Super middleweight world titlist Caleb Plant will defend his belt for the second time in a homecoming fight against mandatory challenger Vincent Feigenbutz on Feb. 15 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, Premier Boxing Champions announced on Monday.
Plant, who has lived in Las Vegas for the past few years, is a native of Ashland City, Tennessee, about a half hour outside of Nashville.
Since turning pro in 2014, Plant has never boxed at home but could not be happier to be headed to Nashville to fight in what will be the PBC on Fox main event (Fox and Fox Deportes, 8 p.m. ET).
“I’m very excited to bring my world title home to Nashville in my second title defense,” Plant said. “It’ll be in front of all of my family and friends and I plan to put on a spectacular performance. Vincent Feigenbutz is a very tough, rugged European fighter. He’s got a big knockout ratio, but this is my backyard and I will not let any man come in here and rain on my parade.
“On Feb. 15, I’m representing my hometown and my home city with pride. I believe this will be the first of many fights that we hold at the Bridgestone in Nashville. This fight isn’t going 12-rounds. Nashville, stand up!”
Plant (19-0, 11 KOs), 27, won a 168-pound title in impressive fashion in January when he dropped Jose Uzcategui twice and won a unanimous decision. Plant made his first defense by easy second-round knockout of Mike Lee on July 20 in Las Vegas in the Manny Pacquiao-Keith Thurman co-feature.
“We’re thrilled that championship boxing is back in Nashville with their homegrown world champion,” TGB Promotions president Tom Brown said. “Caleb Plant has made a name for himself as one of the sport’s elite fighters and will look to continue solidifying his place in the stacked 168-pound division. He’ll be facing a hard-hitting fighter in Germany’s Vincent Feigenbutz, who is sure to apply the pressure.”
Feigenbutz (31-2, 28 KOs), 24, who will be fighting in the United States for the first time, is a former interim super middleweight titlist. He has won 10 fights in a row since suffering an 11th-round knockout loss to Giovanni De Carolis in a 2016 world title bout.
“It has always been my goal to have a big fight like this in the U.S.,” Feigenbutz said. “I am not going there to lose. I am coming over to become only the second German boxer, after the legendary Max Schmeling, to win the world title in the U.S. and bring the belt back home to Germany. I hope everyone in my home country will have my back and support me on this journey.
“For me, Plant is the strongest of all super middleweight world champions. We are the underdog, but we won’t make it as easy for Caleb, like in his last fight. We know how difficult a fight on American soil is, so there is only one strategy: Get the knockout.”
In the co-feature, welterweights Bryant Perrella (17-2, 14 KOs), 30, of Fort Myers, Florida, and Abel Ramos (25-3-2, 19 KOs), 28, of Casa Grande, Arizona, will meet in a 10-round bout.