Icelandic heavyweight Kolbeinn Kristinsson is set to embark on his first bout scheduled for the 12-round championship distance when he contests three minor belts against Mike Lehnis on Saturday (May 31) in Nuremberg, Germany.
Kristinsson, 17-0 (11 KOs), turned pro back in November 2014 and has fought his entire career outside of his native Iceland, which remains one of the few countries where professional boxing is banned - something Kristinsson would like to see change before the end of his career.
For now, though, he readies himself for what is the toughest assignment of his career. Germany’s Lehnis, 8-0 (5 KOs), turned professional three years ago after a long run in the amateur ranks and, like Kristinsson, is 37 years old.
Lammi Boxing Management's Kristinsson, due to arrive in Germany today, said: “Preparation for the fight has been very good, we started as soon as I got the offer for the fight. We took a longer and slower route to the camp, building things better over more time.
“It was also great to have an experienced southpaw fighter like Samuli Kärkkäinen to help with sparring and technical drills.
“I'm very excited to finally fight. I have been improving the whole camp and looking forward to putting on a show and take home the victory, and the belts on the line.”