Final 12 months was not 12 months for Demond Nicholson, not together with his unanimous determination loss to Demetrius Andrade, and particularly not with the second straight defeat that adopted, a fourth-round knockout by the hands of Christian Mbilli.
Some 13 months after the Mbilli battle, Nicholson (26-6-1, 22 KOs) is returning to the ring. The Maryland fighter can be combating on October 12 at Bowie State College, not too removed from his hometown of Laurel. BoxRec lists his opponent as Daniel Aduku (15-6-1, 11 KOs), a Ghanaian boxer now dwelling in Columbus, Ohio.
Nicholson says he’ll be combating at gentle heavyweight. Virtually all of his profession was at middleweight and tremendous middleweight.
“I needed to take a break, get my well being so as,” Nicholson stated in an announcement posted on social media. “Preventing liver failure, kidney failure, autoimmune illness. It actually took so much out of me. Now that I had the break, I had the time to seek out myself, turn out to be one with myself financially, spiritually, bodily and mentally.
“I feel I’m going to be the strongest I’ve ever been,” he stated. “I do know I’ll.”
Nicholson turned professional in 2013 as a middleweight. He suffered his first loss in 2014 however continued to develop. Nicholson fought Immanuwel Aleem to a attract 2016, solely to lose a break up determination to Steve Rolls one battle later. He then moved as much as tremendous middleweight. Nicholson took his third defeat in 2018, stopped by Jesse Hart. He then put collectively 5 straight wins from 2018 to 2020, although he additionally was hospitalized in Could 2019 with a kidney situation.
“After my kidney failure, the physician stated I wouldn’t be prepared [for] 12 months after restoration,” Nicholson tweeted a few years in the past. “I didn’t wish to hear [that. My] kidneys began functioning once more. 5 months after, I used to be proper again combating, beating my physique down, not realizing I nonetheless had the issues.”
Nicholson was dropped a number of instances in a call loss to Edgar Berlanga in April 2021 — the primary time that Berlanga didn’t win a battle through first-round knockout.
“Once I fought Berlanga, that Monday earlier than the battle I had the identical signs, simply no kidney failure,” Nicholson posted a pair years in the past. “I nonetheless went out and fought regardless. It’s simply who I’m. I’m 100% now taking good care of my physique, bodily and mentally. No man can beat me.”
Nicholson received three fights in 2021 and 2022 earlier than the losses to Andrade and Mbilli.
Aduku would be the smaller man in opposition to Nicholson. He’s spent most of his profession at junior middleweight and middleweight. Aduku has misplaced 4 in a row courting again to April 2023, stopped by 18-1 Chordale Booker in 4 rounds at junior middleweight, put away in 4 rounds by 8-0 Darrelle Valsaint at middleweight, taken out in 5 rounds by the aforementioned Hart at gentle heavyweight, and outpointed by 24-5-1 Brandon Quarles in early August at tremendous middleweight.
David Greisman, who has lined boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2 and @UnitedBoxingPod. He’s the co-host of the United Boxing Podcast. David’s e-book, “Preventing Phrases: The Coronary heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is obtainable on Amazon.
