Johnathan Banks (27-1-1, 18 KOs) will face Nicolai Firtha (20-9-1, 8 KOs) on the undercard of Vitali Klitschko vs. Derek Chisora on Saturday, February 18th.
Banks is a former cruiserweight titleholder, and he has spent the last several years working under Wladimir Klitschko. His last eight bouts have been fought at heavyweight, and since the beginning of 
2010, Banks has had four wins and one draw. In his career, he’s fought a mix of journeymen and untested fighters, with his only loss coming against Tomasz Adamek in 2009 for the IBF cruiserweight title.
While being interviewed, Banks was very excited and seemed eager to showcase his skills in front of a television audience. When asked about the bout on Saturday, he responded, “I’m looking forward to fighting on EPIX.”
Firtha comes into this bout with a three-inch height advantage, but the fact that he’s gone 2-2 in his last four, pins him as the underdog in the bout. Firtha began his professional career in 2004 and has fought as a heavyweight throughout. Most recently, he’s been in the ring with Tyson Fury in which he suffered a TKO loss in the fifth round. He also faced Alexander Povetkin in December 2010 and lost by decision in a ten-round bout.
The bout will take place at Olympiahalle in Munich, Germany. It will air on EPIX at 4:30pm EST.
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