1. Overview
Lucian Bute is a Romanian-Canadian former professional boxer who competed from 2003 to 2017. Known for his southpaw stance and powerful knockouts, earning him the nicknames Le TombeurThe Knockdown ArtistFrench and Mister KO, Bute achieved significant success in the super-middleweight division. Standing at 6 in (74 in (187 cm)) with a reach of 72 in (72 in (183 cm)), Bute notably held the IBF super-middleweight title for nearly five years, from 2007 to 2012, successfully defending it nine times. His career also saw him win multiple regional titles across the light-heavyweight and super-middleweight divisions, including the NABF, NABA, WBC Continental Americas, and WBO Inter-Continental championships. Bute's professional record stands at 32 wins, 5 losses, and 0 draws, with 25 victories coming by knockout. He officially announced his retirement from boxing in 2019.
2. Personal life
2.1. Birth and Background
Lucian Bute was born on February 28, 1980, in Pechea, Galați County, in what was then the Socialist Republic of Romania. He is the cousin of professional handball player Steluța Luca, who was also born in Pechea, Galați County.
2.2. Nationality and Residence
After competing for the Romanian national team as an amateur and winning multiple titles, Bute relocated to Laval, Quebec, Canada, to pursue his professional boxing career. He acquired Canadian citizenship in 2012 and resides in Montreal, Quebec.
3. Amateur career
Lucian Bute began his boxing journey as an amateur in Romania, compiling an impressive amateur record of 235 wins and 15 losses.
3.1. Major Competition Results
Bute achieved notable success in various international amateur competitions:
- In 1998, he earned a bronze medal at the AIBA World Youth Championships held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, competing in the welterweight division.
- In 1999, Bute secured a bronze medal at the 1999 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Houston, Texas, also in the welterweight (148 lb (67 kg)) category. During this tournament, he defeated Nurhan Süleymanoğlu (Turkey) with a score of 9-5, Mihály Kótai (Hungary) 8-4, and Kejstutis Sandanavicius (Lithuania) 18-5, before losing to Timur Gaydalov (Russia) 7-10.
- He won a gold medal at the 2001 Jeux de la Francophonie in Ottawa-Hull, competing as a welterweight.
- In the 2001 World Amateur Boxing Championships held in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Bute competed in the middleweight (165 lb (75 kg)) division but was eliminated in the second round.
- Bute represented Romania at the 2003 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, as a middleweight (165 lb (75 kg)). He was defeated in the quarterfinals by the eventual middleweight champion, Gennady Golovkin of Kazakhstan, via knockout in the fourth round. Before the knockout, Golovkin was leading Bute by 13 points.
Despite his amateur achievements, Bute did not participate in the Olympic Games. He was discovered by a Canadian promoter, which led to his relocation to Canada to transition into professional boxing.
4. Professional career
Lucian Bute turned professional in 2003, embarking on a career that would see him become a world champion. On September 11, 2014, Bute announced that he would be trained by Freddie Roach, having previously been trained by Stéphan Larouche, who also worked with former world champions Éric Lucas and Leonard Doroftei.
4.1. Debut and Early Career
Bute made his professional debut on November 22, 2003, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, securing a technical knockout (TKO) victory in the second round against Robert Muhammad. His early career saw him rapidly accumulate wins and regional titles, demonstrating his potential.
- On December 3, 2004, Bute faced former two-division world champion Dingaan Thobela, defeating him by TKO in the fourth round.
- He won his first regional title on February 19, 2005, by defeating Carl Handy via TKO in the fourth round to claim the vacant NABF light-heavyweight title at Pavillon de la Jeunesse in Quebec City.
- On March 18, 2005, Bute secured the vacant NABA super-middleweight title by defeating Christian Cruz via TKO in the twelfth round at the Bell Centre.
- He continued to collect titles on September 16, 2005, winning the vacant NABF and WBC Continental Americas super-middleweight titles with an eighth-round TKO victory over Kabary Salem at the Bell Centre.
- Bute recorded his first non-knockout victory on March 24, 2006, successfully defending his WBC Continental Americas title against Andre Thysse via a unanimous decision (with all three judges scoring it a shutout) after 12 rounds at the Bell Centre.
- On May 16, 2006, he added the WBO Inter-Continental super-middleweight title to his collection by defeating Lolenga Mock via unanimous decision at the Bell Centre.
4.2. IBF Super-middleweight Champion
Bute's consistent victories led him to a shot at a world title, which he successfully claimed and defended for an extended period.
- On June 15, 2007, he faced Sakio Bika at the Bell Centre in Montreal in an IBF title eliminator. Bute won the bout by unanimous decision, with scores of 116-111, 118-109, and 118-109, securing his opportunity for the IBF title.
- Bute challenged Alejandro Berrio for the IBF Super-middleweight Championship on October 19, 2007, at the Bell Centre. He defeated Berrio via TKO in the eleventh round, becoming the third professional boxing world champion from Romania, following Leonard Doroftei and Mihai Leu. This victory also marked him as the third champion in InterBox's history.

4.3. Key Title Defenses (2007-2011)
Lucian Bute's reign as IBF Super-middleweight Champion included nine successful title defenses, establishing him as a dominant force in the division through a series of notable bouts.
- His first defense came on February 29, 2008, when he defeated William Joppy by TKO in the tenth round at the Bell Centre.
- On October 24, 2008, Bute faced Librado Andrade. He won by unanimous decision, but the fight ended with controversy as Bute was knocked down with two seconds remaining in the twelfth and final round. The referee, Marlon B. Wright, temporarily stopped the count when the final bell rang and signaled Andrade to return to his corner, allowing Bute to survive the round.
- Bute defeated three-time world title challenger Fulgencio Zúñiga on March 13, 2009. In the fourth round, Bute knocked Zúñiga down with a left uppercut to the body, and the referee stopped the fight shortly after due to Bute's continued assault.
- A rematch against Librado Andrade took place on November 28, 2009, at Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City, Canada. Bute won by knockout in the fourth round, retaining his IBF title. Andrade was the aggressor in the early rounds, but Bute landed a short left hook to Andrade's jaw, sending him down, followed by a left uppercut to the body for the final count at 2:57 of the round.
- On April 17, 2010, Bute stopped Edison Miranda at 1:22 of the third round at the Bell Centre, retaining his IBF Super-middleweight title. Miranda was knocked out with a left uppercut to the jaw.
- His sixth title defense was on October 15, 2010, against mandatory challenger Jesse Brinkley at the Bell Centre. Bute scored an impressive ninth-round knockout. He dropped Brinkley with a left uppercut to the body in the fifth round, again in the eighth, and knocked him out with an uppercut in the ninth.
- Bute dominated and stopped European Super Middleweight Champion Brian Magee in the tenth round on March 19, 2011, at the Bell Centre. Bute knocked Magee down three times-once in the sixth, again in the seventh, and a final time in the tenth round with an uppercut, stopping the bout at 2:04 of the round. This marked his seventh consecutive successful defense.
- His eighth title defense took place in Romania on July 9, 2011, against the previously unbeaten Jean-Paul Mendy of France, who was the IBF's number one contender and mandatory challenger. This was Bute's first defense in Romania and his second fight there since 2005. The event was held at Romexpo in Bucharest, where Bute won by knockout in the fourth round.
- Bute's final defense of this reign was on November 5, 2011, against Glen Johnson at Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City. Bute won by unanimous decision, with judges' scorecards reading 119-109 and 120-108 twice.
4.4. First World Title Defense Failure
This section details the fight that ended Lucian Bute's long reign as IBF Super-middleweight Champion.
4.4.1. Carl Froch Fight
The IBF officially mandated Carl Froch (28-2, 20 KOs) as Bute's number one mandatory challenger. The fight, billed as No Easy Way Out, took place on May 26, 2012, in Froch's hometown of Nottingham, England, at the Nottingham Arena. Despite being the overwhelming underdog, Froch dominated Bute throughout the fight, winning the IBF super-middleweight championship via TKO at 1:05 of the fifth round. This marked Lucian Bute's first professional defeat and the end of his nearly five-year reign as IBF champion.
4.5. Move to Light-heavyweight
Following his loss to Carl Froch, Lucian Bute transitioned to the light-heavyweight division, seeking new challenges.
4.5.1. Denis Grachev Fight
On November 3, 2012, in his first fight since losing his IBF title, Bute faced Denis Grachev for the latter's NABF light-heavyweight title. The bout took place at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. Grachev was aggressive throughout the fight, but Bute managed to narrowly out-box him in most rounds, including a strong rally in the twelfth and final round where he landed powerful punches. Bute won the fight via unanimous decision, regaining the NABF light-heavyweight title after a seven-year absence from holding it.
4.5.2. Jean Pascal Fight
It was announced that Bute would fight Jean Pascal on May 25, 2013, at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Bute was set to make his first defense of the NABF light-heavyweight championship, and the winner would also claim the WBC Diamond title in the division. However, on May 8, 2013, Bute was forced to withdraw from the fight due to a left hand injury that required surgery to remove bone fragments. The fight was rescheduled for January 18, 2014. Pascal ultimately won the fight by unanimous decision, with scores of 117-110, 117-111, and 116-112. As a result, Bute lost his NABF light-heavyweight title and failed to capture the WBC Diamond title. A scheduled fight against Roberto Bolonti on December 6, 2014, was later canceled due to a back injury sustained by Bute.
4.6. Return to Super-middleweight and Later Career
After his stint in the light-heavyweight division, Bute returned to the super-middleweight class for subsequent fights, including further title challenges.
4.6.1. Andrea Di Luisa Fight
On August 15, 2015, Lucian Bute made his return to the ring after a 19-month layoff, which was partly due to a back injury. He showed no signs of ring rust as he stopped Andrea Di Luisa in four one-sided rounds at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
4.6.2. James DeGale Fight
In mid-2015, it was announced that Bute would challenge IBF super-middleweight champion James DeGale. The fight, which was DeGale's first defense of his IBF belt, took place in Bute's adopted hometown of Quebec City on November 28, 2015, at the Videotron Centre. After 12 rounds, DeGale was awarded a unanimous decision with scores of 116-112, 117-111, and 117-111. Despite suffering his third career loss, Bute received credit from commentators who described the bout as an exciting fight.
4.6.3. Badou Jack Fight and Doping Controversy
On April 30, 2016, Bute was named as the replacement for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. to challenge Badou Jack for the WBC Super Middleweight Championship. The bout, held at the D.C. Armory in Washington, D.C., was initially declared a majority draw, marking Bute's first draw in his professional boxing career.
However, on May 27, 2016, Bute tested positive for ostarine, a banned substance. Ostarine is not an anabolic steroid but is known to increase stamina and recovery ability, and it has been on the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned list since 2008. Bute's B sample, tested on August 12, also returned positive for the banned substance. Bute denied knowingly taking a banned substance, asserting that he ingested it due to contamination of nutritional supplements prescribed by his conditioning trainer and produced by a laboratory in California. Following an investigation, the Washington commission agreed with Bute's assertion that the positive result was due to supplement contamination. Consequently, Bute was allowed to resume his career after a six-month suspension and a fine of 50.00 K USD. The suspension was made retroactive to May 6, 2016, meaning it had already concluded by the time the disciplinary action was announced on November 25, 2016. On April 24, 2017, the D.C. commission officially changed the outcome of the fight to a disqualification win in favor of Badou Jack.
4.7. Second Challenge in Light-heavyweight
Following his two world title challenges in the super-middleweight division, Bute announced his decision to move back up to the light-heavyweight division for his final professional bout.
4.7.1. Eleider Álvarez Fight
On December 8, 2016, promoter Yvon Michel announced that a deal had been reached for Bute to fight undefeated light-heavyweight contender and WBC #1 ranked fighter Eleider Álvarez. The bout took place on February 24, 2017, at the Centre Videotron in Quebec City, Canada. A win for Álvarez would position him for a WBC title match against Adonis Stevenson. Bute lost the fight via TKO in the fifth round at 2:22, in what was a fairly competitive fight up to that point. This bout marked the final professional fight of Lucian Bute's boxing career.
4.8. Retirement
After months of contemplation regarding his future in boxing, Lucian Bute officially announced his retirement from professional boxing on March 21, 2019. He had not competed in over two years since his last fight against Eleider Álvarez. He concluded his career with a professional record of 32 wins, 25 of which were by knockout, and 5 losses.
5. Professional boxing record
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | Loss | 32-5 | Eleider Álvarez | TKO | 5 (12), 2:22 | Feb 24, 2017 | Videotron Centre, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada | For WBC Silver light-heavyweight title |
| 36 | Loss | 32-4 | Badou Jack | DQ | 12 | Apr 30, 2016 | D.C. Armory, Washington, D.C., U.S. | For WBC super-middleweight title; Originally Majority draw, later ruled DQ after Bute failed a drug test |
| 35 | Loss | 32-3 | James DeGale | UD | 12 | Nov 28, 2015 | Videotron Centre, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada | For IBF super-middleweight title |
| 34 | Win | 32-2 | Andrea Di Luisa | TKO | 4 (10), 1:53 | Aug 15, 2015 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 33 | Loss | 31-2 | Jean Pascal | UD | 12 | Jan 18, 2014 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Lost NABF light-heavyweight title |
| 32 | Win | 31-1 | Denis Grachev | UD | 12 | Nov 3, 2012 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Won NABF light-heavyweight title |
| 31 | Loss | 30-1 | Carl Froch | TKO | 5 (12), 1:05 | May 26, 2012 | Nottingham Arena, Nottingham, England | Lost IBF super-middleweight title |
| 30 | Win | 30-0 | Glen Johnson | UD | 12 | Nov 5, 2011 | Colisée Pepsi, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada | Retained IBF super-middleweight title |
| 29 | Win | 29-0 | Jean-Paul Mendy | KO | 4 (12), 2:48 | Jul 9, 2011 | Romexpo, Bucharest, Romania | Retained IBF super-middleweight title |
| 28 | Win | 28-0 | Brian Magee | TKO | 10 (12), 2:04 | Mar 19, 2011 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Retained IBF super-middleweight title |
| 27 | Win | 27-0 | Jesse Brinkley | KO | 9 (12), 2:48 | Oct 15, 2010 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Retained IBF super-middleweight title |
| 26 | Win | 26-0 | Edison Miranda | TKO | 3 (12), 1:22 | Apr 17, 2010 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Retained IBF super-middleweight title |
| 25 | Win | 25-0 | Librado Andrade | KO | 4 (12), 2:57 | Nov 28, 2009 | Colisée Pepsi, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada | Retained IBF super-middleweight title |
| 24 | Win | 24-0 | Fulgencio Zúñiga | TKO | 4 (12), 2:25 | Mar 13, 2009 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Retained IBF super-middleweight title |
| 23 | Win | 23-0 | Librado Andrade | UD | 12 | Oct 24, 2008 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Retained IBF super-middleweight title |
| 22 | Win | 22-0 | William Joppy | TKO | 10 (12), 1:08 | Feb 29, 2008 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Retained IBF super-middleweight title |
| 21 | Win | 21-0 | Alejandro Berrio | TKO | 11 (12), 1:27 | Oct 19, 2007 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Won IBF super-middleweight title |
| 20 | Win | 20-0 | Sakio Bika | UD | 12 | Jun 15, 2007 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 19 | Win | 19-0 | Sergey Tatevosyan | UD | 12 | Jan 26, 2007 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Retained WBO Inter-Continental super-middleweight title |
| 18 | Win | 18-0 | James Obede Toney | TKO | 8 (12), 2:49 | Sep 15, 2006 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Retained NABF, NABA and WBC Continental Americas super-middleweight titles |
| 17 | Win | 17-0 | Lolenga Mock | UD | 12 | May 16, 2006 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Won WBO Inter-Continental super-middleweight title |
| 16 | Win | 16-0 | Andre Thysse | UD | 12 | Mar 24, 2006 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Retained WBC Continental Americas super-middleweight title |
| 15 | Win | 15-0 | Donnell Wiggins | KO | 2 (12), 2:53 | Dec 2, 2005 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Retained NABA super-middleweight title |
| 14 | Win | 14-0 | Kabary Salem | TKO | 8 (12), 3:00 | Sep 16, 2005 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Won vacant NABF and WBC Continental Americas super-middleweight titles |
| 13 | Win | 13-0 | Jose Spearman | KO | 8 (12), 2:13 | Jun 3, 2005 | Maurice Richard Arena, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Retained NABA super-middleweight title |
| 12 | Win | 12-0 | Donny McCrary | KO | 4 (12), 2:10 | Apr 21, 2005 | Sports Hall, Galați, Romania | Retained NABA super-middleweight title |
| 11 | Win | 11-0 | Christian Cruz | TKO | 12 (12), 2:18 | Mar 18, 2005 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Won vacant NABA super-middleweight title |
| 10 | Win | 10-0 | Carl Handy | TKO | 4 (12), 2:09 | Feb 19, 2005 | Pavillon de la Jeunesse, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada | Won vacant NABF light-heavyweight title |
| 9 | Win | 9-0 | Dingaan Thobela | TKO | 4 (8), 1:22 | Dec 3, 2004 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 8 | Win | 8-0 | Norman Johnson | TKO | 2 (6), 1:19 | Nov 1, 2004 | The Roxy, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 7-0 | Willard Lewis | TKO | 3 (8), 3:00 | Oct 30, 2004 | Le Medley, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 6 | Win | 6-0 | Rico Cason | TKO | 2 (6), 2:43 | Oct 16, 2004 | Club Ovation, Boynton Beach, Florida, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 5-0 | Tyler Hughes | TKO | 3 (6), 2:46 | Jul 24, 2004 | Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 4-0 | Zane Marks | TKO | 1 (4), 2:35 | Apr 24, 2004 | Colisée Pepsi, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada | |
| 3 | Win | 3-0 | Jean Pascal Service | KO | 1 (4), 1:48 | Mar 20, 2004 | Montreal Casino, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 2 | Win | 2-0 | Darin Johnson | TKO | 1 (4), 2:50 | Dec 20, 2003 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 1 | Win | 1-0 | Robert Muhammad | TKO | 2 (4), 2:05 | Nov 22, 2003 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
6. Titles won
Lucian Bute held several significant regional and world championship titles throughout his professional boxing career:
- NABF light-heavyweight title (twice: February 19, 2005 - March 2005; November 3, 2012 - January 18, 2014)
- NABA super-middleweight title (March 18, 2005 - June 2007)
- NABF super-middleweight title (September 16, 2005 - June 2007)
- WBC Continental Americas super-middleweight title (September 16, 2005 - June 2007)
- WBO Inter-Continental super-middleweight title (May 16, 2006 - May 2007)
- IBF world super-middleweight title (October 19, 2007 - May 26, 2012; successfully defended 9 times)
7. External links
- [http://www.lucianbute.com/ Official website]
- [https://boxrec.com/en/boxer/223046 Lucian Bute's professional boxing record at BoxRec]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20180802222355/http://www.premierboxingchampions.com/lucian-bute Lucian Bute profile at Premier Boxing Champions]
- [https://box.live/boxers/lucian-bute/ Lucian Bute - Profile, News Archive & Current Rankings at Box.Live]