# Michel Soro

Michel Soro (born 30 October 1987) is an Ivorian-French professional boxer. He challenged for the WBO and IBO light middleweight titles in 2012, and the WBA interim super welterweight title in 2017. At regional level, he held the EBU European middleweight title, the WBO European junior middleweight title twice, and the WBA International super welterweight title. As of November 2020, Soro is ranked is the world’s eighth best active light middleweight by The Ring magazine and seventh best by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.

## Professional career

In 2017, he challenged Brian Castaño for the interim WBA Jr. Middleweight title, losing by split decision.
In his next fight, Soro bounced back with a third round stoppage against Ivan Montero. He was the aggressor from the opening bell, and managed to drop his opponent in the third round, who was not able to beat the count with 1:53 left on the clock.
On 8 December 2018, Soro got an easy stoppage win over American Greg Vendetti.
After that fight, Soro was scheduled to a rematch against Brian Castano. However, the fight fell through, with Castano's team alleging that Soro's team did not want to deposit Castano's purse, nor provide evidence of VADA testing.
On 15 November 2019, Soro continued his dominant streak, with another one-sided victory, this time against French veteran Cedric Vitu. Soro's aggression throughout the fight culminated with a left hook to Vitu's temple in the fifth round, which sent Vitu on the canvas and forced the referee to stop the fight.

## Professional boxing record

| 42 fights | 36 wins | 4 losses |
| By knockout | 25 | 1 |
| By decision | 11 | 3 |
| Draws | 2 | 2 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
| 42 | Win | 36–5–1 | Oziel Santoyo | KO | 2 (10) | 31 May 2024 | Palais des Sports de Gerland, Lyon, France | |
| 41 | Loss | 35–5–1 | Magomed Kurbanov | SD | 12 | 6 May 2023 | KRK Uralets, Ekaterinburg, Russia | |
| 40 | Draw | 35–4–1 | Israil Madrimov | TD | 3 (12), 2:20 | 9 July 2022 | The O2 Arena, London, United Kingdom | |
| 39 | Loss | 35–3–1 | Israil Madrimov | TKO | 9 (12), 3:00 | 17 Dec 2021 | Hotel Renaissance, Tashkent, Uzbekistan | |
| 38 | Win | 35–2–1 | Cédric Vitu | TKO | 5 (12), 2:03 | 15 Nov 2019 | Accor Hotel Arena, Paris, France | |
| 37 | Win | 34–2–1 | Anderson Prestot | TKO | 5 (12), 2:48 | 20 Jul 2019 | Palais des Sports, Marseille, France | Won WBA Gold light middleweight title |
| 36 | Win | 33–2–1 | Greg Vendetti | TKO | 2 (12), 2:34 | 8 Dec 2018 | Palais des sports Marcel Cerdan, Levallois-Perret, France | |
| 35 | Win | 32–2–1 | John Vera | UD | 12 | 24 Mar 2018 | Palais des Sports, Marseille, France | |
| 34 | Win | 31–2–1 | Ivan Montero | KO | 3 (10), 1:53 | 2 Dec 2017 | La Palestre, Le Cannet, France | |
| 33 | Loss | 30–2–1 | Brian Castaño | SD | 12 | 1 Jul 2017 | Casino d'Evian, Evian-les-Bains, France | For WBA interim light middleweight title |
| 32 | Win | 30–1–1 | Javier Francisco Maciel | TKO | 3 (12), 2:29 | 22 Apr 2017 | Astroballe, Villeurbanne, France | Retained WBA International light middleweight title |
| 31 | Win | 29–1–1 | Nuhu Lawal | KO | 10 (12), 1:17 | 17 Dec 2016 | Stade de l'Est, Saint-Denis, France | Retained WBA International light middleweight title |
| 30 | Win | 28–1–1 | Hector Saldivia | TKO | 3 (12) | 30 Jul 2016 | La Palestre, Le Cannet, France | Won WBA International light middleweight title |
| 29 | Win | 27–1–1 | Emanuele Blandamura | KO | 8 (12), 2:12 | 20 Jun 2015 | Teatro Principe, Milan, Italy | Won vacant European middleweight title |
| 28 | Win | 26–1–1 | Glen Tapia | TKO | 4 (10), 2:10 | 8 May 2015 | Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 27 | Win | 25–1–1 | Anderson Clayton | KO | 2 (8) | 6 Mar 2015 | Gymnase Mado Bonnet, Lyon, France | |
| 26 | Win | 24–1–1 | Sandor Micsko | KO | 1 (10) | 30 Jan 2015 | Salle Polyvalente des Ramiers, Blagnac, France | |
| 25 | Draw | 23–1–1 | Antoine Douglas | MD | 10 | 25 Jul 2014 | Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona, New York, U.S. | For WBA International middleweight title |
| 24 | Win | 23–1 | Alexey Ribchev | KO | 5 (8) | 7 May 2014 | Salle Raphael de Barros, Villeurbanne, France | |
| 23 | Win | 22–1 | Jean Michel Hamilcaro | UD | 10 | 9 Nov 2013 | Salle René-Tys, Reims, France | |
| 22 | Win | 21–1 | Frederic Serre | UD | 10 | 4 May 2013 | Salle Raphael de Barros, Villeurbanne, France | |
| 21 | Win | 20–1 | Kris Carslaw | UD | 12 | 12 Jan 2013 | La Palestre, Le Cannet, France | Won WBO European light middleweight title |
| 20 | Win | 19–1 | Magomed Abdurakhmanov | KO | 1 (12) | 13 Jul 2012 | Palais des Sports Robert Oubron, Creteil, France | |
| 19 | Loss | 18–1 | Zaurbek Baysangurov | UD | 12 | 12 May 2012 | Ice Palace "Terminal", Brovary, Ukraine | For WBO and IBO light middleweight titles |
| 18 | Win | 18–0 | Sergei Melis | TKO | 6 (10) | 12 Nov 2011 | Maison des sports, Villeurbanne, France | |
| 17 | Win | 17–0 | Albert Starikov | KO | 6 (8) | 15 Oct 2011 | Halle Clemenceau, Grenoble, France | |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | David Makaradze | UD | 12 | 29 Jul 2011 | Casino du Lyon vert, La Tour-de-Salvagny, France | Won WBO European light middleweight title |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Jurijs Boreiko | TKO | 2 (8) | 7 May 2011 | Salle Jacques Anquetil, Venissieux, France | |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Giorgi Ungiadze | TKO | 6 (8) | 2 Apr 2011 | La Palestre, Le Cannet, France | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Roman Dzhuman | TKO | 4 (10) | 12 Feb 2011 | Maison des sports, Villeurbanne, France | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Tadas Jonkus | TKO | 4 (8) | 13 Nov 2010 | Salle Raphael de Barros, Villeurbanne, France | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Ahmed Merichiche | KO | 2 (6) | 19 Jul 2010 | Salle Francois Mauriac, Vaulx-en-Velin, France | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Anthony Somarriba | PTS | 6 | 29 May 2010 | Gymnase Massot, Le Puy-en-Velay, France | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Robert Blazo | TKO | 7 (8) | 17 Apr 2010 | Palais des sports Jean Capievic, Vaulx-en-Velin, France | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Hakim Rouassi | PTS | 8 | 27 Feb 2010 | Salle Raphael de Barros, Villeurbanne, France | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Jonathan Bertonnier | TKO | 2 (6) | 9 Jan 2010 | Salle Raphael de Barros, Villeurbanne, France | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Ousmane Kone | PTS | 6 | 4 Apr 2009 | Salle Raphael de Barros, Villeurbanne, France | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Ibamata Sidibe | PTS | 6 | 14 Mar 2009 | Jacques Anquetil, Venissieux, France | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Kevin Mpiga | PTS | 4 | 27 Feb 2009 | Salle La Cotonne, Saint-Etienne, France | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Jeremy Facq | TKO | 1 (4) | 14 Feb 2009 | Salle Maurice Herzog, Oullins, France | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Sebastien Allais | PTS | 4 | 11 Dec 2008 | Cirque d'Hiver, Paris, France | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Said Moulkraloua | TKO | 3 (4) | 2 Oct 2008 | Cirque d'Hiver, Paris, France | |