19-0-1, 11 KO) won the belt from Giovanni di Carolis in November, four months after fighting to a draw with him the first time they met. The 24-year-old knocked di Carolis out in the 12th round, leading narrowly on scores of 106-103, 105-104, and 105-104; in other words, it could easily have wound up a second majority draw between the two.

While Zeuge has never leapt off the page as an elite fighter, and he didn’t rank in our year-end top 10 for the division after 2016, he’s a solid operator and a steady young talent.

Ekpo (31-2, 24 KO) is a danger to him, however. The power punching Nigerian’s first loss came early in his pro career in 2008, and the other two Robert Stieglitz in 2013, when he challenged for Stieglitz’s WBO belt at 168 pounds. That said, he also really has no quality, world level wins, so this would be a big step up in victory level for him. He’s won nine straight, eight by stoppage.