Former middleweight and super middleweight world champion Felix Sturm is set to return to the ring for one last dance on July 11.
15 years removed from the peak of his powers, Sturm, 47, will face the unheralded Granit Stein at the Porsche-Arena in Stuttgart, Germany.
2
Sturm is having one last dance at 47 years old next monthCredit: Getty
Stein (20-2-1) is 14 years Sturm’s junior, although he has not competed anywhere near the same level as the German veteran.
The B-side fighters’ two defeats came to 8-7-3 American Anthony Hollaway in December 2024 and 14-3 Mexican Diego Carmona last month.
Both losses were via split decision.
Sturm (45-6-3) has been competing sporadically for the last six years, trading wins and losses with lower-level opposition.
READ MORE ON BOXING
Prior to his recent string of fights, he spent four years on the sidelines after claiming the WBA super-middleweight title from Fedor Chudinov in a February 2016 rematch.
Sturm’s hiatus was due in part to a lengthy legal battle over the drug testing protocol in connection with the fight.
The Leverkusen boxer claimed there were irregularities with the way in which doping agents handled his testing before his A and B samples returned adverse findings for the banned anabolic steroid Hydro-XY-Stanozolol.
Sturm faced time in prison over the offence due to Germany’s strict anti-doping laws.
And while the charge was eventually dropped, he would be put behind bars for tax evasion.
What did Felix Sturm achieve?
Sturm broke out onto the world stage in 2004 when his WBO middleweight title was snatched away from him by Oscar De La Hoya via a highly controversial unanimous decision defeat.
2
Sturm held world titles at middleweight and super middleweightCredit: Getty
The champion held a clear edge over De La Hoya on the punch stats, but the three judges scoring it from ringside saw it differently.
Sturm would go on to hold various versions of the 160lbs world title over the next decade, defeating Brits Darren Barker and Matthew Macklin, and drawing with Martin Murray.
He last fought in February 2025 when he knocked out Benjamin Blindert in the third round.
At the time, Sturm insisted that his goal was to once again become a world champion.
However, he has since stated that his next fight will be his last.
“I’m 47 years old, and I have been doing this sport for 36 years,” Sturm said. “I always wanted to say goodbye in my own way, in a manner that my fans deserve and that I owe them.
Read More on talkSPORT
“My family has had to do without me a great deal over the years. There are things that money can’t buy, including character and one’s word. I promised my family that this will be my last fight.”
Watch Boxing on DAZN
*If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenue
Sign up to DAZN to access the definitive subscription for boxing fans.
Upgrade to DAZN Ultimate from just £24.99/month, guaranteeing access to 185+ fights annually, a minimum of 12 pay-per-views at no extra cost, as well as every Lega Serie A match and other elite football access.
Alternatively, DAZN Standard is just £15.99/month, with the caveat you will have to pay for pay-per-view events.