Felix Sturm to fight Granit Stein on July 11

Former middleweight and super‑middleweight world champion Felix Sturm will step back into the ring on July 11. The 47‑year‑old will face Granit Stein at the Porsche‑Arena in Stuttgart, Germany. Stein, who is 14 years younger than Sturm, holds a 20‑2‑1 record. His two defeats came against American Anthony Hollaway (8‑7‑3) in December 2024 and Mexican Diego Carmona (14‑3) last month, both by split decision. Sturm’s record stands at 45‑6‑3 after competing sporadically for six years against lower‑level opposition. He previously spent four years out of the sport after winning the WBA super‑middleweight title from Fedor Chudinov in a February 2016 rematch, a hiatus linked to a legal dispute over drug‑testing procedures that cited irregularities and an adverse finding for the banned steroid Hydro‑XY‑Stanozolol. The case led to prison time under Germany’s anti‑doping laws before the charge was dropped, after which he served time for tax evasion. Sturm first rose to prominence in 2004 when Oscar De La Hoya took his WBO middleweight title in a controversial unanimous decision. He later secured world titles at middleweight and super‑middleweight, beating Darren Barker and Matthew Macklin and drawing with Martin Murray. His most recent bout in February 2025 ended with a third‑round knockout of Benjamin Blindert, after which he announced the upcoming fight would be his farewell, saying he is 47, has spent 36 years in the sport and wants to honour his family.