Starting today: Eight-part series on boxing at the crossroads |
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Executive Summary: Professional boxing is entering a decisive structural transition. Capital concentration, vertical integration, media consolidation and legislative recalibration are converging simultaneously. When these forces align, negotiating dynamics shift and institutional leverage recalibrates. At the center of this evolution is the emergence of a vertically integrated promotional structure — the best example of which is the Zuffa Boxing venture operating within TKO Group Holdings and supported by Saudi-linked capital through Sela. This model combines the roles of promoter, sanctioning body, scheduling and broadcast distribution within a unified organizational framework. Subsequent executive commentary has also clarified that Zuffa operates as a joint venture combining sovereign-linked capital with the corporate media infrastructure of TKO Group Holdings. The architecture of power in boxing is summarized here.
In contrast, we have the traditional decentralized ecosystem — represented by independent promoters such as Matchroom Boxing, Queensberry Promotions, and Golden Boy Promotions; major sanctioning bodies including the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO; and diversified broadcast partners such as DAZN and other platforms — operating through distributed authority, competitive negotiation, and independent championship governance.
Overlaying this structural divide is proposed federal legislation — the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act (H.R. 4624) — which would authorize a new entity type known as a Unified Boxing Organization (UBO). The proposal does not repeal the existing Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, but it would formally recognize integrated governance structures and establish an alternative regulatory pathway for certified UBOs.
This series does not advocate for one model over the other. It examines how structural design influences leverage, transparency, sustainability, and competitive balance. But make no mistake, the structural inflection point is already underway. The long-term implications are institutional. The decisions made now will shape the sport’s architecture for years to come.
The debate before the sport — and before Congress — is not whether fighters deserve protection. It is how protection, leverage, transparency, and competitive opportunity function within the evolving market.
Centralized integration paired with baseline safeguards presents one trajectory or decentralized competition reinforced by transparency-driven leverage? The long-term future of professional boxing will be shaped not by rhetoric, but by whether its institutional architecture proves durable under economic, regulatory, and competitive stress. This series provides a structural map of that transition.
Roadmap of the Series
Part I – The Inflection Point
Examines how capital alignment, sovereign-backed investment, media consolidation, and regulatory reform are reshaping professional boxing’s governance framework.
Part II – The Structural Divide
Defines the centralized model (Zuffa/TKO/Sela) and the decentralized ecosystem (Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO, DAZN), clarifying how authority, control, and opportunity flow within each system.
Part III – Fighter Leverage and Incentive Architecture
Analyzes how fighters stand within each structure — comparing internal leverage within an integrated model to external competitive leverage in a decentralized marketplace.
Part IV – Ali Act Protections in a Centralized vs. Decentralized Market
Clarifies how the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act applies to promoters, managers, and sanctioning bodies, and examines how the proposed UBO framework under H.R. 4624 may recalibrate disclosure standards, separation principles, and enforcement mechanisms.
Part V – Unanswered Questions Congress Must Clarify
Identifies the statutory definition points — including financial transparency, ranking governance, promoter-manager separation, private rights of action, and compliance certification — that will determine whether modernization preserves substantive safeguards.
Part VI – Distribution and Media Power
Explores the central role of broadcast and streaming partnerships, including platforms such as DAZN and other global distributors, and assesses why durable media alignment increasingly determines promoter viability.
Part VII – Capital Sustainability and Concentration Risk
Evaluates the durability of capital-backed expansion, including sovereign-aligned funding structures, and examines how long-term sustainability — not short-term scale — ultimately determines structural resilience.
Part VIII – Strategic Implications for the Ecosystem
Synthesizes the analysis to assess modernization pressures, competitive durability, and the long-term balance between integration and plurality.
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Starting today: Eight-part series on boxing at the crossroads
Executive Summary: Professional boxing is entering a decisive structural transition. Capital concentration, vertical integration, media consolidation and legislative recalibration are converging simultaneously. When these forces align, negotiating dynamics shift and institutional leverage recalibrates. At the center of this evolution is the emergence of a vertically integrated promotional structure — the best example of which is the Zuffa Boxing venture operating within TKO Group Holdings and supported by Saudi-linked capital through Sela. This model combines the roles of promoter, sanctioning body, scheduling and broadcast distribution within a unified organizational framework. Subsequent executive commentary has also clarified that Zuffa operates as a joint venture combining sovereign-linked capital with the corporate media infrastructure of TKO Group Holdings. The architecture of power in boxing is summarized here.
In contrast, we have the traditional decentralized ecosystem — represented by independent promoters such as Matchroom Boxing, Queensberry Promotions, and Golden Boy Promotions; major sanctioning bodies including the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO; and diversified broadcast partners such as DAZN and other platforms — operating through distributed authority, competitive negotiation, and independent championship governance.
Overlaying this structural divide is proposed federal legislation — the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act (H.R. 4624) — which would authorize a new entity type known as a Unified Boxing Organization (UBO). The proposal does not repeal the existing Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, but it would formally recognize integrated governance structures and establish an alternative regulatory pathway for certified UBOs.
This series does not advocate for one model over the other. It examines how structural design influences leverage, transparency, sustainability, and competitive balance. But make no mistake, the structural inflection point is already underway. The long-term implications are institutional. The decisions made now will shape the sport’s architecture for years to come.
The debate before the sport — and before Congress — is not whether fighters deserve protection. It is how protection, leverage, transparency, and competitive opportunity function within the evolving market.
Centralized integration paired with baseline safeguards presents one trajectory or decentralized competition reinforced by transparency-driven leverage? The long-term future of professional boxing will be shaped not by rhetoric, but by whether its institutional architecture proves durable under economic, regulatory, and competitive stress. This series provides a structural map of that transition.
Roadmap of the Series
Part I – The Inflection Point
Examines how capital alignment, sovereign-backed investment, media consolidation, and regulatory reform are reshaping professional boxing’s governance framework.
Part II – The Structural Divide
Defines the centralized model (Zuffa/TKO/Sela) and the decentralized ecosystem (Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO, DAZN), clarifying how authority, control, and opportunity flow within each system.
Part III – Fighter Leverage and Incentive Architecture
Analyzes how fighters stand within each structure — comparing internal leverage within an integrated model to external competitive leverage in a decentralized marketplace.
Part IV – Ali Act Protections in a Centralized vs. Decentralized Market
Clarifies how the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act applies to promoters, managers, and sanctioning bodies, and examines how the proposed UBO framework under H.R. 4624 may recalibrate disclosure standards, separation principles, and enforcement mechanisms.
Part V – Unanswered Questions Congress Must Clarify
Identifies the statutory definition points — including financial transparency, ranking governance, promoter-manager separation, private rights of action, and compliance certification — that will determine whether modernization preserves substantive safeguards.
Part VI – Distribution and Media Power
Explores the central role of broadcast and streaming partnerships, including platforms such as DAZN and other global distributors, and assesses why durable media alignment increasingly determines promoter viability.
Part VII – Capital Sustainability and Concentration Risk
Evaluates the durability of capital-backed expansion, including sovereign-aligned funding structures, and examines how long-term sustainability — not short-term scale — ultimately determines structural resilience.
Part VIII – Strategic Implications for the Ecosystem
Synthesizes the analysis to assess modernization pressures, competitive durability, and the long-term balance between integration and plurality.
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Part one of eight: Boxing is at an inflection point |
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Boxing is at an inflection point. The sport has historically operated within a decentralized marketplace. Promoters such as Matchroom Boxing, Queensberry Promotions, and Golden Boy Promotions negotiated events independently.
Sanctioning bodies including the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO governed championship recognition through separate ranking systems.
Media platforms such as DAZN and other global distributors aligned with different promotional entities across competing broadcast agreements. This distributed structure produced friction — but also competitive tension.
Authority was dispersed.
Leverage was negotiated event by event.
Opportunity flowed through multiple institutional channels. That architecture is now being recalibrated.
The emergence of the Zuffa Boxing venture operating within TKO Group Holdings and supported by Sela introduces a materially different governance framework. Subsequent executive commentary has begun to clarify elements of the venture’s ownership structure. During a TKO Group Holdings earnings call, President and COO Mark Shapiro indicated that Zuffa Boxing is structured as a joint venture owned approximately 40% by TKO Group Holdings and 60% by Sela, the Saudi-linked events company widely reported to be owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Under this centralized integration model: Promotional rights may be consolidated within a unified corporate entity; Ranking authority may operate within an internally coordinated structure rather than through independent sanctioning bodies; Media negotiations can be aligned at the corporate level; and Boxer contracts may be centralized under a single promotional vehicle.
This is not simply new capital entering the sport.
It is a reconfiguration of institutional alignment. The distinction is structural. The traditional ecosystem — Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, the WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO, and diversified platforms such as DAZN — distributes authority across independent actors.
By contrast, the Zuffa/TKO/Sela-aligned model concentrates promotional and governance functions within an integrated framework. Both systems can function.
But they allocate authority differently.
And differences in authority allocation shape negotiating leverage. At the same time, proposed federal legislation — the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act (H.R. 4624) — seeks to formally recognize integrated governance structures through the introduction of Unified Boxing Organizations (UBOs).
When market architecture and statutory design evolve concurrently, structural effects compound. The inflection point is therefore not theoretical.
It is institutional. Capital alignment, governance integration, and legislative recalibration are unfolding in parallel. Understanding this structural moment is essential before evaluating fighter leverage, regulatory safeguards, media durability, or long-term competitive balance.
In Part II, to be published on Tuesday, we examine in operational detail how the Zuffa/TKO/Sela-aligned framework differs from the decentralized ecosystem built around Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, the major sanctioning bodies, and diversified broadcast platforms.
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Part one of eight: Boxing is at an inflection point
Boxing is at an inflection point. The sport has historically operated within a decentralized marketplace. Promoters such as Matchroom Boxing, Queensberry Promotions, and Golden Boy Promotions negotiated events independently.
Sanctioning bodies including the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO governed championship recognition through separate ranking systems.
Media platforms such as DAZN and other global distributors aligned with different promotional entities across competing broadcast agreements. This distributed structure produced friction — but also competitive tension.
Authority was dispersed.
Leverage was negotiated event by event.
Opportunity flowed through multiple institutional channels. That architecture is now being recalibrated.
The emergence of the Zuffa Boxing venture operating within TKO Group Holdings and supported by Sela introduces a materially different governance framework. Subsequent executive commentary has begun to clarify elements of the venture’s ownership structure. During a TKO Group Holdings earnings call, President and COO Mark Shapiro indicated that Zuffa Boxing is structured as a joint venture owned approximately 40% by TKO Group Holdings and 60% by Sela, the Saudi-linked events company widely reported to be owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Under this centralized integration model: Promotional rights may be consolidated within a unified corporate entity; Ranking authority may operate within an internally coordinated structure rather than through independent sanctioning bodies; Media negotiations can be aligned at the corporate level; and Boxer contracts may be centralized under a single promotional vehicle.
This is not simply new capital entering the sport.
It is a reconfiguration of institutional alignment. The distinction is structural. The traditional ecosystem — Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, the WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO, and diversified platforms such as DAZN — distributes authority across independent actors.
By contrast, the Zuffa/TKO/Sela-aligned model concentrates promotional and governance functions within an integrated framework. Both systems can function.
But they allocate authority differently.
And differences in authority allocation shape negotiating leverage. At the same time, proposed federal legislation — the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act (H.R. 4624) — seeks to formally recognize integrated governance structures through the introduction of Unified Boxing Organizations (UBOs).
When market architecture and statutory design evolve concurrently, structural effects compound. The inflection point is therefore not theoretical.
It is institutional. Capital alignment, governance integration, and legislative recalibration are unfolding in parallel. Understanding this structural moment is essential before evaluating fighter leverage, regulatory safeguards, media durability, or long-term competitive balance.
In Part II, to be published on Tuesday, we examine in operational detail how the Zuffa/TKO/Sela-aligned framework differs from the decentralized ecosystem built around Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, the major sanctioning bodies, and diversified broadcast platforms.
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Fab Wardley named British boxer of the year for 2025 |
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This year’s British Board of Boxing Control (BBBofC) Awards ceremony took place on Sunday March 8th in London. Listed below are the award winners, which celebrated boxing in the United Kingdom during the year 2025:
Boxer of the Year – Fabio Wardley (pictured);
Contest of the Year – Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn I (April 26, 2025 – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium);
Overseas Boxer of the Year – Oleksandr Usyk;
Boxing Writers Young Boxer of the Year – Moses Itauma;
Services to Boxing – Nigel Travis;
Special Recognition I – Claude Abrams, Tris Dixon, Matt Christie;
Special Recognition II – Josh Taylor;
Boxing News Trainer of the Year – Ben Davison; and
CBC Dennie Mancini Trophy – Dalton Smith.
The Board also honored past and present British champions in the form of a number and certificate, more will follow on this shortly.
General Secretary, Robert W. Smith thanked all of those in attendance at this year’s event and congratulated the year’s winners and nominees.
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Fab Wardley named British boxer of the year for 2025
This year’s British Board of Boxing Control (BBBofC) Awards ceremony took place on Sunday March 8th in London. Listed below are the award winners, which celebrated boxing in the United Kingdom during the year 2025:
Boxer of the Year – Fabio Wardley (pictured);
Contest of the Year – Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn I (April 26, 2025 – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium);
Overseas Boxer of the Year – Oleksandr Usyk;
Boxing Writers Young Boxer of the Year – Moses Itauma;
Services to Boxing – Nigel Travis;
Special Recognition I – Claude Abrams, Tris Dixon, Matt Christie;
Special Recognition II – Josh Taylor;
Boxing News Trainer of the Year – Ben Davison; and
CBC Dennie Mancini Trophy – Dalton Smith.
The Board also honored past and present British champions in the form of a number and certificate, more will follow on this shortly.
General Secretary, Robert W. Smith thanked all of those in attendance at this year’s event and congratulated the year’s winners and nominees.
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Victor Ortiz turns to bare knuckle boxing |
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Last week, BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing announced the signing of ex-welterweight champion Victor Ortiz (33-7-3) to a multi-fight, multi-year agreement. The former WBC champion and crossover star (Dancing With The Stars, Sylvester Stallone’s Expendables, and Hawaii Five-0) will bring his power, championship pedigree, and fan-favorite charisma to the bare knuckle trigon, making his highly anticipated debut in the coming months as he targets BKB world championship glory. Details on Ortiz’s debut fight and upcoming events will be announced soon.
This signing underscores the surging momentum of BKB, which continues to draw decorated gloved boxers and stage high-stakes, action-packed events. The promotion has welcomed stars like Olympic gold medalist and former multi-weight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa and former champions Lee Selby and Paulie Malignaggi. The latter enjoyed a hugely successful transition, delivering a thrilling Fight of the Night performance in his return at BKB 47 against Tyler Goodjohn. Building on that excitement, Malignaggi is now set to challenge reigning champion Rolando Dy for the BKB junior middleweight championship in Manchester on Saturday, May 16th, further elevating BKB's rising profile, expanding roster of elite talent, and relentless progression as one of the most disruptive forces in combat sports.
Ortiz, known as "Vicious," captured the WBC welterweight title in 2011 with a unanimous decision victory over Andre Berto and successfully challenged the elite at 147 pounds, including his memorable showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. His professional career from 2004 to 2022 produced a record of 33 wins (25 by KO), 7 losses, and 3 draws, cementing his status as one of America's most exciting and accomplished fighters. Beyond the ring, Ortiz gained widespread popularity as a contestant on Dancing With The Stars, and appearances on the big and small screens allowing him to transcend the sport, showcasing his athleticism, personality, and talent to a broader audience.
Ortiz's move to BKB is driven by his respect for the promotion's explosive growth, top-tier production, and the unforgiving intensity of bare knuckle competition. Ready to unleash his aggressive style without gloves, he sees BKB as the ideal stage to add a new chapter to his legacy in the rawest form of boxing.
Ortiz, said: “I’ve accomplished so much in gloved boxing - from winning a world title to battling the best in the world. Now, bare knuckle is the next challenge. It’s the purest, most intense version of the sport, and I’m pumped to bring my power, heart, and experience to BKB. I’m coming to win another world title and prove I’ve still got it. All glory to Jesus Christ.”
Mike Vazquez, Founder of BKB Bare Knuckle, said: “Victor Ortiz is a true legend with a world-class resume and star power that transcends boxing. We’re thrilled to welcome him to our roster. His knockout power and championship drive will electrify the trigon. With fighters like Gamboa and Malignaggi paving the way for elite crossovers, Victor’s signing proves BKB is the destination for icons chasing new greatness.”
David Tetreault, CEO of BKB Bare Knuckle, said: "I’ve known Victor since my days running the table at Golden Boy Promotions. Victor Ortiz is a massive coup for our organization. His world title experience, devastating power, and crossover appeal make this an incredible addition. We're excited to see him pursue bare knuckle dominance alongside our expanding lineup of world-class fighters. Bringing a fighter of Victor’s calibre to BKB shows just why we are the leading force right now in Bare Knuckle Boxing.”
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Victor Ortiz turns to bare knuckle boxing
Last week, BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing announced the signing of ex-welterweight champion Victor Ortiz (33-7-3) to a multi-fight, multi-year agreement. The former WBC champion and crossover star (Dancing With The Stars, Sylvester Stallone’s Expendables, and Hawaii Five-0) will bring his power, championship pedigree, and fan-favorite charisma to the bare knuckle trigon, making his highly anticipated debut in the coming months as he targets BKB world championship glory. Details on Ortiz’s debut fight and upcoming events will be announced soon.
This signing underscores the surging momentum of BKB, which continues to draw decorated gloved boxers and stage high-stakes, action-packed events. The promotion has welcomed stars like Olympic gold medalist and former multi-weight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa and former champions Lee Selby and Paulie Malignaggi. The latter enjoyed a hugely successful transition, delivering a thrilling Fight of the Night performance in his return at BKB 47 against Tyler Goodjohn. Building on that excitement, Malignaggi is now set to challenge reigning champion Rolando Dy for the BKB junior middleweight championship in Manchester on Saturday, May 16th, further elevating BKB's rising profile, expanding roster of elite talent, and relentless progression as one of the most disruptive forces in combat sports.
Ortiz, known as "Vicious," captured the WBC welterweight title in 2011 with a unanimous decision victory over Andre Berto and successfully challenged the elite at 147 pounds, including his memorable showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. His professional career from 2004 to 2022 produced a record of 33 wins (25 by KO), 7 losses, and 3 draws, cementing his status as one of America's most exciting and accomplished fighters. Beyond the ring, Ortiz gained widespread popularity as a contestant on Dancing With The Stars, and appearances on the big and small screens allowing him to transcend the sport, showcasing his athleticism, personality, and talent to a broader audience.
Ortiz's move to BKB is driven by his respect for the promotion's explosive growth, top-tier production, and the unforgiving intensity of bare knuckle competition. Ready to unleash his aggressive style without gloves, he sees BKB as the ideal stage to add a new chapter to his legacy in the rawest form of boxing.
Ortiz, said: “I’ve accomplished so much in gloved boxing - from winning a world title to battling the best in the world. Now, bare knuckle is the next challenge. It’s the purest, most intense version of the sport, and I’m pumped to bring my power, heart, and experience to BKB. I’m coming to win another world title and prove I’ve still got it. All glory to Jesus Christ.”
Mike Vazquez, Founder of BKB Bare Knuckle, said: “Victor Ortiz is a true legend with a world-class resume and star power that transcends boxing. We’re thrilled to welcome him to our roster. His knockout power and championship drive will electrify the trigon. With fighters like Gamboa and Malignaggi paving the way for elite crossovers, Victor’s signing proves BKB is the destination for icons chasing new greatness.”
David Tetreault, CEO of BKB Bare Knuckle, said: "I’ve known Victor since my days running the table at Golden Boy Promotions. Victor Ortiz is a massive coup for our organization. His world title experience, devastating power, and crossover appeal make this an incredible addition. We're excited to see him pursue bare knuckle dominance alongside our expanding lineup of world-class fighters. Bringing a fighter of Victor’s calibre to BKB shows just why we are the leading force right now in Bare Knuckle Boxing.”
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Middle East war leads to postponement of international tournament |
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The International Boxing Association (IBA) has confirmed that the IBA Asia U23 [age 23 and under] and Youth Championships, scheduled to take place in Jakarta, Indonesia, will be postponed due to the current and evolving situation in the Middle East. Following careful assessment of the prevailing circumstances, the IBA has taken this decision in order to prioritize the safety, security, and well‑being of athletes, officials, and member federations. Athlete welfare and participant safety remain the organisation’s absolute and non‑negotiable priority. While preparations for the championships in Jakarta had been progressing positively in close cooperation with the local organisers and IBA Asia, the IBA considers it essential to act responsibly in light of the broader regional uncertainty. Ensuring safe travel, accommodation, and competition conditions for all participants is a fundamental obligation of the organisation.
“The safety of our athletes and member federations is our absolute priority,” said Chris Roberts OBE, IBA Secretary General & CEO. “In light of the current situation in the Middle East, we have taken the decision to postpone the IBA Asia U23 and Youth Championships in Jakarta. We will continue to closely monitor developments and will identify a suitable future date once conditions allow.”
The IBA remains in close contact with IBA Asia, the local organising committee, and relevant stakeholders, and will continue to assess the situation as it evolves. Options for rescheduling the championships will be explored in the coming weeks, subject to stability and safety considerations.
All member federations, athletes, and stakeholders will be kept fully informed, with further updates regarding revised dates and logistical arrangements to be communicated in a timely and transparent manner.
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Middle East war leads to postponement of international tournament
The International Boxing Association (IBA) has confirmed that the IBA Asia U23 [age 23 and under] and Youth Championships, scheduled to take place in Jakarta, Indonesia, will be postponed due to the current and evolving situation in the Middle East. Following careful assessment of the prevailing circumstances, the IBA has taken this decision in order to prioritize the safety, security, and well‑being of athletes, officials, and member federations. Athlete welfare and participant safety remain the organisation’s absolute and non‑negotiable priority. While preparations for the championships in Jakarta had been progressing positively in close cooperation with the local organisers and IBA Asia, the IBA considers it essential to act responsibly in light of the broader regional uncertainty. Ensuring safe travel, accommodation, and competition conditions for all participants is a fundamental obligation of the organisation.
“The safety of our athletes and member federations is our absolute priority,” said Chris Roberts OBE, IBA Secretary General & CEO. “In light of the current situation in the Middle East, we have taken the decision to postpone the IBA Asia U23 and Youth Championships in Jakarta. We will continue to closely monitor developments and will identify a suitable future date once conditions allow.”
The IBA remains in close contact with IBA Asia, the local organising committee, and relevant stakeholders, and will continue to assess the situation as it evolves. Options for rescheduling the championships will be explored in the coming weeks, subject to stability and safety considerations.
All member federations, athletes, and stakeholders will be kept fully informed, with further updates regarding revised dates and logistical arrangements to be communicated in a timely and transparent manner.
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Bivol agrees to defend vs. Eifert |
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UPDATE: After several postponements, the IBF has canmcelled the Bivol vs. Eifert purse bid and announced that the two sides have reached an agreement for world light heavyweight champion Dmitrii Bivol (pictured) to make his next defense against Michael Eifert of Germany. The fight is rumored to be headed to the Oleksandr Usyk undercard scheduled for May 23rd in Egypt. Original story (Feb. 12, 2026): The IBF announced that a purse bid for world light heavyweight champion Dmitrii Bivol's mandatory defense against Michael Eifert of Germany has been rescheduled from February 13th to February 20th. Bivol is the true world champion of the 175-pound division based on his winning the second of two undisputed championship bouts against fellow Russian Artur Beterbiev. But he has not fought since February of 2025. Eifert is very lightly credentialed at 13-1, with his best win coming in March 2023 in an IBF eliminator vs. former world champion Jean Pascal. Eifert has only fought once since then against a nondescript opponent, instead choosing to wait for this IBF title shot to come his way. Bivol is also recognized as champion by the WBA and WBO and actually is the true world 175-pound monarch, so there is little pressure on him to actually fight Eifert if he is not inclined to do so.
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Bivol agrees to defend vs. Eifert
UPDATE: After several postponements, the IBF has canmcelled the Bivol vs. Eifert purse bid and announced that the two sides have reached an agreement for world light heavyweight champion Dmitrii Bivol (pictured) to make his next defense against Michael Eifert of Germany. The fight is rumored to be headed to the Oleksandr Usyk undercard scheduled for May 23rd in Egypt. Original story (Feb. 12, 2026): The IBF announced that a purse bid for world light heavyweight champion Dmitrii Bivol's mandatory defense against Michael Eifert of Germany has been rescheduled from February 13th to February 20th. Bivol is the true world champion of the 175-pound division based on his winning the second of two undisputed championship bouts against fellow Russian Artur Beterbiev. But he has not fought since February of 2025. Eifert is very lightly credentialed at 13-1, with his best win coming in March 2023 in an IBF eliminator vs. former world champion Jean Pascal. Eifert has only fought once since then against a nondescript opponent, instead choosing to wait for this IBF title shot to come his way. Bivol is also recognized as champion by the WBA and WBO and actually is the true world 175-pound monarch, so there is little pressure on him to actually fight Eifert if he is not inclined to do so.
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Cruiserweight title overview |
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Here is a look at the recent lineage of the major championships in the cruiserweight (200-pound) division. The current champions are Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez (WBO and WBA), Jai Opetaia (Zuffa) and Noel Mikaelian (WBC). The IBF title is vacant, having been stripped from Opetaia over a silly dispute between Zuffa and the IBF. Boxingtalk will be updating and expanding this recent history of the cruiserweight division from time to time.
IBF & ZUFFA / MARCH 8, 2026: Jai Opetaia punished Brandon Glanton for twelve rounds to claim the inaugural Zuffa cruiserweight championship. All three official scores were 119-106, and it should be considered a shutout, as Opetaia had a point deducted and Glanton had two deducted by activist referee Allen Huggins. Opetaia (30-0) landed 250 punches to Glanton’s 118 over the course of the fight, and generally outclassed the game, but outgunned Glanton. Over the second half of the fight, Glanton (21-4) boxed with a sizable hematoma on his forehead. The fight ended a week of outside-the-ring turmoil that saw Opetaia stripped of the IBF championship because the IBF was unhappy with the way Zuffa promoted the show.
WBC / DEC. 15, 2025: Noel Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KOs) regained the WBC world cruiserweight championship by defeating Badou Jack (29-4-3, 17 KOs) in California over the weekend. The fight was a rematch of a disputed decision that Jack won by majoriy decision in May. The judges’ scorecards were 115-111 and 116-110 (twice) of the new champion. Mikaelian a/k/a Norair Mikaeljan controlled the fight with his defining jab and fast offense. Both men were penalized one point.
WBC / MAY 4, 2025: WBC cruiserweight champion Badou Jack retained his title against former champion Noel Mikaelian a/k/a Norair Mikaelian in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Jack, who lives in the Middle East seemingly got some favorable treatment from the judges, winning a majority decision in what was a very close bout that leaned towards Mikaelian. The official scores were 114-114 and 115-113 (twice) for Jack. Compubox's Punchtats showed Mikaeljan threw 670 punches to Jack's 369, and outlanded Jack, 153 punches to 122. Each fighter entered the bout with some disadvantages. Mikaelian (27-3) stepped in as a somewhat late replacement, getting about three weeks notice to replace the injured Ryan Rozicki. Jack (29-3-3) is 41 years old and hadn't fought in two years, since he captured the crown on February 26, 2023. He was demoted to champion-in-recess, but then had his championship status revived when Mikaelian was demoted from champion to champion in recess due to promotional issues with Don King.
IBF / JAN. 8, 2025... Fighting in his native Australia, Jai Opetaia retained his IBF cruiserweight championship by knocking out David Nyika of New Zealand. Opetaia was not troubled by the change in opponent three weeks before the opening bell. Opetaia increased his intensity towards the end of round three. A right hand sent Nyika on to the canvas, but the New Zealand fighter managed to beat the count. But Opetaia continued to land and eventually knocked out Nyika with a big left hand. Nyika was down on the canvas for several minutes but eventually stood up under his own power.
WBA & WBO / NOV. 16, 2024... A two-belt cruiserweight unification bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday was won by Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez. Chris "CBS" Billam-Smith's WBO title was added to Ramirez's WBA version in an exciting but mostly one-sided contest. Ramirez, a southpaw, cut Billam-Smith over the left eye in round four, but the British fighter fought through it. Ramirez, the smaller of the two men, prevailed by unanimous decision, with scores of 116-112 (twice) and 116-113. It was an exciting and bruising twelve rounds but Billam-Smith made himself an easy target-- he spent too much time standing in front of Ramirez in an upright, easy-to-hit manner.
WBC / OCT 22, 2024: The WBC reinstated Badou Jack as champion and demoted Noel Mikaleian to champion in recess, even though Jack has not fought since February of 2023 when he conquered the WBC cruiserweight championship by defeating then-champion Ilunga Makabu. Soon thereafter, Jack petitioned the WBC to place him as champion in recess so he could try to schedule a fight for the WBC bridgerweight title, but his attempts were unsuccessful. Mikaelian won the vacant WBC cruiserweight title, knocking out Makabu. The WBC ordered Mikaelian to make his first mandatory defense against WBC #1 contender Ryan Rozicki of Canada who had won a final elimination bout via knockout of Olanrewaju Durodola. Mikaelian-Rozicki was postponed twice then cancelled as Mikaelian had a falling out with his promoter, Don King.
WBA / MARCH 31, 2024: In Inglewood, California, Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez became a two division champion, taking the WBA cruiserweight title from Arsen Goulamirian, who will go down in the books as a weak, inactive champion. All three judges scored it 118-110. Give Ramirez credit, though. A natural super middleweight, he stood and traded with a naturally bigger opponent to become the first Mexican ever to hold a cruiserweight championship. Ramirez is now 46-1. He gave up his super middleweight title in 2019 and lost a 2022 light heavyweight title shot to Dmitriy Bivol. Goulamirian takes his first pro loss after a 27-win start to his career. Sadly, this was just his second fight since 2019.
IBF/ MAY 18, 2024: In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jai Opetaia (25-0, 19 KOs) defeated former two-time champion Mairis Briedis (28-3, 20 KOs) by unanimous decision in a bruising battle that saw both men finish with possible broken noses. Briedis rallied late but lost by scores of 117-111 and 116-112 (twice). Opetaia regained the IBF cruiserweight world title that the IBF basically forced him to vacate a few months ago. This was a rematch. In July 2022, Opetaia, a 2012 Australian Olympian, overcame an injured jaw to claim Briedis’ IBF cruiserweight championship. Briedis was considered the top 200-pounder in the world since Oleksandr Usyk moved up to heavyweight but Opetaia bloodied and defeated the Latvian favorite by unanimous decision. Official scores for the first bout were 116-112 (twice) and 115-113, all in favor of Opetaia, who improved to 22-0 with 17 KOs. He joined Usyk as the only man to defeat Briedis, who is now 28-2.
IBF / DEC. 18, 2023: Jai Opetaia of Australia vacated the IBF cruiserweight championship in order to move forward with a bout in Saudi Arabia against Great Britain's Ellis Zorro. Opetaia was ordered to grant Briediis a rematch by the IBF but when Briedis got injured, Opetaia sought to sneak in a lucrative voluntary defense on the huge show in Riadh. Reportedly, Briedis had no objection to Opetaia making a voluntary defense, but the IBF rigidly refused to budge, so Opetaia moved on without the belt and KO'd Zorro in a beautiful one-punch knockout in round one on December 23rd.
WBC / NOV. 4, 2023: There is a new WBC cruiserweight champion as Noel Mikaelian (27-2, 12 KOs) stopped the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ilunga Makabu (29-4, 25 KOs) one minute into the third round. After flooring Makabu in the second round, Miami’s Mikaelian, by way of Armenia, flustered the former champion with a barrage of punches. The title was recently vacated by Badou Jack. Mikaelian said about his knockout victory: “I didn’t expect the knockout so early, but I knew my hand would be raised (in victory) at the end of the night. I’m so happy. I waited two years. I was so close to winning that belt and this time I didn’t want to leave any doubts.” Mikaelian noted the significance of his win: “I had a great camp…I’m the first German to win a world championship on American soil in 90 years, since Max Schmelling.”
IBF / SEPT. 30, 2023: IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia made a successful first title defense in London, stopping previously unbeaten Jordan Thompson in the fourth round. The end came with a left-right combination from Opetaia's southpaw stance. Opetaia returns home to Australia with his belt plus a record of 24-0. Thompson is now 15-1.
WBO / MAY 28, 2023... In a crazy fight in Bournemouth, England, Chris Billam-Smith won the WBO cruiserweight champion from his fellow Brit, good friend and former sparring partner Lawrence Okolie. Billam-Smith scored thee knockdowns and Okolie was penalized two points for non-stop holding. But the championship rounds saw Okolie furiously pressing for a knockdown and Billam-Smith dealing with a bad cut over his left eye. Despite Okolie's late rally, when the final bell sounded, the three knockdowns and two point deductions seemed impossible for the champ to overcome, but there was one more plot twist to come. When the first score was read by the ring announcer, Billam-Smith was shocked to hear 112-112. Sanity prevailed as the other two judges favored Billam-Smith by 116-107 and 115-108. As the majority win was revealed, Billam-Smith broke down in tears and described how he was sick during the week. He also dedicated the win to his mother who was battling breast cancer. During his post-fight interview, Okolie acknowledged his loss but revealed that he had a rematch clause that he planned to invoke.
WBC / FEB. 26, 2023: Badou Jack (28-3-3, 17 KOs) is now a two-division world champion.* The 39-year old scored a technical knockout victory over Ilunga Makabu (29-3, 25 KOs) to capture the WBC cruiserweight world title. Jack boxed an intelligent fight, mixing footwork and counterpunching to consistently find a home for his right hand. Makabu, on the other hand, seemed too cautious and had trouble putting his punches together. In the fourth round, Jack dropped Makabu with a right hand, and he repeated the knockdown in the eleventh. In the final round, Makabu was clearly worn out from Jack’s offense, and Swedish standout only needed an additional right hand and a brief fusillade of shots to force referee Mark Lyson to stop the fight.
*Some list Jack as a three-division champion because he won the WBA regular light heavyweight title in 2017. Boxingtalk does not recognize that as a legitimate world title because Sergey Kovalev was the WBA super champion at that time.
WBA / NOV. 22, 2022... Arsen Goulamirian retained his WBA cruiserweight championship this weekend against Aleksei Egorov with a unanimous decision victory at La Palestre in Le Cannet, France. The Armenian native and French national came off a nearly three-year layoff and came away with a win on the cards by scores of 116-112 and 117-111 (twice). Inactive since 2019, this was Goulamirian's mandatory defense. Goulamirian (27-0) went from strength to strength in the bout and improved as the rounds went by. He faced a very active opponent in the early rounds but was able to figure out his Russian foe to come on strong at the end of the bout. Egorov’s record stands at 16 wins and 3 losses including the World Series of Boxing. [After this win, Goulamirian would remain inactive for more than a year].
IBF / JULY 3, 2022: 2012 Australian Olympian Jai Opetaia overcame a broken jaw to claim Mairis Briedis’ IBF cruiserweight championship. Briedis was considered the top 200-pounder in the world since Oleksadr Usyk moved up to heavyweight but Opetaia bloodied and defeated the Latvian favorite by unanimous decision on Saturday in Broadbeach, Australia. Official scores were 116-112 (twice) and 115-113, all in favor of Opetaia, who improves to 22-0 with 17 KOs. He joins Usyk as the only man to defeat Briedis, who is now 28-2.
WBO / MARCH 21, 2021: Lawrence Okolie crushed former champion Krzysztof Glowacki to be crowned the new WBO cruiserweight champion in just his sixteenth fight at The SSE Arena, Wembley. Okolie unloaded a huge finishing punch to drop Poland’s Glowacki heavily in the sixth round and referee Marcus McDonnell waved off the fight to confirm the coronation of Britain’s newest champ. [The WBO title was vacant coming in after Mairis Briedis discarded it in order to pursue the IBF title in the World Boxing Super Series final]. The unbeaten 28 year-old from Hackney had emulated the likes of Tony Bellew, David Haye and Johnny Nelson, who previously held world crowns in the weight class.
IBF / SEPT. 27, 2020: Season II of the World Boxing Super Series came to its conclusion on Saturday with Latvia's Mairis Briedis taking home the coveted Muhammad Ali Trophy and the IBF championship by defeating Yuniel Dorticos in Munich. The WBSS cruiserweight Final, contested behind closed doors, was a close battle. Briedis repeatedly troubled the Cuban Dorticos with powerful counter-punches during a commanding performance. Dorticos was never far behind, and one judge scored it a draw, 114-114, while the other two handed in wide verdicts of 117-111 for Briedis. The Latvian Briedis would only defend the title once in 2021 before losing to Jai Opetaia in 2022.
WBC / FEB. 1. 2020: Ilunga "Junior" Makabu is the new WBC cruiserweight champion, having won the vacant title by defeating Poland's Michal Cieslak via twelve-round decision. The judges’ scores were Omar Mintum 114-112, Carlos Flores 115-111 and Humberto Olivares 116-111, all in favor of Makabu. The fight took place in Makabu's home nation, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Makabu is now 27-2, while Cieslak is 19-1. The WBC title went vacant after world champion Oleksandr Usyk moved up to heavyweight.
WBO / NOV. 26, 2019: The WBO cruiserweight championship has been declared vacant as part of a months-long legal battle arising from Maris Briedis' foul-tainted victory over Krzysztof Glowacki last June. That fight was part of the World Boxing Super Series. Briedis landed a deliberate foul, an elbow to the jaw of Glowacki, that hurt him badly but went unpunished by referee Robert Byrd. A few seconds after Glowacki got up from the foul, Byrd allowed the boxers to continue fighting well after the bell sounded to end round two, leading to Glowacki suffering a hard knockdown about ten seconds after the bell rang. Again, Byrd did nothing. Briedis admitted in his post fight interview that the elbow was deliberate and that he heard the bell but kept fighting anyway. Glowacki protested to the WBO, and after an arbitration was held in Puerto Rico, the WBO ordered Briedis to give Glowacki an immediate rematch. Briedis refused, intending to fight IBF champion Yuniel Dorticos in the finals of the World Boxing Super Series, although that fight still has not been scheduled. Glowacki will now await the WBO to name the co-challenger for the vacant title. NOTE: Glowacki was represented in the arbitration by Scott Shaffer, the author of this article.
WBO / JUNE 15, 2019: In a wildly entertaining and controversial bout in Riga, Latvia, Mairis Briedis took advantage of horrendous refereeing by Robert Byrd to become the new WBO cruiserweight champion. Fighting in his home nation, Briedis committed a blatant foul that led to a third-round technical knockout win over Kyrzysztof Glowacki. The win advanced Briedis to the World Boxing Super Series finals, where he will meet newly minted IBF cruiserweight champion Yuniel Dorticos. In round two, Glowacki twice hit Briedis on the back of the head during a clinch as Byrd yelled stop. The second time, Briedis decided to use self help, throwing a nasty, deliberate elbow that caught Glowacki flush on the jaw and sent the Polish man to the canvas. Byrd took a point away, but Glowacki was not fully recovered when the action resumed. Briedis pressed the action and the knocked Glowacki down with about nineteen seconds left in the round. Glowacki beat the count, but was foggy eyed, and definitely needed the minute rest between rounds. As the action resumed, one of Briedis' cornermen jumed up on the ring apron, which is grounds for disqulaification. Then, the bell sounded to end round two, but Byrd did not hear it, and the the boxers engaged in a wild slugfest, with Briedis again knocking Glowacki down. The knockdown came a full ten seconds after the bell. In his post-fight interview, Briedis smiled and admitted he heard the bell but kept fighting. To recap round two, Glowacki was down three times: once from an illegal elbow, once from a legal blow while still buzzed from the illegal elbow, and once from a punch that landed well after the bell sounded. In round three, the boxers engaged in a wild slugfest, but it was clear Glowacki was fighting at a diminished capacity. He was knocked down again, hard, with his arms flailing, and beat the count, but was in no shape to continue. Byrd, who put in a terrible performance tonight, stopped the fight, to the delight of the Latvian audience. Note: Briedis has the WBO title only, as the WBC threw a hissy fit and pulled the sanction. The WBC cruiserweight title remains vacant.
IBF / JUNE 15, 2019: In Riga, Latvia, Cuba's Yuniel Dorticos got a career-changing win, landing a hard right hand that put previously undefeated Andrew Tabiti to sleep in round ten of the World Boxing Super Series semi-final bout. The win was doubly significant because, in a surprise move, the IBF announced earlier in the day that the winner would be recognized as the IBF cruiserweight champion (Oleksandr Usyk formally vacated the belt in furtherance of his heavyweight campaign). Dorticos was ahead on points, but had to deal with a bad cut over his right eye. Dorticos will await the winner of the other semi-final, a WBO title fight in which Kryzysztof Glowacki defends against former WBC titlist Mairis Briedis. An emotional Dorticos shed tears of joy in the ring. He's now 24-1, with the only loss to Murat Gassiev in last years World Boxing Super Series. The disappointed Tabiti heads home to the United States with a 17-1 record.
WBO / JUNE 6, 2019: The WBO promoted its interim cruiserweight champion, Krysztof Glowacki of Poland, to its full champion in the 200-pound division. According to WBO social media, "With Oleksandr Usyk moving to the heavyweight division, interim champion Krysztof Glowacki is now recognized as the new WBO champion and will face Mairis Briedis in a voluntary defense on June 15th in Riga, Latvia" [as part of the World Boxing Super Series]. Glowacki (31-1) previously held the WBO title from 2015-2016, but lost it to Usyk in 2016. Briedis (25-1) held the WBC version of the title from 2017-2018, also losing his belt to Usyk.
WORLD / NOV. 11, 2018: World champion Oleksandr Usyk said goodbye to the 200-pound division with yet another road win to add to his resume. Fighting in his opponent's coutry, Usyk stopped Tony Bellew, who had earned this shot with an impressive run of five quality wins. After seven hotly contested rounds, Usyk knocked out Bellew with a left hand to Bellew's jaw that violently sent him crashing to the canvas. Promoter Eddie Hearn nearly cradled Bellew's head as he made his way to his feet. Bellew might have been able to beat the count, but the referee did the right thing by stopping the fight. After uifying all four major titles, Usyk will campaign as a heavyweight in the future.
WORLD / JULY 22, 2018: In Moscow, cruiserweight Oleksandr Usyk of the Ukraine put on a master boxing class to become only the fifth boxer in history to gain undisputed world championship recognition from the IBF, WBO, WBC and WBA. Usyk accomplished this by defeating Murat Gassiev of Russia by unanimous decision. The win also made Usyk the winner of the World Boxing Super Series eight-man tournament. Official scores were for Usyk 120-108 and 119-109 (twice). Seeing Usyk draped in the Ukraine flag with four championships belts wrapped around him and the Ali Trophy raised over his head was quite an impressive ending to a fantastic tournament pulled off by Comosa AG. Usyk joins Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor, Cecilia Braekhus and Terence Crawford as the only boxers to hold all four major belts since the WBO gained recognition in the early 1990s. (In the cruiserweight division, the great Evander Holyfiled conquered all three major championships in 1988 prior to the emergence of the WBO). Both men were undfeated coming into this bout, and Gassiev, if not Usyk as well, will likely move up to heavyweight.
WBA / MARCH 26, 2018: Arsen Goulamirian got a significant win, plus a paper title in Marseille, France, defeating Ryad Merhy via eleventh-round technical knockout. The win gives Goulamirian the WBA regular cruiserweight title (Murat Gassiev is recognized as WBA super champion and Denis Lebedev as WBA champion in recess). A combination of many consecutive unanswered blows to Merhy forced the referee to stop the fight. Goulamirian, an Armenian living in France, is 23-0 while Merhy, from the Ivory Coast and living in Belgium, is now 24-1. Goulamirian would go on to inherit the WBA full title, emerging from a mess of WBA corruption involving Denis Lebedev, Murat Gassiev and Beibut Shumenov who repeatedly switched title designations as part of machinations of the WBA.
WBO & WBC / JAN. 28, 2018: Fighting in Latvia, his opponent's home country, Oleksandr Usyk defeated Mairis Briedis to add the WBC cruiserweight championship to the WBO version he already held. The Ukrainian Usyk, a 2012 Olympic champion, won by majority decision, with scores of 115-113 (twice) and 114-114. The unification bout was part of the World Boxing Super Series, and Usyk now qualifies for the finals, which will be held in Saudi Arabia. Usyk will face the winner of the bout between Murat Gassiev and Yunier Dorticos, which will be contested next week in Sochi, Russia.
IBF & WBA / DEC. 4, 2016… In an all-Russian cruiserweight battle, Murat Gassiev defeated Denis Lebedev to become the IBF cruiserweight champion, and, along with WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk, one of the top two cruiserweights in the world. Gassiev, a 23 year-old trained by Abel Sanchez, knocked the Freddie Roach-trained Lebedev down in round five and went on to win by split decision. Scores were 116-111, 116-112 for Gassiev and 114-113 for the 37 year-old Lebedev. In the very worst of boxing politics, Denis Lebedev will retain the WBA cruiserweight title because his promoter “convinced” the WBA that the title should not be on the line against an IBF mandatory.
WBO / SEPT. 18, 2016: A professional boxing star was born as Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk dethroned WBO cruiserweight champion Krzysztof Glowacki (26-1, 16 KOs) by twelve-round unanimous decision on Saturday night at the Ergo Arena in Gdansk, Poland. The official scores were 119-109 and 117-111 (twice). Undefeated as a pro, Usyk was the 2012 heavyweight gold medal champion and also holds the distinction of being the 2011 World Amateur Champion at heavyweight and 2008 European Amateur Champion at light heavyweight.
WBC / MAY 31, 2016: Fighting in his home country, Tony Bellew (28-2-1, 18 KOs) delivered a third-round knockout win over South Africa’s Ilunga Makabu (19-2, 18 KOs) to claim the vacant WBC cruiserweight belt on Sunday in Liverpool, England. In round one, Bellew punished Makabu on the ropes, but then he got clocked by a Makabu straight counter left and went down. Bellwe got up and fought cautiously through round two. Bellew opened up in round three, severely rocking Makabu, then ended the bout with a barrage of punches, which knocked him cold. Makabu collapsed to the canvas just as referee Victor Loughlin stepped in to wave it off. Bellew (27-2-1 with 17 KO(s) previously dropped light heavyweight title challenges to Nathan Cleverly and Adonis Stevenson. With this win, he picks up the WBC title, which for now makes him a distant third in prestige to the other 200-pound champions, Denis Lebedev (IBF/WBA) and Kryzystof Glowacki (WBO). s
WBO / APRIL 16, 2016: In Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, Polish warrior Krzysztof Glowacki scored four knockdowns and retained his WBO cruiserweight championship via unanimous decision over former world champion Steve Cunningham of Philadelphia. Glowacki (26-0, 16 KOs) twice floored Cunningham (28-8-1, 13 KOs) with second-round, left-hand counters, then used short right hands to drop him once more in the tenth and twelfth rounds en route to a unanimous decision. Thanks to the four knockdowns, Glowacki prevailed by scores of 115-109 (twice) and 116-108, to the delight of a Barclays Center crowd that was packed with Polish fight fans. However, the contest was tougher than the scorecards indicated, as the 29-year-old Glowacki was often forced to hold or fight off the ropes against a former champion who engaged toe-to-toe throughout the night.
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Cruiserweight title overview
Here is a look at the recent lineage of the major championships in the cruiserweight (200-pound) division. The current champions are Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez (WBO and WBA), Jai Opetaia (Zuffa) and Noel Mikaelian (WBC). The IBF title is vacant, having been stripped from Opetaia over a silly dispute between Zuffa and the IBF. Boxingtalk will be updating and expanding this recent history of the cruiserweight division from time to time.
IBF & ZUFFA / MARCH 8, 2026: Jai Opetaia punished Brandon Glanton for twelve rounds to claim the inaugural Zuffa cruiserweight championship. All three official scores were 119-106, and it should be considered a shutout, as Opetaia had a point deducted and Glanton had two deducted by activist referee Allen Huggins. Opetaia (30-0) landed 250 punches to Glanton’s 118 over the course of the fight, and generally outclassed the game, but outgunned Glanton. Over the second half of the fight, Glanton (21-4) boxed with a sizable hematoma on his forehead. The fight ended a week of outside-the-ring turmoil that saw Opetaia stripped of the IBF championship because the IBF was unhappy with the way Zuffa promoted the show.
WBC / DEC. 15, 2025: Noel Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KOs) regained the WBC world cruiserweight championship by defeating Badou Jack (29-4-3, 17 KOs) in California over the weekend. The fight was a rematch of a disputed decision that Jack won by majoriy decision in May. The judges’ scorecards were 115-111 and 116-110 (twice) of the new champion. Mikaelian a/k/a Norair Mikaeljan controlled the fight with his defining jab and fast offense. Both men were penalized one point.
WBC / MAY 4, 2025: WBC cruiserweight champion Badou Jack retained his title against former champion Noel Mikaelian a/k/a Norair Mikaelian in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Jack, who lives in the Middle East seemingly got some favorable treatment from the judges, winning a majority decision in what was a very close bout that leaned towards Mikaelian. The official scores were 114-114 and 115-113 (twice) for Jack. Compubox's Punchtats showed Mikaeljan threw 670 punches to Jack's 369, and outlanded Jack, 153 punches to 122. Each fighter entered the bout with some disadvantages. Mikaelian (27-3) stepped in as a somewhat late replacement, getting about three weeks notice to replace the injured Ryan Rozicki. Jack (29-3-3) is 41 years old and hadn't fought in two years, since he captured the crown on February 26, 2023. He was demoted to champion-in-recess, but then had his championship status revived when Mikaelian was demoted from champion to champion in recess due to promotional issues with Don King.
IBF / JAN. 8, 2025... Fighting in his native Australia, Jai Opetaia retained his IBF cruiserweight championship by knocking out David Nyika of New Zealand. Opetaia was not troubled by the change in opponent three weeks before the opening bell. Opetaia increased his intensity towards the end of round three. A right hand sent Nyika on to the canvas, but the New Zealand fighter managed to beat the count. But Opetaia continued to land and eventually knocked out Nyika with a big left hand. Nyika was down on the canvas for several minutes but eventually stood up under his own power.
WBA & WBO / NOV. 16, 2024... A two-belt cruiserweight unification bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday was won by Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez. Chris "CBS" Billam-Smith's WBO title was added to Ramirez's WBA version in an exciting but mostly one-sided contest. Ramirez, a southpaw, cut Billam-Smith over the left eye in round four, but the British fighter fought through it. Ramirez, the smaller of the two men, prevailed by unanimous decision, with scores of 116-112 (twice) and 116-113. It was an exciting and bruising twelve rounds but Billam-Smith made himself an easy target-- he spent too much time standing in front of Ramirez in an upright, easy-to-hit manner.
WBC / OCT 22, 2024: The WBC reinstated Badou Jack as champion and demoted Noel Mikaleian to champion in recess, even though Jack has not fought since February of 2023 when he conquered the WBC cruiserweight championship by defeating then-champion Ilunga Makabu. Soon thereafter, Jack petitioned the WBC to place him as champion in recess so he could try to schedule a fight for the WBC bridgerweight title, but his attempts were unsuccessful. Mikaelian won the vacant WBC cruiserweight title, knocking out Makabu. The WBC ordered Mikaelian to make his first mandatory defense against WBC #1 contender Ryan Rozicki of Canada who had won a final elimination bout via knockout of Olanrewaju Durodola. Mikaelian-Rozicki was postponed twice then cancelled as Mikaelian had a falling out with his promoter, Don King.
WBA / MARCH 31, 2024: In Inglewood, California, Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez became a two division champion, taking the WBA cruiserweight title from Arsen Goulamirian, who will go down in the books as a weak, inactive champion. All three judges scored it 118-110. Give Ramirez credit, though. A natural super middleweight, he stood and traded with a naturally bigger opponent to become the first Mexican ever to hold a cruiserweight championship. Ramirez is now 46-1. He gave up his super middleweight title in 2019 and lost a 2022 light heavyweight title shot to Dmitriy Bivol. Goulamirian takes his first pro loss after a 27-win start to his career. Sadly, this was just his second fight since 2019.
IBF/ MAY 18, 2024: In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jai Opetaia (25-0, 19 KOs) defeated former two-time champion Mairis Briedis (28-3, 20 KOs) by unanimous decision in a bruising battle that saw both men finish with possible broken noses. Briedis rallied late but lost by scores of 117-111 and 116-112 (twice). Opetaia regained the IBF cruiserweight world title that the IBF basically forced him to vacate a few months ago. This was a rematch. In July 2022, Opetaia, a 2012 Australian Olympian, overcame an injured jaw to claim Briedis’ IBF cruiserweight championship. Briedis was considered the top 200-pounder in the world since Oleksandr Usyk moved up to heavyweight but Opetaia bloodied and defeated the Latvian favorite by unanimous decision. Official scores for the first bout were 116-112 (twice) and 115-113, all in favor of Opetaia, who improved to 22-0 with 17 KOs. He joined Usyk as the only man to defeat Briedis, who is now 28-2.
IBF / DEC. 18, 2023: Jai Opetaia of Australia vacated the IBF cruiserweight championship in order to move forward with a bout in Saudi Arabia against Great Britain's Ellis Zorro. Opetaia was ordered to grant Briediis a rematch by the IBF but when Briedis got injured, Opetaia sought to sneak in a lucrative voluntary defense on the huge show in Riadh. Reportedly, Briedis had no objection to Opetaia making a voluntary defense, but the IBF rigidly refused to budge, so Opetaia moved on without the belt and KO'd Zorro in a beautiful one-punch knockout in round one on December 23rd.
WBC / NOV. 4, 2023: There is a new WBC cruiserweight champion as Noel Mikaelian (27-2, 12 KOs) stopped the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ilunga Makabu (29-4, 25 KOs) one minute into the third round. After flooring Makabu in the second round, Miami’s Mikaelian, by way of Armenia, flustered the former champion with a barrage of punches. The title was recently vacated by Badou Jack. Mikaelian said about his knockout victory: “I didn’t expect the knockout so early, but I knew my hand would be raised (in victory) at the end of the night. I’m so happy. I waited two years. I was so close to winning that belt and this time I didn’t want to leave any doubts.” Mikaelian noted the significance of his win: “I had a great camp…I’m the first German to win a world championship on American soil in 90 years, since Max Schmelling.”
IBF / SEPT. 30, 2023: IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia made a successful first title defense in London, stopping previously unbeaten Jordan Thompson in the fourth round. The end came with a left-right combination from Opetaia's southpaw stance. Opetaia returns home to Australia with his belt plus a record of 24-0. Thompson is now 15-1.
WBO / MAY 28, 2023... In a crazy fight in Bournemouth, England, Chris Billam-Smith won the WBO cruiserweight champion from his fellow Brit, good friend and former sparring partner Lawrence Okolie. Billam-Smith scored thee knockdowns and Okolie was penalized two points for non-stop holding. But the championship rounds saw Okolie furiously pressing for a knockdown and Billam-Smith dealing with a bad cut over his left eye. Despite Okolie's late rally, when the final bell sounded, the three knockdowns and two point deductions seemed impossible for the champ to overcome, but there was one more plot twist to come. When the first score was read by the ring announcer, Billam-Smith was shocked to hear 112-112. Sanity prevailed as the other two judges favored Billam-Smith by 116-107 and 115-108. As the majority win was revealed, Billam-Smith broke down in tears and described how he was sick during the week. He also dedicated the win to his mother who was battling breast cancer. During his post-fight interview, Okolie acknowledged his loss but revealed that he had a rematch clause that he planned to invoke.
WBC / FEB. 26, 2023: Badou Jack (28-3-3, 17 KOs) is now a two-division world champion.* The 39-year old scored a technical knockout victory over Ilunga Makabu (29-3, 25 KOs) to capture the WBC cruiserweight world title. Jack boxed an intelligent fight, mixing footwork and counterpunching to consistently find a home for his right hand. Makabu, on the other hand, seemed too cautious and had trouble putting his punches together. In the fourth round, Jack dropped Makabu with a right hand, and he repeated the knockdown in the eleventh. In the final round, Makabu was clearly worn out from Jack’s offense, and Swedish standout only needed an additional right hand and a brief fusillade of shots to force referee Mark Lyson to stop the fight.
*Some list Jack as a three-division champion because he won the WBA regular light heavyweight title in 2017. Boxingtalk does not recognize that as a legitimate world title because Sergey Kovalev was the WBA super champion at that time.
WBA / NOV. 22, 2022... Arsen Goulamirian retained his WBA cruiserweight championship this weekend against Aleksei Egorov with a unanimous decision victory at La Palestre in Le Cannet, France. The Armenian native and French national came off a nearly three-year layoff and came away with a win on the cards by scores of 116-112 and 117-111 (twice). Inactive since 2019, this was Goulamirian's mandatory defense. Goulamirian (27-0) went from strength to strength in the bout and improved as the rounds went by. He faced a very active opponent in the early rounds but was able to figure out his Russian foe to come on strong at the end of the bout. Egorov’s record stands at 16 wins and 3 losses including the World Series of Boxing. [After this win, Goulamirian would remain inactive for more than a year].
IBF / JULY 3, 2022: 2012 Australian Olympian Jai Opetaia overcame a broken jaw to claim Mairis Briedis’ IBF cruiserweight championship. Briedis was considered the top 200-pounder in the world since Oleksadr Usyk moved up to heavyweight but Opetaia bloodied and defeated the Latvian favorite by unanimous decision on Saturday in Broadbeach, Australia. Official scores were 116-112 (twice) and 115-113, all in favor of Opetaia, who improves to 22-0 with 17 KOs. He joins Usyk as the only man to defeat Briedis, who is now 28-2.
WBO / MARCH 21, 2021: Lawrence Okolie crushed former champion Krzysztof Glowacki to be crowned the new WBO cruiserweight champion in just his sixteenth fight at The SSE Arena, Wembley. Okolie unloaded a huge finishing punch to drop Poland’s Glowacki heavily in the sixth round and referee Marcus McDonnell waved off the fight to confirm the coronation of Britain’s newest champ. [The WBO title was vacant coming in after Mairis Briedis discarded it in order to pursue the IBF title in the World Boxing Super Series final]. The unbeaten 28 year-old from Hackney had emulated the likes of Tony Bellew, David Haye and Johnny Nelson, who previously held world crowns in the weight class.
IBF / SEPT. 27, 2020: Season II of the World Boxing Super Series came to its conclusion on Saturday with Latvia's Mairis Briedis taking home the coveted Muhammad Ali Trophy and the IBF championship by defeating Yuniel Dorticos in Munich. The WBSS cruiserweight Final, contested behind closed doors, was a close battle. Briedis repeatedly troubled the Cuban Dorticos with powerful counter-punches during a commanding performance. Dorticos was never far behind, and one judge scored it a draw, 114-114, while the other two handed in wide verdicts of 117-111 for Briedis. The Latvian Briedis would only defend the title once in 2021 before losing to Jai Opetaia in 2022.
WBC / FEB. 1. 2020: Ilunga "Junior" Makabu is the new WBC cruiserweight champion, having won the vacant title by defeating Poland's Michal Cieslak via twelve-round decision. The judges’ scores were Omar Mintum 114-112, Carlos Flores 115-111 and Humberto Olivares 116-111, all in favor of Makabu. The fight took place in Makabu's home nation, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Makabu is now 27-2, while Cieslak is 19-1. The WBC title went vacant after world champion Oleksandr Usyk moved up to heavyweight.
WBO / NOV. 26, 2019: The WBO cruiserweight championship has been declared vacant as part of a months-long legal battle arising from Maris Briedis' foul-tainted victory over Krzysztof Glowacki last June. That fight was part of the World Boxing Super Series. Briedis landed a deliberate foul, an elbow to the jaw of Glowacki, that hurt him badly but went unpunished by referee Robert Byrd. A few seconds after Glowacki got up from the foul, Byrd allowed the boxers to continue fighting well after the bell sounded to end round two, leading to Glowacki suffering a hard knockdown about ten seconds after the bell rang. Again, Byrd did nothing. Briedis admitted in his post fight interview that the elbow was deliberate and that he heard the bell but kept fighting anyway. Glowacki protested to the WBO, and after an arbitration was held in Puerto Rico, the WBO ordered Briedis to give Glowacki an immediate rematch. Briedis refused, intending to fight IBF champion Yuniel Dorticos in the finals of the World Boxing Super Series, although that fight still has not been scheduled. Glowacki will now await the WBO to name the co-challenger for the vacant title. NOTE: Glowacki was represented in the arbitration by Scott Shaffer, the author of this article.
WBO / JUNE 15, 2019: In a wildly entertaining and controversial bout in Riga, Latvia, Mairis Briedis took advantage of horrendous refereeing by Robert Byrd to become the new WBO cruiserweight champion. Fighting in his home nation, Briedis committed a blatant foul that led to a third-round technical knockout win over Kyrzysztof Glowacki. The win advanced Briedis to the World Boxing Super Series finals, where he will meet newly minted IBF cruiserweight champion Yuniel Dorticos. In round two, Glowacki twice hit Briedis on the back of the head during a clinch as Byrd yelled stop. The second time, Briedis decided to use self help, throwing a nasty, deliberate elbow that caught Glowacki flush on the jaw and sent the Polish man to the canvas. Byrd took a point away, but Glowacki was not fully recovered when the action resumed. Briedis pressed the action and the knocked Glowacki down with about nineteen seconds left in the round. Glowacki beat the count, but was foggy eyed, and definitely needed the minute rest between rounds. As the action resumed, one of Briedis' cornermen jumed up on the ring apron, which is grounds for disqulaification. Then, the bell sounded to end round two, but Byrd did not hear it, and the the boxers engaged in a wild slugfest, with Briedis again knocking Glowacki down. The knockdown came a full ten seconds after the bell. In his post-fight interview, Briedis smiled and admitted he heard the bell but kept fighting. To recap round two, Glowacki was down three times: once from an illegal elbow, once from a legal blow while still buzzed from the illegal elbow, and once from a punch that landed well after the bell sounded. In round three, the boxers engaged in a wild slugfest, but it was clear Glowacki was fighting at a diminished capacity. He was knocked down again, hard, with his arms flailing, and beat the count, but was in no shape to continue. Byrd, who put in a terrible performance tonight, stopped the fight, to the delight of the Latvian audience. Note: Briedis has the WBO title only, as the WBC threw a hissy fit and pulled the sanction. The WBC cruiserweight title remains vacant.
IBF / JUNE 15, 2019: In Riga, Latvia, Cuba's Yuniel Dorticos got a career-changing win, landing a hard right hand that put previously undefeated Andrew Tabiti to sleep in round ten of the World Boxing Super Series semi-final bout. The win was doubly significant because, in a surprise move, the IBF announced earlier in the day that the winner would be recognized as the IBF cruiserweight champion (Oleksandr Usyk formally vacated the belt in furtherance of his heavyweight campaign). Dorticos was ahead on points, but had to deal with a bad cut over his right eye. Dorticos will await the winner of the other semi-final, a WBO title fight in which Kryzysztof Glowacki defends against former WBC titlist Mairis Briedis. An emotional Dorticos shed tears of joy in the ring. He's now 24-1, with the only loss to Murat Gassiev in last years World Boxing Super Series. The disappointed Tabiti heads home to the United States with a 17-1 record.
WBO / JUNE 6, 2019: The WBO promoted its interim cruiserweight champion, Krysztof Glowacki of Poland, to its full champion in the 200-pound division. According to WBO social media, "With Oleksandr Usyk moving to the heavyweight division, interim champion Krysztof Glowacki is now recognized as the new WBO champion and will face Mairis Briedis in a voluntary defense on June 15th in Riga, Latvia" [as part of the World Boxing Super Series]. Glowacki (31-1) previously held the WBO title from 2015-2016, but lost it to Usyk in 2016. Briedis (25-1) held the WBC version of the title from 2017-2018, also losing his belt to Usyk.
WORLD / NOV. 11, 2018: World champion Oleksandr Usyk said goodbye to the 200-pound division with yet another road win to add to his resume. Fighting in his opponent's coutry, Usyk stopped Tony Bellew, who had earned this shot with an impressive run of five quality wins. After seven hotly contested rounds, Usyk knocked out Bellew with a left hand to Bellew's jaw that violently sent him crashing to the canvas. Promoter Eddie Hearn nearly cradled Bellew's head as he made his way to his feet. Bellew might have been able to beat the count, but the referee did the right thing by stopping the fight. After uifying all four major titles, Usyk will campaign as a heavyweight in the future.
WORLD / JULY 22, 2018: In Moscow, cruiserweight Oleksandr Usyk of the Ukraine put on a master boxing class to become only the fifth boxer in history to gain undisputed world championship recognition from the IBF, WBO, WBC and WBA. Usyk accomplished this by defeating Murat Gassiev of Russia by unanimous decision. The win also made Usyk the winner of the World Boxing Super Series eight-man tournament. Official scores were for Usyk 120-108 and 119-109 (twice). Seeing Usyk draped in the Ukraine flag with four championships belts wrapped around him and the Ali Trophy raised over his head was quite an impressive ending to a fantastic tournament pulled off by Comosa AG. Usyk joins Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor, Cecilia Braekhus and Terence Crawford as the only boxers to hold all four major belts since the WBO gained recognition in the early 1990s. (In the cruiserweight division, the great Evander Holyfiled conquered all three major championships in 1988 prior to the emergence of the WBO). Both men were undfeated coming into this bout, and Gassiev, if not Usyk as well, will likely move up to heavyweight.
WBA / MARCH 26, 2018: Arsen Goulamirian got a significant win, plus a paper title in Marseille, France, defeating Ryad Merhy via eleventh-round technical knockout. The win gives Goulamirian the WBA regular cruiserweight title (Murat Gassiev is recognized as WBA super champion and Denis Lebedev as WBA champion in recess). A combination of many consecutive unanswered blows to Merhy forced the referee to stop the fight. Goulamirian, an Armenian living in France, is 23-0 while Merhy, from the Ivory Coast and living in Belgium, is now 24-1. Goulamirian would go on to inherit the WBA full title, emerging from a mess of WBA corruption involving Denis Lebedev, Murat Gassiev and Beibut Shumenov who repeatedly switched title designations as part of machinations of the WBA.
WBO & WBC / JAN. 28, 2018: Fighting in Latvia, his opponent's home country, Oleksandr Usyk defeated Mairis Briedis to add the WBC cruiserweight championship to the WBO version he already held. The Ukrainian Usyk, a 2012 Olympic champion, won by majority decision, with scores of 115-113 (twice) and 114-114. The unification bout was part of the World Boxing Super Series, and Usyk now qualifies for the finals, which will be held in Saudi Arabia. Usyk will face the winner of the bout between Murat Gassiev and Yunier Dorticos, which will be contested next week in Sochi, Russia.
IBF & WBA / DEC. 4, 2016… In an all-Russian cruiserweight battle, Murat Gassiev defeated Denis Lebedev to become the IBF cruiserweight champion, and, along with WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk, one of the top two cruiserweights in the world. Gassiev, a 23 year-old trained by Abel Sanchez, knocked the Freddie Roach-trained Lebedev down in round five and went on to win by split decision. Scores were 116-111, 116-112 for Gassiev and 114-113 for the 37 year-old Lebedev. In the very worst of boxing politics, Denis Lebedev will retain the WBA cruiserweight title because his promoter “convinced” the WBA that the title should not be on the line against an IBF mandatory.
WBO / SEPT. 18, 2016: A professional boxing star was born as Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk dethroned WBO cruiserweight champion Krzysztof Glowacki (26-1, 16 KOs) by twelve-round unanimous decision on Saturday night at the Ergo Arena in Gdansk, Poland. The official scores were 119-109 and 117-111 (twice). Undefeated as a pro, Usyk was the 2012 heavyweight gold medal champion and also holds the distinction of being the 2011 World Amateur Champion at heavyweight and 2008 European Amateur Champion at light heavyweight.
WBC / MAY 31, 2016: Fighting in his home country, Tony Bellew (28-2-1, 18 KOs) delivered a third-round knockout win over South Africa’s Ilunga Makabu (19-2, 18 KOs) to claim the vacant WBC cruiserweight belt on Sunday in Liverpool, England. In round one, Bellew punished Makabu on the ropes, but then he got clocked by a Makabu straight counter left and went down. Bellwe got up and fought cautiously through round two. Bellew opened up in round three, severely rocking Makabu, then ended the bout with a barrage of punches, which knocked him cold. Makabu collapsed to the canvas just as referee Victor Loughlin stepped in to wave it off. Bellew (27-2-1 with 17 KO(s) previously dropped light heavyweight title challenges to Nathan Cleverly and Adonis Stevenson. With this win, he picks up the WBC title, which for now makes him a distant third in prestige to the other 200-pound champions, Denis Lebedev (IBF/WBA) and Kryzystof Glowacki (WBO). s
WBO / APRIL 16, 2016: In Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, Polish warrior Krzysztof Glowacki scored four knockdowns and retained his WBO cruiserweight championship via unanimous decision over former world champion Steve Cunningham of Philadelphia. Glowacki (26-0, 16 KOs) twice floored Cunningham (28-8-1, 13 KOs) with second-round, left-hand counters, then used short right hands to drop him once more in the tenth and twelfth rounds en route to a unanimous decision. Thanks to the four knockdowns, Glowacki prevailed by scores of 115-109 (twice) and 116-108, to the delight of a Barclays Center crowd that was packed with Polish fight fans. However, the contest was tougher than the scorecards indicated, as the 29-year-old Glowacki was often forced to hold or fight off the ropes against a former champion who engaged toe-to-toe throughout the night.
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The Architecture of Power in Boxing |
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Zuffa Boxing sits at the center of a new alignment between Saudi governmental capital and TKO’s global media platform. Boxing is no longer being shaped by individual promoters alone. It is being reorganized through institutional capital, sovereign strategy, and corporate sports infrastructure. At the center of that shift sits Zuffa, operating within the corporate framework of TKO Group Holdings, the publicly traded parent company of UFC and WWE. While public disclosures have not detailed every financial term, the model is widely described as a layered alignment: Saudi-linked institutions provide strategic direction and capital through affiliated entities, while TKO provides governance, production capability, and global media infrastructure. Understanding what this means requires mapping the structure — not amplifying speculation.
The Saudi Side: Strategy and Capital
At the strategic center of Saudi Arabia’s boxing expansion is Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority (GEA). The purpose of the GEA is to advance large-scale entertainment initiatives under the Kingdom’s broader economic diversification framework. Major Riyadh Season boxing events have been publicly associated with GEA’s leadership and alignment. Event execution and contracting, however, frequently involve Sela.
Public reporting describes Sela as owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF). This distinction matters. Some commentary frames Saudi boxing funding as “Sela money, not PIF money.” Yet if Sela is owned by PIF — as widely reported — operational execution and sovereign capital are institutionally linked at the ownership level. A more precise structural description is:
Strategic direction is provided by the GEA leadership under Turki Alalshikh; operational execution comes from Sela and the capital ownership (as publicly reported) is derived from PIF.
The Zuffa Boxing Venture
On the U.S. side, the commercial structure operates through Zuffa Boxing, housed within TKO Group Holdings. This entity operates under the leadership of CEO Ari Emanuel and President / COO Mark Shapiro. Nick Khan serves as President of WWE within the TKO structure, while senior operating executives — including Dana White at UFC — oversee their respective divisions under the broader corporate governance framework.
This structure signals a model built not around isolated events, but around centralized promotion integrated with media and production infrastructure. “The power shift in boxing is not about personalities. It is about structure — sovereign capital, state-backed execution, and corporate media infrastructure operating through a single promotional vehicle.”
So Who Does What?
Sela functions as the operational delivery vehicle within the Saudi-linked structure, staging and executing major events associated with Riyadh Season. Widely reported to be owned by PIF, Sela translates strategic alignment into event execution and contractual arrangements.
As Chairman of the GEA, Turki Alalshikh is widely recognized as the strategic driver behind Saudi Arabia’s boxing expansion. The GEA provides institutional alignment and national-level coordination for major entertainment initiatives.
PIF is Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and is widely reported to hold ownership of Sela. While not publicly described as operating events directly, its ownership position links sovereign capital to the operational framework.
TKO provides corporate governance, production infrastructure, global broadcast capability, and executive oversight. Industry reporting characterizes TKO as contributing minority capital participation alongside operational leadership.
Zuffa Boxing serves as the promotional vehicle within the joint venture, contracting fighters and centralizing promotional rights under a unified brand.
As for the fighter contracts, fighters competing under the Zuffa Boxing banner are contracted directly to the promotional entity. In practical terms, Zuffa Boxing holds the promotional rights to those fighters’ bouts within its structure, rather than operating through multiple independent promoters on an event-by-event basis. This centralized model differs from traditional boxing arrangements, where fighters negotiate across separate promotional and broadcast relationships.
Why This Matters
For decades, boxing operated through fragmented promoters and network-by-network negotiations. Power shifted fight by fight. The Zuffa Boxing structure represents something different: centralized contracts, institutional capital backing, and coordinated broadcast infrastructure under a unified promotional vehicle. That shift carries implications, such as negotiating leverage being consolidated within fewer entities; fighter agreements will resemble league-style systems rather than independent deals; broadcast distribution can more easily become vertically integrated; and traditional promoters now face existential structural competition rather than event rivalry.
Whether viewed as modernization or consolidation, the model introduces a level of scale and coordination rarely seen in boxing’s modern era. Understanding this structure is essential before debating its impact.
Public announcements confirm that Zuffa Boxing operates as a joint venture between Saudi-linked entities and TKO. While audited filings have not disclosed precise capital contributions, industry reporting consistently characterizes the Saudi-linked side as providing the majority financial backing, with TKO contributing operational infrastructure and minority capital participation.
Without publicly disclosed audited figures, precise dollar allocations should not be asserted as confirmed fact.
The orginizational structure can be summed in the following chart:
Conclusion
The Saudi–TKO boxing initiative is best understood not through personalities, but through architecture. It is a layered institutional model — sovereign capital aligned with American commercial infrastructure — operating through coordinated but distinct entities. The purpose of mapping this structure is not to advocate for or against it, but to clarify it. In an era of institutional alignment, clarity is the prerequisite for meaningful debate. Only then can stakeholders assess how structure influences leverage, sustainability, and competitive balance.
Author's note: This analysis is based on publicly available company announcements, executive statements, and widely reported industry coverage regarding the formation of Zuffa Boxing and its alignment with Saudi-linked entities. Subsequent executive commentary has indicated that the venture operates as a joint venture owned approximately 40% by TKO Group Holdings and 60% by Sela. Detailed capital contributions and financial allocations between the partners have not been publicly disclosed in audited filings at the time of publication.
Boxingtalk will be publishing an eight-part advisory series will examine how this evolving architecture influences leverage, transparency, competitive balance, and long-term durability across the boxing ecosystem.
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The Architecture of Power in Boxing
Zuffa Boxing sits at the center of a new alignment between Saudi governmental capital and TKO’s global media platform. Boxing is no longer being shaped by individual promoters alone. It is being reorganized through institutional capital, sovereign strategy, and corporate sports infrastructure. At the center of that shift sits Zuffa, operating within the corporate framework of TKO Group Holdings, the publicly traded parent company of UFC and WWE. While public disclosures have not detailed every financial term, the model is widely described as a layered alignment: Saudi-linked institutions provide strategic direction and capital through affiliated entities, while TKO provides governance, production capability, and global media infrastructure. Understanding what this means requires mapping the structure — not amplifying speculation.
The Saudi Side: Strategy and Capital
At the strategic center of Saudi Arabia’s boxing expansion is Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority (GEA). The purpose of the GEA is to advance large-scale entertainment initiatives under the Kingdom’s broader economic diversification framework. Major Riyadh Season boxing events have been publicly associated with GEA’s leadership and alignment. Event execution and contracting, however, frequently involve Sela.
Public reporting describes Sela as owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF). This distinction matters. Some commentary frames Saudi boxing funding as “Sela money, not PIF money.” Yet if Sela is owned by PIF — as widely reported — operational execution and sovereign capital are institutionally linked at the ownership level. A more precise structural description is:
Strategic direction is provided by the GEA leadership under Turki Alalshikh; operational execution comes from Sela and the capital ownership (as publicly reported) is derived from PIF.
The Zuffa Boxing Venture
On the U.S. side, the commercial structure operates through Zuffa Boxing, housed within TKO Group Holdings. This entity operates under the leadership of CEO Ari Emanuel and President / COO Mark Shapiro. Nick Khan serves as President of WWE within the TKO structure, while senior operating executives — including Dana White at UFC — oversee their respective divisions under the broader corporate governance framework.
This structure signals a model built not around isolated events, but around centralized promotion integrated with media and production infrastructure. “The power shift in boxing is not about personalities. It is about structure — sovereign capital, state-backed execution, and corporate media infrastructure operating through a single promotional vehicle.”
So Who Does What?
Sela functions as the operational delivery vehicle within the Saudi-linked structure, staging and executing major events associated with Riyadh Season. Widely reported to be owned by PIF, Sela translates strategic alignment into event execution and contractual arrangements.
As Chairman of the GEA, Turki Alalshikh is widely recognized as the strategic driver behind Saudi Arabia’s boxing expansion. The GEA provides institutional alignment and national-level coordination for major entertainment initiatives.
PIF is Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and is widely reported to hold ownership of Sela. While not publicly described as operating events directly, its ownership position links sovereign capital to the operational framework.
TKO provides corporate governance, production infrastructure, global broadcast capability, and executive oversight. Industry reporting characterizes TKO as contributing minority capital participation alongside operational leadership.
Zuffa Boxing serves as the promotional vehicle within the joint venture, contracting fighters and centralizing promotional rights under a unified brand.
As for the fighter contracts, fighters competing under the Zuffa Boxing banner are contracted directly to the promotional entity. In practical terms, Zuffa Boxing holds the promotional rights to those fighters’ bouts within its structure, rather than operating through multiple independent promoters on an event-by-event basis. This centralized model differs from traditional boxing arrangements, where fighters negotiate across separate promotional and broadcast relationships.
Why This Matters
For decades, boxing operated through fragmented promoters and network-by-network negotiations. Power shifted fight by fight. The Zuffa Boxing structure represents something different: centralized contracts, institutional capital backing, and coordinated broadcast infrastructure under a unified promotional vehicle. That shift carries implications, such as negotiating leverage being consolidated within fewer entities; fighter agreements will resemble league-style systems rather than independent deals; broadcast distribution can more easily become vertically integrated; and traditional promoters now face existential structural competition rather than event rivalry.
Whether viewed as modernization or consolidation, the model introduces a level of scale and coordination rarely seen in boxing’s modern era. Understanding this structure is essential before debating its impact.
Public announcements confirm that Zuffa Boxing operates as a joint venture between Saudi-linked entities and TKO. While audited filings have not disclosed precise capital contributions, industry reporting consistently characterizes the Saudi-linked side as providing the majority financial backing, with TKO contributing operational infrastructure and minority capital participation.
Without publicly disclosed audited figures, precise dollar allocations should not be asserted as confirmed fact.
The orginizational structure can be summed in the following chart:
Conclusion
The Saudi–TKO boxing initiative is best understood not through personalities, but through architecture. It is a layered institutional model — sovereign capital aligned with American commercial infrastructure — operating through coordinated but distinct entities. The purpose of mapping this structure is not to advocate for or against it, but to clarify it. In an era of institutional alignment, clarity is the prerequisite for meaningful debate. Only then can stakeholders assess how structure influences leverage, sustainability, and competitive balance.
Author's note: This analysis is based on publicly available company announcements, executive statements, and widely reported industry coverage regarding the formation of Zuffa Boxing and its alignment with Saudi-linked entities. Subsequent executive commentary has indicated that the venture operates as a joint venture owned approximately 40% by TKO Group Holdings and 60% by Sela. Detailed capital contributions and financial allocations between the partners have not been publicly disclosed in audited filings at the time of publication.
Boxingtalk will be publishing an eight-part advisory series will examine how this evolving architecture influences leverage, transparency, competitive balance, and long-term durability across the boxing ecosystem.
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A Club Promoter Asks: Is It Over For The Little Guy In Boxing? |
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In season six of The Sopranos, Patsy Parisi tries to shake down a new Starbucks-type coffee chain the same way the mob always extorted the local spots. The manager doesn’t flinch. It’ll have to go through corporate in Seattle, he tells them. They try to intimidate him with threats of vandalism and violence, asking how “corporate” would react to such disruptions. The manager shrugs—they’ve got ten thousand stores, they wouldn’t even feel it. Then he delivers the kill shot: “Every last fuckin’ coffee bean is in the computer. It has to be accounted for. If the numbers don’t add up, I’d be gone and someone else will be here.” Walking away, Patsy says: “It’s over for the little guy.” I think about that scene a lot lately. Not because I’m comparing boxing promoters to wiseguys—although some days, the wiseguys had more honor. When the corporations move in, they don’t just beat the little guy. They build a machine that doesn’t even have a place for him.
So is it over for the little guy? Not just in the ring. In business. In promotion. In the belief that hard work, relationships, and knowing your market still count for something when the other side of the table has a sovereign wealth fund. I grew up in Atlantic City {New Jersey] going to boxing. I loved the club shows at the casinos—packed rooms, real energy, the kind of fights where you could hear every punch from your seat. I used to work the buffet at the Tropicana. Now I promote fights in the same building. If you’d told that kid where he’d end up, he wouldn’t have believed you. Those shows were put on by working promoters who built companies literally named after themselves—Don King Promotions, DiBella Entertainment, Peltz Promotions, Cedric Kushner Promotions, Don Elbaum. These weren’t faceless corporations. These were individuals whose names were on the door because their reputations were the product.
That’s where I got the bug. That’s what made me want to do this. Today I promote under the banner of Boxing Insider Promotions. Nobody was going to name it Larry Promotions—but that’s essentially what it is. My team is Eric Bottjer, the greatest matchmaker in boxing. Matt Competello on the mic. Friends and top people I knew from boxing who all grew with us—announcers, medicals, corner support. A gig-work crew that comes together on show night and goes home after. That’s it. I handle the insurance, the hotel rooms, the ring rental, the ambulance, the security, the tickets, the sponsors—or the lack thereof—the marketing, the social media, the email list, the media bookings, the logistics at the venue, the production, compliance with state athletic commissions. We helped bring club boxing back to New York after the pandemic, and I’ve put on 20 shows since October 2022 at Tropicana Atlantic City and Sony Hall in Times Square.
But I’m not blind. The landscape is changing fast, and the question isn’t whether independent promoters can survive—it’s whether anyone outside the corporate machine will still have a seat at the table five years from now.
The small promoter’s dream always worked like this: you discover talent early, develop it, build the fighter’s record on your shows, and if they become a star, you cash out together. Like owning a racehorse. The next Floyd. The next Tyson. That was the whole game.
I’m lucky to say I never fell for it. People smarter than me told me early on: you’re never going to sign the next Floyd. And if you did, Al Haymon or Zuffa would take him from you and you’d never see your money. Just be the promoter who tries to make the best fights possible. Be a stepping stone. They were right.
But here’s the problem with the current landscape: even if the small promoter accepts being a stepping stone, the stepping stone still needs fighters who are willing to step. And right now, nobody wants to take risks at the club level. It’s gotten worse, not better, over the last couple of years. Fighters don’t want tough fights. They don’t want to test themselves. They’re posing for Instagram instead of getting in the ring. There used to be glory in being a club fighter—in being the guy who’d fight anyone, anywhere, on short notice, because that’s how you built a reputation. That culture is disappearing.
The proving grounds still matter. Somebody has to develop these kids before they’re ready for Paramount+ and a global audience. But fewer and fewer people want to be that somebody—because the economics of being a stepping stone are getting worse by the day.
I’ve had BoxingInsider.com since 1998. Covered this sport from every angle for over 25 years. I always thought I understood the business. Then in 2022 I jumped into the promotion side and learned the hard way—this business is not what we all think it is. Fighters are the last people to know what’s going on in their own careers. I’ve seen it firsthand. Decisions get made, opportunities appear or disappear, and the fighter—the person doing all the bleeding—finds out after the fact. That was true in the old model. It’ll be worse in the new one.
My advice to any fighter reading this: find a competent attorney. Not your buddy. Not the guy who approached you at the gym. A real attorney who understands this business.
There’s an old expression—I have enough problems, I don’t need yours too. That has never been more true than it is right now. Here’s what I mean. If your goal is to get to the next level, the person representing you matters more than ever. But most fighters sign with whoever’s in front of them without understanding the politics behind the scenes. They don’t know who has beef with who. They don’t know which relationships are burned. And here’s the trap—if your manager, your promoter, or your attorney has personal baggage or business history with the people making decisions, that baggage becomes your baggage. You didn’t do anything wrong. You might be the most talented fighter in your weight class. But the people on the other side aren’t separating you from your representation. You’re guilty by association. The phone stops ringing, opportunities dry up, and nobody calls to explain why. You’re just… not getting the call. And you might never find out the real reason.
A centralized system has real benefits—consistency, production value, clear matchmaking. But it also means fewer people control the door. And if you’re on the outside looking in, it doesn’t matter how talented you are. This isn’t theoretical. It’s playing out right now at the club level.
Here’s what’s happening on the ground that the analysts and podcasters don’t see. Every journeyman fighter who used to happily jump on a card at short notice is now sitting by the phone waiting for the big Zuffa or Turki call. For most of them, that call isn’t coming. But the waiting has taken them out of the available talent pool for guys like me who are actually putting on shows.
Making fights at the club level has become incredibly frustrating. Nobody wants to fight anybody—and they all want top dollar to fight nobody. I’ve got fighters who think that because they’ll sell 20 tickets, they deserve a handpicked opponent. But if you won’t sell those 20 tickets, there’s no money to cover the expenses. The ring, the officials, the commission fees, the insurance—none of it is free. The economics of a small show are brutally simple, and they don’t care about your feelings.
I want to put on good fights. Tough fights. But here’s the reality—I can only make money when I do A side vs. B side, where both fighters are selling tickets. That means I’m at the mercy of who’s willing to fight and what they’re willing to accept. I don’t get to just pick the best matchups. The fighters and their teams dictate what’s possible, and right now, most of them want easy nights for top dollar.
The guys headlining International superfights started in casino showrooms and hotel ballrooms, on cards put together by people who believed in them before anyone with real money noticed. But here’s the thing—the big players don’t need that pipeline anymore. They’re building their own. They control the development, the matchmaking, the broadcast, the whole chain. They don’t need the independent promoter. And that’s what kills us.
So Is It Over? I don’t think so. But the path forward looks different.
What the independent promoter still has is the local connection. I know the rooms I promote in. I know the fighters, their families, the fans who show up every time. That relationship between a promoter and a community is real, and it’s something that can’t be replicated at scale no matter how much money is behind it.
But that connection alone won’t keep the lights on. The game is changing and the independent promoter has to change with it. We need to think like media companies, not just event producers. Own our content. Build audiences between fight nights, not just on them. The billion-dollar players can buy attention. We have to earn it. That’s always been true. It’s just never been this stark.
Boxing has been here before—every few decades, some new wave of money floods the sport and everyone declares the old model dead. HBO. Showtime. DAZN’s billion-dollar era. Now Saudi Arabia and TKO. Each time, the independents who adapted survived. The ones who didn’t became cautionary tales.
I’m one of the last American club promoters. And I just had a local card to promote on Saturday night.
The author, Larry Goldberg, is the founder of Boxing Insider Promotions and owner of BoxingInsider.com.
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A Club Promoter Asks: Is It Over For The Little Guy In Boxing?
In season six of The Sopranos, Patsy Parisi tries to shake down a new Starbucks-type coffee chain the same way the mob always extorted the local spots. The manager doesn’t flinch. It’ll have to go through corporate in Seattle, he tells them. They try to intimidate him with threats of vandalism and violence, asking how “corporate” would react to such disruptions. The manager shrugs—they’ve got ten thousand stores, they wouldn’t even feel it. Then he delivers the kill shot: “Every last fuckin’ coffee bean is in the computer. It has to be accounted for. If the numbers don’t add up, I’d be gone and someone else will be here.” Walking away, Patsy says: “It’s over for the little guy.” I think about that scene a lot lately. Not because I’m comparing boxing promoters to wiseguys—although some days, the wiseguys had more honor. When the corporations move in, they don’t just beat the little guy. They build a machine that doesn’t even have a place for him.
So is it over for the little guy? Not just in the ring. In business. In promotion. In the belief that hard work, relationships, and knowing your market still count for something when the other side of the table has a sovereign wealth fund. I grew up in Atlantic City {New Jersey] going to boxing. I loved the club shows at the casinos—packed rooms, real energy, the kind of fights where you could hear every punch from your seat. I used to work the buffet at the Tropicana. Now I promote fights in the same building. If you’d told that kid where he’d end up, he wouldn’t have believed you. Those shows were put on by working promoters who built companies literally named after themselves—Don King Promotions, DiBella Entertainment, Peltz Promotions, Cedric Kushner Promotions, Don Elbaum. These weren’t faceless corporations. These were individuals whose names were on the door because their reputations were the product.
That’s where I got the bug. That’s what made me want to do this. Today I promote under the banner of Boxing Insider Promotions. Nobody was going to name it Larry Promotions—but that’s essentially what it is. My team is Eric Bottjer, the greatest matchmaker in boxing. Matt Competello on the mic. Friends and top people I knew from boxing who all grew with us—announcers, medicals, corner support. A gig-work crew that comes together on show night and goes home after. That’s it. I handle the insurance, the hotel rooms, the ring rental, the ambulance, the security, the tickets, the sponsors—or the lack thereof—the marketing, the social media, the email list, the media bookings, the logistics at the venue, the production, compliance with state athletic commissions. We helped bring club boxing back to New York after the pandemic, and I’ve put on 20 shows since October 2022 at Tropicana Atlantic City and Sony Hall in Times Square.
But I’m not blind. The landscape is changing fast, and the question isn’t whether independent promoters can survive—it’s whether anyone outside the corporate machine will still have a seat at the table five years from now.
The small promoter’s dream always worked like this: you discover talent early, develop it, build the fighter’s record on your shows, and if they become a star, you cash out together. Like owning a racehorse. The next Floyd. The next Tyson. That was the whole game.
I’m lucky to say I never fell for it. People smarter than me told me early on: you’re never going to sign the next Floyd. And if you did, Al Haymon or Zuffa would take him from you and you’d never see your money. Just be the promoter who tries to make the best fights possible. Be a stepping stone. They were right.
But here’s the problem with the current landscape: even if the small promoter accepts being a stepping stone, the stepping stone still needs fighters who are willing to step. And right now, nobody wants to take risks at the club level. It’s gotten worse, not better, over the last couple of years. Fighters don’t want tough fights. They don’t want to test themselves. They’re posing for Instagram instead of getting in the ring. There used to be glory in being a club fighter—in being the guy who’d fight anyone, anywhere, on short notice, because that’s how you built a reputation. That culture is disappearing.
The proving grounds still matter. Somebody has to develop these kids before they’re ready for Paramount+ and a global audience. But fewer and fewer people want to be that somebody—because the economics of being a stepping stone are getting worse by the day.
I’ve had BoxingInsider.com since 1998. Covered this sport from every angle for over 25 years. I always thought I understood the business. Then in 2022 I jumped into the promotion side and learned the hard way—this business is not what we all think it is. Fighters are the last people to know what’s going on in their own careers. I’ve seen it firsthand. Decisions get made, opportunities appear or disappear, and the fighter—the person doing all the bleeding—finds out after the fact. That was true in the old model. It’ll be worse in the new one.
My advice to any fighter reading this: find a competent attorney. Not your buddy. Not the guy who approached you at the gym. A real attorney who understands this business.
There’s an old expression—I have enough problems, I don’t need yours too. That has never been more true than it is right now. Here’s what I mean. If your goal is to get to the next level, the person representing you matters more than ever. But most fighters sign with whoever’s in front of them without understanding the politics behind the scenes. They don’t know who has beef with who. They don’t know which relationships are burned. And here’s the trap—if your manager, your promoter, or your attorney has personal baggage or business history with the people making decisions, that baggage becomes your baggage. You didn’t do anything wrong. You might be the most talented fighter in your weight class. But the people on the other side aren’t separating you from your representation. You’re guilty by association. The phone stops ringing, opportunities dry up, and nobody calls to explain why. You’re just… not getting the call. And you might never find out the real reason.
A centralized system has real benefits—consistency, production value, clear matchmaking. But it also means fewer people control the door. And if you’re on the outside looking in, it doesn’t matter how talented you are. This isn’t theoretical. It’s playing out right now at the club level.
Here’s what’s happening on the ground that the analysts and podcasters don’t see. Every journeyman fighter who used to happily jump on a card at short notice is now sitting by the phone waiting for the big Zuffa or Turki call. For most of them, that call isn’t coming. But the waiting has taken them out of the available talent pool for guys like me who are actually putting on shows.
Making fights at the club level has become incredibly frustrating. Nobody wants to fight anybody—and they all want top dollar to fight nobody. I’ve got fighters who think that because they’ll sell 20 tickets, they deserve a handpicked opponent. But if you won’t sell those 20 tickets, there’s no money to cover the expenses. The ring, the officials, the commission fees, the insurance—none of it is free. The economics of a small show are brutally simple, and they don’t care about your feelings.
I want to put on good fights. Tough fights. But here’s the reality—I can only make money when I do A side vs. B side, where both fighters are selling tickets. That means I’m at the mercy of who’s willing to fight and what they’re willing to accept. I don’t get to just pick the best matchups. The fighters and their teams dictate what’s possible, and right now, most of them want easy nights for top dollar.
The guys headlining International superfights started in casino showrooms and hotel ballrooms, on cards put together by people who believed in them before anyone with real money noticed. But here’s the thing—the big players don’t need that pipeline anymore. They’re building their own. They control the development, the matchmaking, the broadcast, the whole chain. They don’t need the independent promoter. And that’s what kills us.
So Is It Over? I don’t think so. But the path forward looks different.
What the independent promoter still has is the local connection. I know the rooms I promote in. I know the fighters, their families, the fans who show up every time. That relationship between a promoter and a community is real, and it’s something that can’t be replicated at scale no matter how much money is behind it.
But that connection alone won’t keep the lights on. The game is changing and the independent promoter has to change with it. We need to think like media companies, not just event producers. Own our content. Build audiences between fight nights, not just on them. The billion-dollar players can buy attention. We have to earn it. That’s always been true. It’s just never been this stark.
Boxing has been here before—every few decades, some new wave of money floods the sport and everyone declares the old model dead. HBO. Showtime. DAZN’s billion-dollar era. Now Saudi Arabia and TKO. Each time, the independents who adapted survived. The ones who didn’t became cautionary tales.
I’m one of the last American club promoters. And I just had a local card to promote on Saturday night.
The author, Larry Goldberg, is the founder of Boxing Insider Promotions and owner of BoxingInsider.com.
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Cuban heavyweight Gustavo Trujillo moves to 10-0 |
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Gustavo Trujillo KO1 Phillip Penson... Heavyweight Gustavo “The Cuban Assassin” Trujillo (10-0, 9 KOs) delivered another quick victory this past Saturday night, stopping Phillip Penson (8-6-3, 2 KOs) of Orlando, Florida, with a first-round knockout in the main event at the Hilton in Altamonte Springs, Florida. The event was promoted by Mike Sawyer Promotions. From the opening bell, Trujillo, who is managed by Abe Swidan of Visionary Sports Group, imposed his will on the fight, pressing forward aggressively and forcing Penson onto the defensive. The powerful Cuban heavyweight wasted no time setting the tone, applying relentless pressure that left Penson struggling to find space or rhythm. Midway through the opening round, Trujillo landed a barrage of body shots that sent Penson crashing to the canvas. The damage proved too much, as Penson was unable to continue, giving Trujillo another knockout victory and sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Reflecting on his victory, Trujillo spoke about the mindset he brought into the fight and his determination to deliver an exciting performance for the fans. “I came into this fight ready to send another message to the heavyweight division. When I step into the ring, I want people to feel my energy and see the power that I bring. I trained hard for this moment, and I knew if I stayed aggressive and applied pressure, the knockout would come. The heavyweight division is about excitement and action. Fans want to see fighters who are willing to go after it, and that’s exactly what I did. I’m grateful for the support and I’m just getting started.”
Trujillo remains deeply motivated by his roots and the legacy of Cuban fighters who paved the way before him. “I grew up watching great fighters from Cuba, and they inspired me to chase this dream. Every time I step in the ring, I’m fighting for my country and my people. I want the world to see how strong Cuban fighters are, especially in the heavyweight division. My goal is simple…I’m fighting to make Cuba the home of the first heavyweight world champion in our history.”
Trujillo believes the victory marks another important step forward in his rise through the heavyweight ranks. “Every fight is about proving that I belong among the best heavyweights in the world. This win keeps my momentum going and shows that I’m ready for bigger challenges. I’m building my name one fight at a time. Victories like this help open doors, and I’m focused on continuing to climb the rankings until I’m competing for a world title.”
The Cuban knockout artist is eager to remain active and continue his rapid ascent. “I want to get back in the ring as soon as possible. I feel strong, confident, and I want to stay busy this year. The more I fight, the sharper I become. I’m hungry for more opportunities and ready to keep showing fans what ‘The Cuban Assassin’ is all about.”
Swidan, president of Visionary Sports Group, believes Trujillo’s latest performance confirmed what many in the boxing community are beginning to realize that the Cuban heavyweight has the potential to become a major star. “Gustavo possesses a rare combination of athleticism, power, and discipline that you seldom see in the heavyweight division,” said Swidan. “What impressed me most in this performance was not just the knockout itself, but the composure and confidence he displayed while applying pressure. Cuba has produced some of the most technically gifted fighters in boxing history, and I firmly believe Gustavo has the ability to carry that legacy forward. After a performance like this, our focus is to move him up the rankings on a fast track and position him for increasingly meaningful fights. With his talent and work ethic, I truly believe he has the potential to become the next big star from Cuba.”
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Cuban heavyweight Gustavo Trujillo moves to 10-0
Gustavo Trujillo KO1 Phillip Penson... Heavyweight Gustavo “The Cuban Assassin” Trujillo (10-0, 9 KOs) delivered another quick victory this past Saturday night, stopping Phillip Penson (8-6-3, 2 KOs) of Orlando, Florida, with a first-round knockout in the main event at the Hilton in Altamonte Springs, Florida. The event was promoted by Mike Sawyer Promotions. From the opening bell, Trujillo, who is managed by Abe Swidan of Visionary Sports Group, imposed his will on the fight, pressing forward aggressively and forcing Penson onto the defensive. The powerful Cuban heavyweight wasted no time setting the tone, applying relentless pressure that left Penson struggling to find space or rhythm. Midway through the opening round, Trujillo landed a barrage of body shots that sent Penson crashing to the canvas. The damage proved too much, as Penson was unable to continue, giving Trujillo another knockout victory and sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Reflecting on his victory, Trujillo spoke about the mindset he brought into the fight and his determination to deliver an exciting performance for the fans. “I came into this fight ready to send another message to the heavyweight division. When I step into the ring, I want people to feel my energy and see the power that I bring. I trained hard for this moment, and I knew if I stayed aggressive and applied pressure, the knockout would come. The heavyweight division is about excitement and action. Fans want to see fighters who are willing to go after it, and that’s exactly what I did. I’m grateful for the support and I’m just getting started.”
Trujillo remains deeply motivated by his roots and the legacy of Cuban fighters who paved the way before him. “I grew up watching great fighters from Cuba, and they inspired me to chase this dream. Every time I step in the ring, I’m fighting for my country and my people. I want the world to see how strong Cuban fighters are, especially in the heavyweight division. My goal is simple…I’m fighting to make Cuba the home of the first heavyweight world champion in our history.”
Trujillo believes the victory marks another important step forward in his rise through the heavyweight ranks. “Every fight is about proving that I belong among the best heavyweights in the world. This win keeps my momentum going and shows that I’m ready for bigger challenges. I’m building my name one fight at a time. Victories like this help open doors, and I’m focused on continuing to climb the rankings until I’m competing for a world title.”
The Cuban knockout artist is eager to remain active and continue his rapid ascent. “I want to get back in the ring as soon as possible. I feel strong, confident, and I want to stay busy this year. The more I fight, the sharper I become. I’m hungry for more opportunities and ready to keep showing fans what ‘The Cuban Assassin’ is all about.”
Swidan, president of Visionary Sports Group, believes Trujillo’s latest performance confirmed what many in the boxing community are beginning to realize that the Cuban heavyweight has the potential to become a major star. “Gustavo possesses a rare combination of athleticism, power, and discipline that you seldom see in the heavyweight division,” said Swidan. “What impressed me most in this performance was not just the knockout itself, but the composure and confidence he displayed while applying pressure. Cuba has produced some of the most technically gifted fighters in boxing history, and I firmly believe Gustavo has the ability to carry that legacy forward. After a performance like this, our focus is to move him up the rankings on a fast track and position him for increasingly meaningful fights. With his talent and work ethic, I truly believe he has the potential to become the next big star from Cuba.”
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Introducing lightweight Sammy Contreras |
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Sammy Contreras, a 14-time national amateur champion from Los Angeles, has signed a multi-year promotional contract with Top Rank. The 21 year-old lightweight will return on Saturday, March 21st, in a six-rounder against Cesar Cantu at the National Orange Show Event Center in San Bernardino, California. Contreras (5-0, 2 KOs), whose parents are of Mexican, Salvadoran and Honduran heritage, began boxing at eight and compiled more than 200 amateur bouts, facing the likes of Abdullah Mason, Emiliano Fernando Vargas and Dedrick Crocklem. He represented the Mexican national team at the youth level in 2016 and El Salvador at the 2023 Pan American Games and the 2024 Olympic Qualifiers.
Contreras made his pro debut last May and went 4-0 with two knockouts in 2025. He kicked off the new year with a six-round unanimous decision against Nelson Hampton in January. He is trained and managed by his father, Sam Contreras, who has managed fighters such as Marlen Esparza and Ramon “El Inocente” Alvarez. “Sammy Contreras is a talented young lightweight with the ability to go very far in this sport,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “His future is limitless. He has ties to multiple communities, and that will allow him to connect with a wide range of fans. Los Angeles has produced many great fighters and champions, and we expect Sammy to carry on that tradition.”
“This moment means everything to me,” Contreras said. “All the hard work and sacrifice I’ve made every day have led me here with Top Rank. But this is only the beginning. I’m going to keep working, keep sacrificing, and continue proving that I belong here.”
Contreras joins a promotional banner that has played a pivotal role for Hispanic boxing. Aside from expanding the national audience for Mexican fighters, Top Rank also promoted trailblazers Carlos “El Famoso” Hernandez, who became the first Salvadoran-American world champion in 2003 when he defeated David Santos, and Teofimo Lopez, who stopped Richard Commey in 2019 to become the first Honduran-American world champion. Contreras now looks to contribute to this legacy as an American-born fighter who also represents his Salvadoran, Honduran, and Mexican heritage.
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Introducing lightweight Sammy Contreras
Sammy Contreras, a 14-time national amateur champion from Los Angeles, has signed a multi-year promotional contract with Top Rank. The 21 year-old lightweight will return on Saturday, March 21st, in a six-rounder against Cesar Cantu at the National Orange Show Event Center in San Bernardino, California. Contreras (5-0, 2 KOs), whose parents are of Mexican, Salvadoran and Honduran heritage, began boxing at eight and compiled more than 200 amateur bouts, facing the likes of Abdullah Mason, Emiliano Fernando Vargas and Dedrick Crocklem. He represented the Mexican national team at the youth level in 2016 and El Salvador at the 2023 Pan American Games and the 2024 Olympic Qualifiers.
Contreras made his pro debut last May and went 4-0 with two knockouts in 2025. He kicked off the new year with a six-round unanimous decision against Nelson Hampton in January. He is trained and managed by his father, Sam Contreras, who has managed fighters such as Marlen Esparza and Ramon “El Inocente” Alvarez. “Sammy Contreras is a talented young lightweight with the ability to go very far in this sport,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “His future is limitless. He has ties to multiple communities, and that will allow him to connect with a wide range of fans. Los Angeles has produced many great fighters and champions, and we expect Sammy to carry on that tradition.”
“This moment means everything to me,” Contreras said. “All the hard work and sacrifice I’ve made every day have led me here with Top Rank. But this is only the beginning. I’m going to keep working, keep sacrificing, and continue proving that I belong here.”
Contreras joins a promotional banner that has played a pivotal role for Hispanic boxing. Aside from expanding the national audience for Mexican fighters, Top Rank also promoted trailblazers Carlos “El Famoso” Hernandez, who became the first Salvadoran-American world champion in 2003 when he defeated David Santos, and Teofimo Lopez, who stopped Richard Commey in 2019 to become the first Honduran-American world champion. Contreras now looks to contribute to this legacy as an American-born fighter who also represents his Salvadoran, Honduran, and Mexican heritage.
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ProBox reveals full line-up for March 21st |
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The supporting bouts are taking shape for ProBoxTV’s big show on Saturday, March 21st, headlined by WBC Lester Martinez’s WBC interim super middleweight title fight against Immanuwel “The Chosen One” Aleem from the NOS Event Center in San Bernardino, California and broadcast live on ProBoxTV (7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST). While Martinez (19-0-1 16 KOs) will be hoping to make Guatemalan boxing history against Virginia’s Aleem (22-3-3, 14 KOs), Joshua Kevin Anton (12-0, 11 KOs) of Palmdale, California, will take his toughest test to date against “The Punisher,” Kudratillo Abdukakhorov (22-5, 14 KOs) of Uzbekistan in the ten-round junior middleweight co-feature.
Standing a towering 6′ 3″ for his weight division, Anton is a 27-year-old southpaw. Before turning professional in 2019, Anton was a 2016 US Youth Open Tournament Champion as an amateur. He was last seen in the professional ring scoring a seventh-round TKO over capable veteran Isaias Lucero in September of last year, live on ProBoxTV.
Abdukakhorov was once the IBF mandatory challenger for then-unified champion Errol Spence Jr. The 32-year old was a four-time national Uzbekistani champion as an amateur, finishing with an impressive record of 170-10.
The undercard will also feature a ten-round, junior welterweight battle between LA’s Anthony “2 Quick” Cuba (12-1-2, 5 KOs) and Jair “Kaiser” Valtierra (18-3, 9 KOs) of Mexico.... also at junior welterweight, Charles Harris Jr (11-1, 7 KOs) of Rialto, California, will take on Jason “El Gallo” Limon (11-2-1, 2 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas, over eight rounds... local fan favorite Albert “Chop Chop” Gonzalez (16-0, 9 KOs) of Riverside, California, will face Brandon “The Hitter” Chambers (12-4-1, 5 KOs) of Owings Mill, Maryland in a featherweight eight-rounder... also scheduled is a female super flyweight four-rounder between former USA National amateur champion Jocelyn Camarillo (5-0) of nearby Indio, California and Isis Sio (1-2) of North Dakota... and getting the ball rolling will be LA’s Sam Contreras (5-0, 2 KOs) against Cesar “El Matrix” Cantu (3-5-2, 1 KO) of Weslaco, Texas. Tickets for this event at the NOS Event Center are available through thundertix.com.
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ProBox reveals full line-up for March 21st
The supporting bouts are taking shape for ProBoxTV’s big show on Saturday, March 21st, headlined by WBC Lester Martinez’s WBC interim super middleweight title fight against Immanuwel “The Chosen One” Aleem from the NOS Event Center in San Bernardino, California and broadcast live on ProBoxTV (7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST). While Martinez (19-0-1 16 KOs) will be hoping to make Guatemalan boxing history against Virginia’s Aleem (22-3-3, 14 KOs), Joshua Kevin Anton (12-0, 11 KOs) of Palmdale, California, will take his toughest test to date against “The Punisher,” Kudratillo Abdukakhorov (22-5, 14 KOs) of Uzbekistan in the ten-round junior middleweight co-feature.
Standing a towering 6′ 3″ for his weight division, Anton is a 27-year-old southpaw. Before turning professional in 2019, Anton was a 2016 US Youth Open Tournament Champion as an amateur. He was last seen in the professional ring scoring a seventh-round TKO over capable veteran Isaias Lucero in September of last year, live on ProBoxTV.
Abdukakhorov was once the IBF mandatory challenger for then-unified champion Errol Spence Jr. The 32-year old was a four-time national Uzbekistani champion as an amateur, finishing with an impressive record of 170-10.
The undercard will also feature a ten-round, junior welterweight battle between LA’s Anthony “2 Quick” Cuba (12-1-2, 5 KOs) and Jair “Kaiser” Valtierra (18-3, 9 KOs) of Mexico.... also at junior welterweight, Charles Harris Jr (11-1, 7 KOs) of Rialto, California, will take on Jason “El Gallo” Limon (11-2-1, 2 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas, over eight rounds... local fan favorite Albert “Chop Chop” Gonzalez (16-0, 9 KOs) of Riverside, California, will face Brandon “The Hitter” Chambers (12-4-1, 5 KOs) of Owings Mill, Maryland in a featherweight eight-rounder... also scheduled is a female super flyweight four-rounder between former USA National amateur champion Jocelyn Camarillo (5-0) of nearby Indio, California and Isis Sio (1-2) of North Dakota... and getting the ball rolling will be LA’s Sam Contreras (5-0, 2 KOs) against Cesar “El Matrix” Cantu (3-5-2, 1 KO) of Weslaco, Texas. Tickets for this event at the NOS Event Center are available through thundertix.com.
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Butler gets quick win in Montreal |
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Steven Butler KO2 Ramadan Hiseni... At the Casino de Montreal last week, Canadian super middleweight Steven “Bang Bang” Butler crushed Switzerland’s Ramadan Hiseni with a second-round knockout. True to his aggressive style and fueled by the roar of the home crowd, Butler (38-5-1) stormed out at the opening bell determined to impose his will, making it clear he had no intention of letting the visitor spoil the night for his promoter, Eye of the Tiger, once again. After a first round in which the Canadian stalked Hiseni (22-3-2), cutting off the ring and measuring his timing, the finish came in the second stanza. A hard combination delivered with speed and precision found the opening in Hiseni’s guard. The impact sent the Swiss fighter crashing to the canvas, visibly hurt and unable to respond, forcing the referee to immediately wave off the contest to protect him.
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Butler gets quick win in Montreal
Steven Butler KO2 Ramadan Hiseni... At the Casino de Montreal last week, Canadian super middleweight Steven “Bang Bang” Butler crushed Switzerland’s Ramadan Hiseni with a second-round knockout. True to his aggressive style and fueled by the roar of the home crowd, Butler (38-5-1) stormed out at the opening bell determined to impose his will, making it clear he had no intention of letting the visitor spoil the night for his promoter, Eye of the Tiger, once again. After a first round in which the Canadian stalked Hiseni (22-3-2), cutting off the ring and measuring his timing, the finish came in the second stanza. A hard combination delivered with speed and precision found the opening in Hiseni’s guard. The impact sent the Swiss fighter crashing to the canvas, visibly hurt and unable to respond, forcing the referee to immediately wave off the contest to protect him.
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Ngannou returning to MMA on May 16th |
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Francis Ngannou is returning to mixed martial arts, and he will be doing it on a big Netflix show. After crossing over to boxing events (and going 0-2 vs. Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua) and then scoring a dominant PFL championship victory in 2024, Ngannou returns to MMA to face Brazil’s Philipe Lins (18–5, 4 submissions, 9 KOs). Ngannou-Lins will be added to the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card, set for May 16th inb Los Angeles. The matchup is part of Most Valuable Promotions’ first MMA event and Netflix’s first-ever live MMA broadcast. “While the world was busy talking, I was busy evolving,” Ngannou said. “Silence shouldn’t be mistaken for absence — it’s the sound of a predator closing the distance. Stepping back into the cage isn’t just a return; it’s a reclamation.”
A dangerous fighter in his own right, Lins expressed gratitude ahead of the monumental fight night: “To be part of the first MMA event on Netflix is going to be amazing. I’m very happy to be fighting on this card with so many legends. We’re going to make history.”
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
FEB. 17, 2026: Ronda Rousey is back, and she’s ready to return to combat sports. Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Netflix announced the mixed martial arts event that will be headlined by the return of former UFC champion and Olympic medalist Ronda Rousey (12-2, 9 submissions, 3 KOs), who’ll compete in her first fight in nearly a decade against fellow women’s MMA pioneer Gina Carano (7-1, 1 submission, 3 KOs). The five-round fight will take place on May 16th at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Each round will last five minutes, as is typical in MMA. The bout will be contested with a 145-pound weight limit inside a hexagon cage. It will stream live globally on Netflix at no additional cost to subscribers.
“After the record-breaking success in boxing, we wanted our first MMA event to be truly legendary,” Gabe Spitzer, Netflix VP of Sports, says. “These are more than just athletes — they are generational stars, and having them headline our MMA debut at the Intuit Dome is a defining moment for us.”
Rousey shattered the glass ceiling for women’s MMA during a record-setting run from 2011 to 2016. An Olympic medalist in judo, Rousey racked up several submission and TKO / KO victories, many of which came within one minute of start time. After a dominant reign as UFC bantamweight champion, Rousey catapulted the WWE women’s division toward its first WrestleMania main event in history. Her star power is also on display via appearances in both the Fast and the Furious and The Expendables franchises.
“Been waiting so long to announce this,” Rousey tells Netflix. “Me and Gina Carano are gonna throw down in the biggest superfight in women’s combat sport history, and we’re partnering with the fighter-first promoter, MVP, as well as the baddest streamer on the planet, Netflix. This is for all MMA fans past, present, and future.”
It’s no coincidence that Rousey’s return will be against another legend of the sport. Carano says, “Ronda came to me and said there is only one person she would make a comeback for, and it’s been her dream to make this fight happen between us.”
Carano is one of the first combat sports stars to cross over into the entertainment industry after her MMA tear from 2006 to 2009 — a time before women were invited to compete in the UFC. Carano’s marketability and mainstream appeal outside of fighting led to an acting career. She earned major roles in Haywire, Fast & Furious 6, Deadpool, and The Mandalorian. She also headlined the first major MMA main event to feature two women in 2009, a landmark moment for the sport.
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Ngannou returning to MMA on May 16th
Francis Ngannou is returning to mixed martial arts, and he will be doing it on a big Netflix show. After crossing over to boxing events (and going 0-2 vs. Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua) and then scoring a dominant PFL championship victory in 2024, Ngannou returns to MMA to face Brazil’s Philipe Lins (18–5, 4 submissions, 9 KOs). Ngannou-Lins will be added to the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card, set for May 16th inb Los Angeles. The matchup is part of Most Valuable Promotions’ first MMA event and Netflix’s first-ever live MMA broadcast. “While the world was busy talking, I was busy evolving,” Ngannou said. “Silence shouldn’t be mistaken for absence — it’s the sound of a predator closing the distance. Stepping back into the cage isn’t just a return; it’s a reclamation.”
A dangerous fighter in his own right, Lins expressed gratitude ahead of the monumental fight night: “To be part of the first MMA event on Netflix is going to be amazing. I’m very happy to be fighting on this card with so many legends. We’re going to make history.”
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
FEB. 17, 2026: Ronda Rousey is back, and she’s ready to return to combat sports. Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Netflix announced the mixed martial arts event that will be headlined by the return of former UFC champion and Olympic medalist Ronda Rousey (12-2, 9 submissions, 3 KOs), who’ll compete in her first fight in nearly a decade against fellow women’s MMA pioneer Gina Carano (7-1, 1 submission, 3 KOs). The five-round fight will take place on May 16th at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Each round will last five minutes, as is typical in MMA. The bout will be contested with a 145-pound weight limit inside a hexagon cage. It will stream live globally on Netflix at no additional cost to subscribers.
“After the record-breaking success in boxing, we wanted our first MMA event to be truly legendary,” Gabe Spitzer, Netflix VP of Sports, says. “These are more than just athletes — they are generational stars, and having them headline our MMA debut at the Intuit Dome is a defining moment for us.”
Rousey shattered the glass ceiling for women’s MMA during a record-setting run from 2011 to 2016. An Olympic medalist in judo, Rousey racked up several submission and TKO / KO victories, many of which came within one minute of start time. After a dominant reign as UFC bantamweight champion, Rousey catapulted the WWE women’s division toward its first WrestleMania main event in history. Her star power is also on display via appearances in both the Fast and the Furious and The Expendables franchises.
“Been waiting so long to announce this,” Rousey tells Netflix. “Me and Gina Carano are gonna throw down in the biggest superfight in women’s combat sport history, and we’re partnering with the fighter-first promoter, MVP, as well as the baddest streamer on the planet, Netflix. This is for all MMA fans past, present, and future.”
It’s no coincidence that Rousey’s return will be against another legend of the sport. Carano says, “Ronda came to me and said there is only one person she would make a comeback for, and it’s been her dream to make this fight happen between us.”
Carano is one of the first combat sports stars to cross over into the entertainment industry after her MMA tear from 2006 to 2009 — a time before women were invited to compete in the UFC. Carano’s marketability and mainstream appeal outside of fighting led to an acting career. She earned major roles in Haywire, Fast & Furious 6, Deadpool, and The Mandalorian. She also headlined the first major MMA main event to feature two women in 2009, a landmark moment for the sport.
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Opetaia punishes Glanton for twelve rounds |
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Jai Opetaia W12 Brandon Glanton... Zuffa Boxing returned to the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, where Jai Opetaia punished Brandon Glanton for twelve rounds to claim the inaugural Zuffa cruiserweight championship. All three official scores were 119-106, and it should be considered a shutout, as Opetaia had a point deducted and Glanton had two deducted by activist referee Allen Huggins. Opetaia (30-0) landed 250 punches to Glanton’s 118 over the course of the fight, and generally outclassed the game, but outgunned Glanton. Over the second half of the fight, Glanton (21-4) boxed with a sizable hematoma on his forehead. The fight ended a week of outside-the-ring turmoil that saw Opetaia stripped of the IBF championship because the IBF was unhappy with the way Zuffa promoted the show.
Opetaia’s first round was largely spent feinting and popping out his southpaw jab, while Glanton tried unsuccessfully to walk him down and force him against the ropes. By the third round, Opetaia was in his rhythm and connecting with solid shots. Glanton connected with a solid body shot as he briefly caught the Aussie against the ropes, but as the round entered the final 30 seconds, he hit Glanton with a big straight left that showed that he’d mastered the range. In the fourth, Glanton gamely kept walking forward and looking to hurt Opetaia to the body, but Opetaia set his sights and cracked him with two clean right hooks in quick succession.
It showed that Opetaia was starting to warm to his task, and in Round 5, he willingly met Glanton in the center of the ring and traded big shots with the American as the Australian took the fight into Glanton’s comfort zone and outstruck him at close quarters.
Referee Huggins opted to penalize Glanton for holding in round six as Opetaia’s pressure fighting continued to wear on Glanton, who simply had no answer to the Australian, whose accuracy and power were starting to mount up. Then things went from bad to worse for the Atlanta native two rounds later when he was docked another point for a low blow. That second point deduction appeared to light a fire under Glanton, who came barreling forward trying to land heavy shots. But Opetaia’s smart footwork and accurate counters ensured he maintained the upper hand heading into the closing stages of the fight.
After dominant ninth round, Opetaia loaded up in the tenth and connected with a succession of heavy shots as he repeatedly stung Glanton. But, to his great credit, Glanton took them well and stood strong. But in the eleventh round, frustrated Glanton threw Opetaia to the mat, drawing another stern warning from referee Huggins, who deducted a point from Opetaia moments later.
The action had gotten scrappy, and with an overly-officious referee intervening too frequently, the bout became a stop-start affair. But while the action was in progress, Opetaia was connecting freely, and he finished up the round with a beautifully slick four-punch combination.
After a gritty, scrappy clash, the action went into the final round and, as the bout entered the final minute, Opetaia connected with a huge straight left that froze Glanton. But remarkably, the Atlanta man’s chin held strong as he took the Aussie the distance.
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Opetaia punishes Glanton for twelve rounds
Jai Opetaia W12 Brandon Glanton... Zuffa Boxing returned to the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, where Jai Opetaia punished Brandon Glanton for twelve rounds to claim the inaugural Zuffa cruiserweight championship. All three official scores were 119-106, and it should be considered a shutout, as Opetaia had a point deducted and Glanton had two deducted by activist referee Allen Huggins. Opetaia (30-0) landed 250 punches to Glanton’s 118 over the course of the fight, and generally outclassed the game, but outgunned Glanton. Over the second half of the fight, Glanton (21-4) boxed with a sizable hematoma on his forehead. The fight ended a week of outside-the-ring turmoil that saw Opetaia stripped of the IBF championship because the IBF was unhappy with the way Zuffa promoted the show.
Opetaia’s first round was largely spent feinting and popping out his southpaw jab, while Glanton tried unsuccessfully to walk him down and force him against the ropes. By the third round, Opetaia was in his rhythm and connecting with solid shots. Glanton connected with a solid body shot as he briefly caught the Aussie against the ropes, but as the round entered the final 30 seconds, he hit Glanton with a big straight left that showed that he’d mastered the range. In the fourth, Glanton gamely kept walking forward and looking to hurt Opetaia to the body, but Opetaia set his sights and cracked him with two clean right hooks in quick succession.
It showed that Opetaia was starting to warm to his task, and in Round 5, he willingly met Glanton in the center of the ring and traded big shots with the American as the Australian took the fight into Glanton’s comfort zone and outstruck him at close quarters.
Referee Huggins opted to penalize Glanton for holding in round six as Opetaia’s pressure fighting continued to wear on Glanton, who simply had no answer to the Australian, whose accuracy and power were starting to mount up. Then things went from bad to worse for the Atlanta native two rounds later when he was docked another point for a low blow. That second point deduction appeared to light a fire under Glanton, who came barreling forward trying to land heavy shots. But Opetaia’s smart footwork and accurate counters ensured he maintained the upper hand heading into the closing stages of the fight.
After dominant ninth round, Opetaia loaded up in the tenth and connected with a succession of heavy shots as he repeatedly stung Glanton. But, to his great credit, Glanton took them well and stood strong. But in the eleventh round, frustrated Glanton threw Opetaia to the mat, drawing another stern warning from referee Huggins, who deducted a point from Opetaia moments later.
The action had gotten scrappy, and with an overly-officious referee intervening too frequently, the bout became a stop-start affair. But while the action was in progress, Opetaia was connecting freely, and he finished up the round with a beautifully slick four-punch combination.
After a gritty, scrappy clash, the action went into the final round and, as the bout entered the final minute, Opetaia connected with a huge straight left that froze Glanton. But remarkably, the Atlanta man’s chin held strong as he took the Aussie the distance.
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Zuffa 04 undercard results from Las Vegas |
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Vlad Panin TKO9 Shinard Bunch ... “Superbad” Vlad Panin got his Zuffa Boxing career off to a winning start with a ninth-round technical knockout victory over Shinard Bunch (22-4-1) in their welterweight matchup. Panin started swiftly, fighting on the front foot and taking the initiative in the early rounds, while Bunch seemed more content to download information on his opponent as he gauged Panin’s range. “Superbad’ moves on to 24-2, with his 16th career finish.
The opening four rounds were rinse and repeat for Panin as his controlled pressure saw him outwork and outland Bunch, who just didn’t seem to be able to let his shots go. After looking comfortable through four rounds, Panin loaded up and let his fists fly in the fifth as he connected on Bunch with a succession of big shots that threatened to overwhelm his opponent. Then, in the final minute of the round, “Superbad” connected with a huge right hand that sent Bunch’s mouthpiece flying across the ring.
It put Panin comfortably in charge at the half-way point of the matchup, and with Bunch starting to look demoralized in his corner between rounds, the Las Vegas-based fighter pushed forward looking to break his opponent’s spirit. The one-way traffic was eventually halted in the penultimate round when referee Allen Huggins stepped in at the 2:29 mark to spare Bunch further punishment. It gave Panin a fully deserved stoppage victory.
Ricardo Salas TKO8 Jesus Saracho... Ricardo “Magic Man” Salas stopped tough Jesus Saracho in the eighth round of their welterweight matchup. Both men wasted no time as they started trading big punches from the opening bell, with Salas loading up and connecting with some very heavy shots, while Saracho found a home for his counters in an action-packed first three minutes. Saracho turned Salas’s aggression against him mid-way through round two as he landed a big right hand that connected with the top of his opponent’s head and briefly stunned “Magic Man”. That success encouraged Saracho to step in and force Salas onto the back foot, as the 24-year-old southpaw started to hit his stride.
Both men were in full flow by the third, and both Salas and Saracho connected with eye-catching single shots at different points in the round but the back-and-forth action ensured neither man was able to build any sustained momentum. That all changed in the fourth, when Salas hurt Saracho with a huge straight shot that forced his man to back up and retreat for the first time in the fight. It served as huge encouragement to the Mexico City native, who continued to pour on the pressure through Rounds 5, 6 and 7, with the latter seeing him badly hurt Saracho with nasty body shots, mixed in with heavy shots upstairs.
By round eight, Saracho’s ability to sustain the punishment had started to wane. Salas saw his moment and put his foot on the gas to force referee Robert Hoyle to step in mid-way through the round to spare Saracho any more damage. The victory takes Salas to 24-2-2, with 18 wins by KO as the Mexico City native announced his arrival in Zuffa Boxing with an entertaining, hard-fought victory.
Pablo Rubio W8 Adan Palma... Undefeated featherweights went toe-to-toe in a thrilling main card opener as Pablo Rubio got off the canvas twice to defeat Adan Palma via unanimous decision. The fight caught fire almost immediately, as Rubio started quickly, forcing Palma to respond in kind. Despite his relative inactivity compared to his opponent, Rubio pushed forward, throwing multi-punch combinations. But Palma used his more compact frame and shorter reach to rip powerful shot from up close. After tasting the strength of Rubio’s best shots in round one and seemingly deciding he had the defense, and the chin, to handle it, Palma spent the entirety of the next round in the pocket, fighting fire with fire, and enjoying some success with his thudding hooks, which appeared to carry more power than those of his opponent. Rubio was enjoying his best spell in the fight, and two strong rounds in the sixth and seventh suggested that the momentum was swinging towards the Whittier, California native as the fight went into the final round. Then, in the third, Palma turned up the power and connected with a big left hook that stunned Rubio. Palma then closed in and landed a huge leaping left hook to send Rubio to the canvas for the first time in his career. Rubio unwisely tried to fire back, and eventually paid the price again as a short right from Palma sent him to the deck again.
Despite being dropped twice in the fourth, Rubio came out for the fifth and immediately got straight into the trenches with Palma once again, even beckoning him on. Even a peach of a right hook that connected flush on Rubio’s jaw didn’t deter the 29-year-old as he kept pushing forward. But, despite his forward pressure, Palma’s more accurate, impactful shots continued to catch the eye.
By the start of the fifth round, Rubio appeared to have fully recovered, while Palma appeared a little gassed after trying, and failing, to get the stoppage in the previous round. It opened up the opportunity for Rubio to come forward and land multi-punch combinations. But, despite his success in the round, there was another warning, as Palma landed another big shot just before the bell. With the fight hanging in the balance due to Rubio’s remarkable comeback, both men went to the center of the ring and threw down as they emptied the tank in a bid to secure victory. Palma landed two big shots on Rubio against the ropes, only for Rubio to come storming back again. After the featherweight eight-rounder went to the final bell, it all came down to the judges, who saw the fight for Rubio with scores of 77-73 (twice) and 76-74. Rubio’s stirring come-from-behind win saw him move to 15-0. Meanwhile Palma, despite securing the two early knockdowns, fell to the first loss of his career as he dropped to 14-1.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
Mexican heavyweight Joshua Juarez extended his undefeated record to 15-0 with a workmanlike win over Jardae Anderson after eight rounds. Juarez never looked troubled as he worked his way through the eight-round duration to claim a unanimous decision victory on the scorecards. The action started at a steady pace, with Juarez establishing his jab and keeping Anderson on the back foot for the majority of the first round, then looking to put combinations together in the second. Anderson, meanwhile seemed a little more tentative early, but started to open up towards the end of round two. Round three continued in a similar vein, but following two rounds saw both men turn up the intensity, with Juarez landing some heavy shots on Anderson through the fourth and most of the fifth. But Anderson then landed his best shots of the fight in the final minute of Round 5 as he connected with some big punches to force Juarez against the ropes. Anderson pushed forward in rounda six and seven and landed some decent combinations, but overall, it was Juarez who had the edge as he boxed more effectively behind his jab, with occasional shots downstairs to the body. The final round saw Anderson dig deep in a bid to turn the fight in his favor, but it was Juarez who landed the best shot of the round as he walked the Davenport, Iowa native onto a big right hand. After a wild exchange in the final ten seconds, the fight went to the scorecards, where Juarez was declared the unanimous decision winner, with scores of 79-73, 78-74, 77-75.
Jaycob Ramos vs. Ethan Perez was scored a majority draw: 57-55 Ramos and 56-56 (twice). After losing out on his Zuffa Boxing debut back at Zuffa Boxing 01, Jaycob Ramos returned for his second bout at the Meta Apex and traded knockdowns with undefeated Ethan Perez in an entertaining six-round featherweight scrap that left the judges unable to determine a victor. Perez settled into his Zuffa Boxing debut as he worked behind a solid southpaw jab, while Ramos looked to step in and connect with heavy shots from close range. After a well-contested opening round, Perez unloaded a piston-like stright left hand that sent Ramos to the canvas in the opening seconds of round two. Ramos beat the count and recovered quickly. A big right hand from Ramos found its mark as he gave Perez a moment’s pause against the ropes, and the Dallas native kept the pressure on, despite his early setback. After a strong recovery in the second round – and following an encouraging pep-talk from his corner to let his hands go – Ramos came out in the third and returned the favor with a big right hand that caught a retreating Perez flush as he registered a big knockdown of his own. Ramos pushed the pace through the penultimate round as he backed up Perez with relentless pressure to leave Perez’s coach Robert Garcia telling his man that he needed to win the round to stand a chance of a draw. Ramos’s coach Rich Barrientes, meanwhile, continued his positive approach as he encouraged Ramos to put everything into his final round to secure victory. And with the final seconds counting down, both men swung for the fences in a bid to land a fight-altering knockdown. After an entertaining fight that saw both men land 83 punches, and both register knockdowns, the action went all the way to the judges, who scored the fight a majority draw.
Brady Ochoa vs. Adrian Serrano was also scored a majority draw, with scores of 58-56 Ochoa and 57-57 (twice). No one's 0 had to go as both Ochoa and Serrano emerged with their unbeaten records intact after their tightly-contested six-round lightweight battle ended in a majority draw. Serrano took the center of the ring and didn’t relinquish it as he looked to dictate terms through the opening round. The pair fought on level terms for much of the round, but by the end of the opening three minutes, an accidental clash of heads meant Ochoa returned to his corner bleeding profusely from a nasty cut above his hairline. Ochoa looked to move in and land flashy combinations in round two, but Serrano – the older man at 21 years of age – covered up well and didn’t seem too flustered by the teenager’s flurries. But that changed at the start of the third, when Ochoa started the round with some heavy hooks that found their mark and forced Serrano to take a backward step. Serrano later answered with a couple of solid hooks to the body, but Ochoa took them well and kept moving forward. After four tightly-contested rounds, both men upped the intensity in the fifth, with Serrano visibly planting his feet and loading up with his shots as he unloaded with venom to the body before moving upstairs to the head. Ochoa tried to respond in kind and landed a couple of solid shots, but the 18-year-old’s work wasn’t quite as accurate overall. A big right hand from Serrano put the exclamation point on the end of a strong penultimate round for the California native. It set things up perfectly for the final round, with both corners insisting to their fighters that the fight was still there for the taking. And, in the final three minutes, it was Ochoa who produced the more eye-catching work as he switched to southpaw and landed some decent shots as Serrano looked to adapt and counter. After six rounds of well-matched lightweight action that saw Ochoa land 105 punches to Serrano’s 104, the attention turned to the scorecards, with the judges scoring the first draw in Zuffa Boxing history.
Undefeated Mexican featherweight Emiliano Alvarado followed up on his win at Zuffa Boxing 03 as he made a swift turnaround to capture his second victory under the Zuffa Boxing banner. Alvarado had defeated Devin Gantt in the fourth round back in February, and at Zuffa Boxing 04, the 18-year-old overcame a fast start from Erick Rosado to drop his man en route to a unanimous decision victory after six rounds. Rosado arrived eager to make an impression, and the the 26-year-old from the Dominican Republic looked the livelier fighter through the opening round as he let his shots go and put some flashy combinations together. But in the second round, Alvarado turned up the intensity as he repeatedly ripped Rosado to the body. The teenage Mexican was noticeably the bigger, stronger man, and he put all those advantages into a huge left hook that sent Rosado down to the canvas. For a moment, it wasn’t clear whether Rosado would beat the count, but he eventually did, and the Santo Domingo native tried to fight fire with fire, as he stood and traded shots with Alvarado. But the Mexican’s heavier, more accurate shots found their mark again as the second round came to a close. Rosado showed plenty of grit and determination as he stepped into the pocket and traded with Alvarado through rounds three, four and five, but despite offering plenty of volume, he wasn’t able to pierce Alvarado’s guard too many times, as Alvarado’s constant targeting of the body to open up shots to the head saw him consistently outscore his opponent through the middle rounds. After dominating the fight from round two onward, Alvarado came out of his corner for the final round looking to cap off his performance with a finish. The Mexican loaded up with heavy shots, but Rosado gamely fired back as he made it to the final bell. It meant the fight went the distance, but there was no mystery over the identity of the winner, as Alvarado was awarded the unanimous decision victory with scores of 59-54 across the board from the three ringside judges. Alvarado’s victory gave him the honor of being the first fighter to register two victories in Zuffa Boxing, as he extended his perfect professional record to 11-0.
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Zuffa 04 undercard results from Las Vegas
Vlad Panin TKO9 Shinard Bunch ... “Superbad” Vlad Panin got his Zuffa Boxing career off to a winning start with a ninth-round technical knockout victory over Shinard Bunch (22-4-1) in their welterweight matchup. Panin started swiftly, fighting on the front foot and taking the initiative in the early rounds, while Bunch seemed more content to download information on his opponent as he gauged Panin’s range. “Superbad’ moves on to 24-2, with his 16th career finish.
The opening four rounds were rinse and repeat for Panin as his controlled pressure saw him outwork and outland Bunch, who just didn’t seem to be able to let his shots go. After looking comfortable through four rounds, Panin loaded up and let his fists fly in the fifth as he connected on Bunch with a succession of big shots that threatened to overwhelm his opponent. Then, in the final minute of the round, “Superbad” connected with a huge right hand that sent Bunch’s mouthpiece flying across the ring.
It put Panin comfortably in charge at the half-way point of the matchup, and with Bunch starting to look demoralized in his corner between rounds, the Las Vegas-based fighter pushed forward looking to break his opponent’s spirit. The one-way traffic was eventually halted in the penultimate round when referee Allen Huggins stepped in at the 2:29 mark to spare Bunch further punishment. It gave Panin a fully deserved stoppage victory.
Ricardo Salas TKO8 Jesus Saracho... Ricardo “Magic Man” Salas stopped tough Jesus Saracho in the eighth round of their welterweight matchup. Both men wasted no time as they started trading big punches from the opening bell, with Salas loading up and connecting with some very heavy shots, while Saracho found a home for his counters in an action-packed first three minutes. Saracho turned Salas’s aggression against him mid-way through round two as he landed a big right hand that connected with the top of his opponent’s head and briefly stunned “Magic Man”. That success encouraged Saracho to step in and force Salas onto the back foot, as the 24-year-old southpaw started to hit his stride.
Both men were in full flow by the third, and both Salas and Saracho connected with eye-catching single shots at different points in the round but the back-and-forth action ensured neither man was able to build any sustained momentum. That all changed in the fourth, when Salas hurt Saracho with a huge straight shot that forced his man to back up and retreat for the first time in the fight. It served as huge encouragement to the Mexico City native, who continued to pour on the pressure through Rounds 5, 6 and 7, with the latter seeing him badly hurt Saracho with nasty body shots, mixed in with heavy shots upstairs.
By round eight, Saracho’s ability to sustain the punishment had started to wane. Salas saw his moment and put his foot on the gas to force referee Robert Hoyle to step in mid-way through the round to spare Saracho any more damage. The victory takes Salas to 24-2-2, with 18 wins by KO as the Mexico City native announced his arrival in Zuffa Boxing with an entertaining, hard-fought victory.
Pablo Rubio W8 Adan Palma... Undefeated featherweights went toe-to-toe in a thrilling main card opener as Pablo Rubio got off the canvas twice to defeat Adan Palma via unanimous decision. The fight caught fire almost immediately, as Rubio started quickly, forcing Palma to respond in kind. Despite his relative inactivity compared to his opponent, Rubio pushed forward, throwing multi-punch combinations. But Palma used his more compact frame and shorter reach to rip powerful shot from up close. After tasting the strength of Rubio’s best shots in round one and seemingly deciding he had the defense, and the chin, to handle it, Palma spent the entirety of the next round in the pocket, fighting fire with fire, and enjoying some success with his thudding hooks, which appeared to carry more power than those of his opponent. Rubio was enjoying his best spell in the fight, and two strong rounds in the sixth and seventh suggested that the momentum was swinging towards the Whittier, California native as the fight went into the final round. Then, in the third, Palma turned up the power and connected with a big left hook that stunned Rubio. Palma then closed in and landed a huge leaping left hook to send Rubio to the canvas for the first time in his career. Rubio unwisely tried to fire back, and eventually paid the price again as a short right from Palma sent him to the deck again.
Despite being dropped twice in the fourth, Rubio came out for the fifth and immediately got straight into the trenches with Palma once again, even beckoning him on. Even a peach of a right hook that connected flush on Rubio’s jaw didn’t deter the 29-year-old as he kept pushing forward. But, despite his forward pressure, Palma’s more accurate, impactful shots continued to catch the eye.
By the start of the fifth round, Rubio appeared to have fully recovered, while Palma appeared a little gassed after trying, and failing, to get the stoppage in the previous round. It opened up the opportunity for Rubio to come forward and land multi-punch combinations. But, despite his success in the round, there was another warning, as Palma landed another big shot just before the bell. With the fight hanging in the balance due to Rubio’s remarkable comeback, both men went to the center of the ring and threw down as they emptied the tank in a bid to secure victory. Palma landed two big shots on Rubio against the ropes, only for Rubio to come storming back again. After the featherweight eight-rounder went to the final bell, it all came down to the judges, who saw the fight for Rubio with scores of 77-73 (twice) and 76-74. Rubio’s stirring come-from-behind win saw him move to 15-0. Meanwhile Palma, despite securing the two early knockdowns, fell to the first loss of his career as he dropped to 14-1.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
Mexican heavyweight Joshua Juarez extended his undefeated record to 15-0 with a workmanlike win over Jardae Anderson after eight rounds. Juarez never looked troubled as he worked his way through the eight-round duration to claim a unanimous decision victory on the scorecards. The action started at a steady pace, with Juarez establishing his jab and keeping Anderson on the back foot for the majority of the first round, then looking to put combinations together in the second. Anderson, meanwhile seemed a little more tentative early, but started to open up towards the end of round two. Round three continued in a similar vein, but following two rounds saw both men turn up the intensity, with Juarez landing some heavy shots on Anderson through the fourth and most of the fifth. But Anderson then landed his best shots of the fight in the final minute of Round 5 as he connected with some big punches to force Juarez against the ropes. Anderson pushed forward in rounda six and seven and landed some decent combinations, but overall, it was Juarez who had the edge as he boxed more effectively behind his jab, with occasional shots downstairs to the body. The final round saw Anderson dig deep in a bid to turn the fight in his favor, but it was Juarez who landed the best shot of the round as he walked the Davenport, Iowa native onto a big right hand. After a wild exchange in the final ten seconds, the fight went to the scorecards, where Juarez was declared the unanimous decision winner, with scores of 79-73, 78-74, 77-75.
Jaycob Ramos vs. Ethan Perez was scored a majority draw: 57-55 Ramos and 56-56 (twice). After losing out on his Zuffa Boxing debut back at Zuffa Boxing 01, Jaycob Ramos returned for his second bout at the Meta Apex and traded knockdowns with undefeated Ethan Perez in an entertaining six-round featherweight scrap that left the judges unable to determine a victor. Perez settled into his Zuffa Boxing debut as he worked behind a solid southpaw jab, while Ramos looked to step in and connect with heavy shots from close range. After a well-contested opening round, Perez unloaded a piston-like stright left hand that sent Ramos to the canvas in the opening seconds of round two. Ramos beat the count and recovered quickly. A big right hand from Ramos found its mark as he gave Perez a moment’s pause against the ropes, and the Dallas native kept the pressure on, despite his early setback. After a strong recovery in the second round – and following an encouraging pep-talk from his corner to let his hands go – Ramos came out in the third and returned the favor with a big right hand that caught a retreating Perez flush as he registered a big knockdown of his own. Ramos pushed the pace through the penultimate round as he backed up Perez with relentless pressure to leave Perez’s coach Robert Garcia telling his man that he needed to win the round to stand a chance of a draw. Ramos’s coach Rich Barrientes, meanwhile, continued his positive approach as he encouraged Ramos to put everything into his final round to secure victory. And with the final seconds counting down, both men swung for the fences in a bid to land a fight-altering knockdown. After an entertaining fight that saw both men land 83 punches, and both register knockdowns, the action went all the way to the judges, who scored the fight a majority draw.
Brady Ochoa vs. Adrian Serrano was also scored a majority draw, with scores of 58-56 Ochoa and 57-57 (twice). No one's 0 had to go as both Ochoa and Serrano emerged with their unbeaten records intact after their tightly-contested six-round lightweight battle ended in a majority draw. Serrano took the center of the ring and didn’t relinquish it as he looked to dictate terms through the opening round. The pair fought on level terms for much of the round, but by the end of the opening three minutes, an accidental clash of heads meant Ochoa returned to his corner bleeding profusely from a nasty cut above his hairline. Ochoa looked to move in and land flashy combinations in round two, but Serrano – the older man at 21 years of age – covered up well and didn’t seem too flustered by the teenager’s flurries. But that changed at the start of the third, when Ochoa started the round with some heavy hooks that found their mark and forced Serrano to take a backward step. Serrano later answered with a couple of solid hooks to the body, but Ochoa took them well and kept moving forward. After four tightly-contested rounds, both men upped the intensity in the fifth, with Serrano visibly planting his feet and loading up with his shots as he unloaded with venom to the body before moving upstairs to the head. Ochoa tried to respond in kind and landed a couple of solid shots, but the 18-year-old’s work wasn’t quite as accurate overall. A big right hand from Serrano put the exclamation point on the end of a strong penultimate round for the California native. It set things up perfectly for the final round, with both corners insisting to their fighters that the fight was still there for the taking. And, in the final three minutes, it was Ochoa who produced the more eye-catching work as he switched to southpaw and landed some decent shots as Serrano looked to adapt and counter. After six rounds of well-matched lightweight action that saw Ochoa land 105 punches to Serrano’s 104, the attention turned to the scorecards, with the judges scoring the first draw in Zuffa Boxing history.
Undefeated Mexican featherweight Emiliano Alvarado followed up on his win at Zuffa Boxing 03 as he made a swift turnaround to capture his second victory under the Zuffa Boxing banner. Alvarado had defeated Devin Gantt in the fourth round back in February, and at Zuffa Boxing 04, the 18-year-old overcame a fast start from Erick Rosado to drop his man en route to a unanimous decision victory after six rounds. Rosado arrived eager to make an impression, and the the 26-year-old from the Dominican Republic looked the livelier fighter through the opening round as he let his shots go and put some flashy combinations together. But in the second round, Alvarado turned up the intensity as he repeatedly ripped Rosado to the body. The teenage Mexican was noticeably the bigger, stronger man, and he put all those advantages into a huge left hook that sent Rosado down to the canvas. For a moment, it wasn’t clear whether Rosado would beat the count, but he eventually did, and the Santo Domingo native tried to fight fire with fire, as he stood and traded shots with Alvarado. But the Mexican’s heavier, more accurate shots found their mark again as the second round came to a close. Rosado showed plenty of grit and determination as he stepped into the pocket and traded with Alvarado through rounds three, four and five, but despite offering plenty of volume, he wasn’t able to pierce Alvarado’s guard too many times, as Alvarado’s constant targeting of the body to open up shots to the head saw him consistently outscore his opponent through the middle rounds. After dominating the fight from round two onward, Alvarado came out of his corner for the final round looking to cap off his performance with a finish. The Mexican loaded up with heavy shots, but Rosado gamely fired back as he made it to the final bell. It meant the fight went the distance, but there was no mystery over the identity of the winner, as Alvarado was awarded the unanimous decision victory with scores of 59-54 across the board from the three ringside judges. Alvarado’s victory gave him the honor of being the first fighter to register two victories in Zuffa Boxing, as he extended his perfect professional record to 11-0.
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Welter wins by TKO in Wroclaw |
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Karol Welter TKO3 Evander Castillo... The Hotel Terminal in Wroclaw, Poland provided the perfect setting for local favorite Karol Welter. In a middleweight contest, Welter delivered in front of his hometown crowd by stopping dangerous Venezuelan Evander Castillo with a third-round technical knockout. The bout opened with an extremely focused Welter (21-1), who used his physical advantages to control the early aggression of Castillo, a fighter determined to land his power shots from the opening bell. However, the Polish fighter’s polished technique and his ability to exploit gaps in the visitor’s guard quickly became decisive factors. After two rounds of steady pressure, the finish came in the third. Welter unleashed a combination that left the native of Anzoátegui without answers, forcing the referee to step in at the 44-second mark of the round to wave off the contest. For Castillo, his modest three-fight win streak is over, and his record falls to 21-5.
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Welter wins by TKO in Wroclaw
Karol Welter TKO3 Evander Castillo... The Hotel Terminal in Wroclaw, Poland provided the perfect setting for local favorite Karol Welter. In a middleweight contest, Welter delivered in front of his hometown crowd by stopping dangerous Venezuelan Evander Castillo with a third-round technical knockout. The bout opened with an extremely focused Welter (21-1), who used his physical advantages to control the early aggression of Castillo, a fighter determined to land his power shots from the opening bell. However, the Polish fighter’s polished technique and his ability to exploit gaps in the visitor’s guard quickly became decisive factors. After two rounds of steady pressure, the finish came in the third. Welter unleashed a combination that left the native of Anzoátegui without answers, forcing the referee to step in at the 44-second mark of the round to wave off the contest. For Castillo, his modest three-fight win streak is over, and his record falls to 21-5.
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Las Vegas weigh-in report |
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Here the boxers' weights for the Zuffa show in Las Vegas on Sunday:
Twelve-round Zuffa cruiserweight title bout:
Jai Opetaia (199.5 pounds) vs. Brandon Glanton (200)
Ten-round welterweight bout: Ricardo Salas (145.5) vs. Jesus Saracho (146.5);
Eight-round featherweight bout: Adan Palma (125.5) vs. Pablo Rubio (125.5);
Ten-round welterweight bout: Vlad Panin (146.5) vs. Shinard Bunch (147);
Eight-round heavyweight bout: Joshua Juarez (258) vs. Jardae Anderson (263);
Six-round featherweight bout: Jaycob Ramos (126) vs. Ethan Perez (125.5);
Six-round lightweight bout: Brady Ochoa (134) vs. Adrian Serrano (135); and
Six-round featherweight: Emiliano Alvarado (125.5) vs. Erick Rosado (124.5).
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Las Vegas weigh-in report
Here the boxers' weights for the Zuffa show in Las Vegas on Sunday:
Twelve-round Zuffa cruiserweight title bout:
Jai Opetaia (199.5 pounds) vs. Brandon Glanton (200)
Ten-round welterweight bout: Ricardo Salas (145.5) vs. Jesus Saracho (146.5);
Eight-round featherweight bout: Adan Palma (125.5) vs. Pablo Rubio (125.5);
Ten-round welterweight bout: Vlad Panin (146.5) vs. Shinard Bunch (147);
Eight-round heavyweight bout: Joshua Juarez (258) vs. Jardae Anderson (263);
Six-round featherweight bout: Jaycob Ramos (126) vs. Ethan Perez (125.5);
Six-round lightweight bout: Brady Ochoa (134) vs. Adrian Serrano (135); and
Six-round featherweight: Emiliano Alvarado (125.5) vs. Erick Rosado (124.5).
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IBF to strip Opetaia over dispute with Zuffa |
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Sadly, the IBF will strip cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia of its title over a dispute with Zuffa Boxing, who is planning to offer its own version of boxing championships. Here is the IBF's statement:
The International Boxing Federation (IBF) has withdrawn sanction of the optional defense of the IBF cruiserweight title between champion Jai Opetaia and Brandon Glanton scheduled for March 8, 2026. The initial sanction followed discussions that began on February 11, when IBF President Daryl Peoples, after learning about the contest on social media, reminded Opetaia’s representatives of IBF Rule 5. governing champions and unification bouts. After continued dialogue, on March 3, Opetaia’s team confirmed the fight would not be a unification and that any belt awarded by Zuffa would be “characterized as a trophy or token of recognition.” The IBF has not had any discussion regarding this bout with any direct representative from Zuffa Boxing. However, the organization received assurances from Opetaia’s representatives that this would be the case. The IBF approved the bout under these conditions as the bout would no longer conflict with IBF Rule 5.E.2 which states in part – “For the purpose of unification of titles, the preeminent champions of the WBA, WBC and the WBO may be designated as “elite contenders” and may be permitted to fight for the unified title.”
The press conference held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on March 6th made it clear that the Zuffa world cruiserweight title would still be contested on March 8th. The IBF reserves the right to sanction title bouts alongside other sanctioning bodies that comply with the same mandated regulations followed by the organization. With sanction withdrawn, the Opetaia vs. Glanton bout is now an Unsanctioned Contest. IBF Rule 5.H. states in part - “An Unsanctioned Contest is a fight which the IBF has not formally approved for sanction or where sanction has been formally withdrawn. If a Champion participates in an unsanctioned contest within his prescribed weight limit, the title will be declared vacant whether the Champion wins or loses the bout.” The organization’s rules don’t always yield the preferred or popular outcome, but they provide structure and transparency, serving not just the champion but also those waiting for the opportunity to fight for the title. The pursuit of undisputed status – by unifying the IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO titles – represents the highest ambition in the sport. The IBF is committed to providing professional boxers worldwide with meaningful opportunities to advance their careers.
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IBF to strip Opetaia over dispute with Zuffa
Sadly, the IBF will strip cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia of its title over a dispute with Zuffa Boxing, who is planning to offer its own version of boxing championships. Here is the IBF's statement:
The International Boxing Federation (IBF) has withdrawn sanction of the optional defense of the IBF cruiserweight title between champion Jai Opetaia and Brandon Glanton scheduled for March 8, 2026. The initial sanction followed discussions that began on February 11, when IBF President Daryl Peoples, after learning about the contest on social media, reminded Opetaia’s representatives of IBF Rule 5. governing champions and unification bouts. After continued dialogue, on March 3, Opetaia’s team confirmed the fight would not be a unification and that any belt awarded by Zuffa would be “characterized as a trophy or token of recognition.” The IBF has not had any discussion regarding this bout with any direct representative from Zuffa Boxing. However, the organization received assurances from Opetaia’s representatives that this would be the case. The IBF approved the bout under these conditions as the bout would no longer conflict with IBF Rule 5.E.2 which states in part – “For the purpose of unification of titles, the preeminent champions of the WBA, WBC and the WBO may be designated as “elite contenders” and may be permitted to fight for the unified title.”
The press conference held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on March 6th made it clear that the Zuffa world cruiserweight title would still be contested on March 8th. The IBF reserves the right to sanction title bouts alongside other sanctioning bodies that comply with the same mandated regulations followed by the organization. With sanction withdrawn, the Opetaia vs. Glanton bout is now an Unsanctioned Contest. IBF Rule 5.H. states in part - “An Unsanctioned Contest is a fight which the IBF has not formally approved for sanction or where sanction has been formally withdrawn. If a Champion participates in an unsanctioned contest within his prescribed weight limit, the title will be declared vacant whether the Champion wins or loses the bout.” The organization’s rules don’t always yield the preferred or popular outcome, but they provide structure and transparency, serving not just the champion but also those waiting for the opportunity to fight for the title. The pursuit of undisputed status – by unifying the IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO titles – represents the highest ambition in the sport. The IBF is committed to providing professional boxers worldwide with meaningful opportunities to advance their careers.
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Inoue vs. Nakatani locked in: May 2nd at Tokyo Dome |
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Japanese boxing is preparing for one of the most important nights in its history when undefeated four-division champ Naoya Inoue faces undefeated three-division champ Junto Nakatani for Inoue's world super bantamweight championship on May 2nd at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo. Inoue enters the fight as one of the finest pound-for-pound fighters in the world and the undisputed champion at 122 pounds. Throughout his illustrious career, he has dominated multiple divisions thanks to his power, speed, focus, angility and precision, cementing himself as one of the biggest stars in modern boxing. Nakatani, also comes in undefeated and with the opportunity to capture a world title in a fourth division. The talented, hard-hitting southpaw has demonstrated his quality in several weight classes and now aims to take the biggest step of his career against the undisputed champion.
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Inoue vs. Nakatani locked in: May 2nd at Tokyo Dome
Japanese boxing is preparing for one of the most important nights in its history when undefeated four-division champ Naoya Inoue faces undefeated three-division champ Junto Nakatani for Inoue's world super bantamweight championship on May 2nd at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo. Inoue enters the fight as one of the finest pound-for-pound fighters in the world and the undisputed champion at 122 pounds. Throughout his illustrious career, he has dominated multiple divisions thanks to his power, speed, focus, angility and precision, cementing himself as one of the biggest stars in modern boxing. Nakatani, also comes in undefeated and with the opportunity to capture a world title in a fourth division. The talented, hard-hitting southpaw has demonstrated his quality in several weight classes and now aims to take the biggest step of his career against the undisputed champion.
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Ioka seeks to conquer new weight class on May 2nd |
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The historic May 2nd Tokyo Dome card will also feature Japanese legend Kazuto Ioka seeking to make in Japanese history. At 37 years old, Ioka (32-4-1) will attempt to make history by challenging Takuma Inoue for Inoue's WBC 118-pound title. Inoue (21-2) is the brother of world super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue, who headlines the May 2nd show against three-division champion Junto Nakatani. Ioka has held world titles at 105, 112 and 115 pounds. He was also a WBA regular titleholder at 108.
The card will also include other notable matchups, namely the bout between Jin Sasaki and undefeated Sora Tanaka, as well as the fight between Toshioki Shimomachi and Reiya Abe. There will also be a clash between Yoshiki Takei and China’s Dekang Wang.
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Ioka seeks to conquer new weight class on May 2nd
The historic May 2nd Tokyo Dome card will also feature Japanese legend Kazuto Ioka seeking to make in Japanese history. At 37 years old, Ioka (32-4-1) will attempt to make history by challenging Takuma Inoue for Inoue's WBC 118-pound title. Inoue (21-2) is the brother of world super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue, who headlines the May 2nd show against three-division champion Junto Nakatani. Ioka has held world titles at 105, 112 and 115 pounds. He was also a WBA regular titleholder at 108.
The card will also include other notable matchups, namely the bout between Jin Sasaki and undefeated Sora Tanaka, as well as the fight between Toshioki Shimomachi and Reiya Abe. There will also be a clash between Yoshiki Takei and China’s Dekang Wang.
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Big opportunity for Bunch on Sunday |
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Welterweight Shinard “Showtime” Bunch (22-3-1) just can’t quit his passion. Bunch will introduce himself to a wider audience on Sunday night at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, where he’ll take on Vlad Panin (23-2) in a ten-round welterweight bout. The 26-year old admits that he’s come close to walking away from boxing before, but his love for the sport keeps on bringing him back. “I've actually tried to quit boxing before,” Bunch told UFC.com ahead of his Zuffa Boxing debut in Las Vegas on Sunday night. “I actually tried to stop. I don’t want to box no more. It’s over with. But once you find the love again, it’s not like anything else. It’s your real first love. So I see it’s just different. I tried to stop boxing so I should tell everybody everything they need to know.”
So, what made him come back? “The love for it,” he admitted. “Family, friends, mentors, just the people around me – I know for a fact they want to see me do good. I know for a fact I want to do good, you know, just in life. I have kids. One day I want my kids to be able to say, ‘My dad was this, my dad was that. But all in all, he was a great person,’ you know? From start to finish, I just try to be the best man I can be, every day.”
Bunch’s passion for boxing reached new heights when he was offered the chance to join the Zuffa Boxing roster. As someone who had already checked out Dana White’s industry-changing brand of boxing, he had no hesitation when he was presented the chance to hop aboard the train.
“I’ve been watching Zuffa before I got signed to them,” he said. “I feel like Dana White and Turki (Alalshikh) are elevating boxing in a different kind of way. So, when I got the call, I definitely (accepted).”
For an unassuming character like Bunch, it’s a move that pushes him a little out of his comfort zone. The sporting side of the change will see him testing his mettle inside the ring with opposition that more closely matches his own talent. But it also opens him up to something he hasn’t had to deal with too often before – dealing with the media and telling his own story. “I don't really open up much, so anything that you learn about me, I feel like it’s a bonus,” he admitted. “As a fighter, I can do anything. I can box, I’m known for having knockouts, but not only having knockouts, just being a brilliant boxer. I have all the tools to make me a world champion.”
“I don't really know too much about Panin,” he admitted. “Everybody's here for a reason, so we don't underestimate nobody. But I said we coming to fight, because we’re coming to win. We're not coming for no loss. We're not coming for no draw. We're coming to win. So, you know, good luck to him.”
Bunch heads into his Zuffa Boxing debut with a career record of 22-3-1 with 1 no contest, and 18 knockouts. The New Yorker is confident in his skills, and says that the experience he’s picked up in his 27 pro fights to date will stand him in good stead when he takes on Panin on Sunday night. “I just feel like I can box with the best of them,” said Bunch. “When I'm on my game, it's, it's really hard to turn me down. I feel like my experience in the different type of looks, angles, boxing accolades that I have, I just feel like (they) will play a big part within our fight.”
Bunch is hopeful that he can get his Zuffa Boxing career off to a winning start and says that he wants to inspire people back home that there is a path to greatness from his hometown to the “Fight Capital of the World”.
“I’m here to stay, definitely here to stay.,” he said. “We have a lot of politics in boxing. We have a lot of people that love you when you’re up and hate you when you’re down. So, for anybody that's around me – wins, losses – it's always been the same. It's always been back to square one. It's always been championship mentality.
“So, for just the people around me, I just want to show them that we can do it. Everybody else around me, you know we can do it. The coaches, the guys back home – I train within a gym – it’s possible, coming from where we come from, it's possible.”
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Big opportunity for Bunch on Sunday
Welterweight Shinard “Showtime” Bunch (22-3-1) just can’t quit his passion. Bunch will introduce himself to a wider audience on Sunday night at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, where he’ll take on Vlad Panin (23-2) in a ten-round welterweight bout. The 26-year old admits that he’s come close to walking away from boxing before, but his love for the sport keeps on bringing him back. “I've actually tried to quit boxing before,” Bunch told UFC.com ahead of his Zuffa Boxing debut in Las Vegas on Sunday night. “I actually tried to stop. I don’t want to box no more. It’s over with. But once you find the love again, it’s not like anything else. It’s your real first love. So I see it’s just different. I tried to stop boxing so I should tell everybody everything they need to know.”
So, what made him come back? “The love for it,” he admitted. “Family, friends, mentors, just the people around me – I know for a fact they want to see me do good. I know for a fact I want to do good, you know, just in life. I have kids. One day I want my kids to be able to say, ‘My dad was this, my dad was that. But all in all, he was a great person,’ you know? From start to finish, I just try to be the best man I can be, every day.”
Bunch’s passion for boxing reached new heights when he was offered the chance to join the Zuffa Boxing roster. As someone who had already checked out Dana White’s industry-changing brand of boxing, he had no hesitation when he was presented the chance to hop aboard the train.
“I’ve been watching Zuffa before I got signed to them,” he said. “I feel like Dana White and Turki (Alalshikh) are elevating boxing in a different kind of way. So, when I got the call, I definitely (accepted).”
For an unassuming character like Bunch, it’s a move that pushes him a little out of his comfort zone. The sporting side of the change will see him testing his mettle inside the ring with opposition that more closely matches his own talent. But it also opens him up to something he hasn’t had to deal with too often before – dealing with the media and telling his own story. “I don't really open up much, so anything that you learn about me, I feel like it’s a bonus,” he admitted. “As a fighter, I can do anything. I can box, I’m known for having knockouts, but not only having knockouts, just being a brilliant boxer. I have all the tools to make me a world champion.”
“I don't really know too much about Panin,” he admitted. “Everybody's here for a reason, so we don't underestimate nobody. But I said we coming to fight, because we’re coming to win. We're not coming for no loss. We're not coming for no draw. We're coming to win. So, you know, good luck to him.”
Bunch heads into his Zuffa Boxing debut with a career record of 22-3-1 with 1 no contest, and 18 knockouts. The New Yorker is confident in his skills, and says that the experience he’s picked up in his 27 pro fights to date will stand him in good stead when he takes on Panin on Sunday night. “I just feel like I can box with the best of them,” said Bunch. “When I'm on my game, it's, it's really hard to turn me down. I feel like my experience in the different type of looks, angles, boxing accolades that I have, I just feel like (they) will play a big part within our fight.”
Bunch is hopeful that he can get his Zuffa Boxing career off to a winning start and says that he wants to inspire people back home that there is a path to greatness from his hometown to the “Fight Capital of the World”.
“I’m here to stay, definitely here to stay.,” he said. “We have a lot of politics in boxing. We have a lot of people that love you when you’re up and hate you when you’re down. So, for anybody that's around me – wins, losses – it's always been the same. It's always been back to square one. It's always been championship mentality.
“So, for just the people around me, I just want to show them that we can do it. Everybody else around me, you know we can do it. The coaches, the guys back home – I train within a gym – it’s possible, coming from where we come from, it's possible.”
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Atlantic City weigh-in report |
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Boxing Insider’s Club Boxing Series returns to the Tropicana Showroom in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, March 7t with a six-bout card sanctioned by the New Jersey Athletic Control Board. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster. Here are the boxers' weights:
Justin Figueroa 159 pounds -vs.- Luis Caraballo 159;
John Leonardo 122 -vs.- Edgar Joe Cortes 122;
Josh Popper 235 -vs.- Dillion Pumphrey 330;
Lia Lewandowski 115 -vs.- Indeya Rodriguez 114;
Julio Sanchez III 139 -vs.- Christopher Williams 139; and
Jacob Riley Solis 165 -vs.- Jeremy Ramos 165.
Doors open at 6:00 PM with the first bell at 7:30 PM
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Atlantic City weigh-in report
Boxing Insider’s Club Boxing Series returns to the Tropicana Showroom in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, March 7t with a six-bout card sanctioned by the New Jersey Athletic Control Board. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster. Here are the boxers' weights:
Justin Figueroa 159 pounds -vs.- Luis Caraballo 159;
John Leonardo 122 -vs.- Edgar Joe Cortes 122;
Josh Popper 235 -vs.- Dillion Pumphrey 330;
Lia Lewandowski 115 -vs.- Indeya Rodriguez 114;
Julio Sanchez III 139 -vs.- Christopher Williams 139; and
Jacob Riley Solis 165 -vs.- Jeremy Ramos 165.
Doors open at 6:00 PM with the first bell at 7:30 PM
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Rare win for Taiwan on international stage |
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Jhung Ciou W8 Ryuga Hattori ... Boxing in Taiwan celebrated a rare win on the international stage as local son Jhung Ciou defeated Japan’s Ryuga Hattori (6-4-1) by unanimous decision. It was an eight-round bout held in the minimumweight division. The event, organized by the promotional team Pro Boxing Team Taoyuan in the city of Taichung, represented a firm step forward in the expansion of professional boxing within the island nation. Before a dedicated audience, Ciou (11-2-1) demonstrated technical superiority and great physical conditioning to dominate the scheduled rounds. The bout was supervised by high-level officials, with referee Takeru Okaniwa directing the action in the ring. At the end of the contest, judges Eddie Lang, Saemi Okaniwa, and Koji Tanaka submitted scores of 79-73, 78-74, and 77-73, all in favor of the Taiwanese fighter.
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Rare win for Taiwan on international stage
Jhung Ciou W8 Ryuga Hattori ... Boxing in Taiwan celebrated a rare win on the international stage as local son Jhung Ciou defeated Japan’s Ryuga Hattori (6-4-1) by unanimous decision. It was an eight-round bout held in the minimumweight division. The event, organized by the promotional team Pro Boxing Team Taoyuan in the city of Taichung, represented a firm step forward in the expansion of professional boxing within the island nation. Before a dedicated audience, Ciou (11-2-1) demonstrated technical superiority and great physical conditioning to dominate the scheduled rounds. The bout was supervised by high-level officials, with referee Takeru Okaniwa directing the action in the ring. At the end of the contest, judges Eddie Lang, Saemi Okaniwa, and Koji Tanaka submitted scores of 79-73, 78-74, and 77-73, all in favor of the Taiwanese fighter.
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Tickets on sale for Baumgardner's NYC title fight |
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MVP returns to New York City for MVPW 02 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Friday, April 17th — the inaugural U.S. event for MVPW, the new global platform for women’s boxing. In the main event, unified junior lightweight champion Alycia Baumgardner (pictured) will take on Korea's Bo Mi Re Shin in a ten-round bout at 130, to be contested under equal rules to men with three minute rounds. In the co-feature, unified super middleweight champion Shadasia “The Sweet Terminator” Green will make a ten-round world title defense against former light heavyweight champion Lani Daniels (a former Claressa Shields victim). Tickets on sale now.
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Tickets on sale for Baumgardner's NYC title fight
MVP returns to New York City for MVPW 02 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Friday, April 17th — the inaugural U.S. event for MVPW, the new global platform for women’s boxing. In the main event, unified junior lightweight champion Alycia Baumgardner (pictured) will take on Korea's Bo Mi Re Shin in a ten-round bout at 130, to be contested under equal rules to men with three minute rounds. In the co-feature, unified super middleweight champion Shadasia “The Sweet Terminator” Green will make a ten-round world title defense against former light heavyweight champion Lani Daniels (a former Claressa Shields victim). Tickets on sale now.
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ESPN back in boxing biz with MVP deal |
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MVP and ESPN have entered a long-term partnership to bring the sport’s biggest women's fights and brightest stars to a global stage. The deal will also support the launch of MVPW -- the first dedicated women’s boxing league -- created to showcase elite female talent and tap into the rapidly growing women’s sports audience. The partnership launches on April 5th with the first show taking place in London. Two weeks later, there will be a second event in New York City. The league already features 43 signed fighters, including, according to MVP-- 38 champions and top contenders, bringing together some of the best female fighters in the world under one banner.
MVPW 02 - APRIL 17 IN NEW YORK
According to ESPN, MVPW-02 will take place April 17th at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City with unified junior lightweight champion Alyssa Baumgardner (17-1, 7 KOs) defending her titles against South Korea's Bo Mi Re Shin (19-3-3, 10 KOs) in the main event that will be contested under men's rules with twelve three-minute rounds. New Jersey's Shadasia Green (16-1, 11 KOs) will put her unified super middleweight titles on the line against former light heavyweight champion Lani Daniels (11-4-2, 1 KO) in the co-feature.
MVPW 01 - APRIL 5 IN LONDON
Caroline Dubois vs. Terri Harper and Ellie Scotney’s undisputed title fight top an all-women’s TV bill on Sunday April 5th live on Sky Sports. The card at London's Olympia will be Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions first UK event. Dubois takes on British rival Harper in a ten-round unification bout for the WBO and WBC lightweight titles. In the co-feature, unified super bantamweight champion Ellie Scotney (11-0) will face Mexico's WBA titlist Mayelli Flores (13-1-1), in a ten-round undisputed championship clash contested at 122 pounds. Joining the card will be MVP's former undisputed champion, and the only pro fighter to beat Katie Taylor, Chantelle Cameron (21-1). She fights Czech contender Michaela Kotaskova (11-0-4). Cameron vs Kotaskova will be a ten-round championship bout for the WBO 154-pound world title as Cameron aims to win a world championship in a second weight division. Also on the card, Mexico's IBF super flyweight champion Irma Garcia (25-5-1), will make a ten-round title defense against England's Emma Dolan (8-0). Ticket details will be announced during the kick-off press conference on Friday.
Dubois fights out of London. The 2021 Olympian made her pro debut in February 2022. In August 2024, she won the WBC interim lightweight title, then was elevated to become the WBC lightweight world champion that December. The 25 year-old southpaw successfully defended her title three times in 2025.
Harper, the WBO lightweight champion, fights out of Doncaster. She won the WBC junior lighteight title in 2020. In 2022, Harper moved up four divisions to 154 pounds to win the WBA crown. In September 2024, she moved down to 135 and claimed the WBO lightweight world title. With that win, she became Britain's first three-division women's world champion. Harper made her first title defense at 135 pounds in May of last year.
Scotney is the youngest woman in British boxing history to fight for undisputed, and if she wins, she will become the youngest UK boxer, male or female, in the four-belt era to become undisputed world champion.
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ESPN back in boxing biz with MVP deal
MVP and ESPN have entered a long-term partnership to bring the sport’s biggest women's fights and brightest stars to a global stage. The deal will also support the launch of MVPW -- the first dedicated women’s boxing league -- created to showcase elite female talent and tap into the rapidly growing women’s sports audience. The partnership launches on April 5th with the first show taking place in London. Two weeks later, there will be a second event in New York City. The league already features 43 signed fighters, including, according to MVP-- 38 champions and top contenders, bringing together some of the best female fighters in the world under one banner.
MVPW 02 - APRIL 17 IN NEW YORK
According to ESPN, MVPW-02 will take place April 17th at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City with unified junior lightweight champion Alyssa Baumgardner (17-1, 7 KOs) defending her titles against South Korea's Bo Mi Re Shin (19-3-3, 10 KOs) in the main event that will be contested under men's rules with twelve three-minute rounds. New Jersey's Shadasia Green (16-1, 11 KOs) will put her unified super middleweight titles on the line against former light heavyweight champion Lani Daniels (11-4-2, 1 KO) in the co-feature.
MVPW 01 - APRIL 5 IN LONDON
Caroline Dubois vs. Terri Harper and Ellie Scotney’s undisputed title fight top an all-women’s TV bill on Sunday April 5th live on Sky Sports. The card at London's Olympia will be Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions first UK event. Dubois takes on British rival Harper in a ten-round unification bout for the WBO and WBC lightweight titles. In the co-feature, unified super bantamweight champion Ellie Scotney (11-0) will face Mexico's WBA titlist Mayelli Flores (13-1-1), in a ten-round undisputed championship clash contested at 122 pounds. Joining the card will be MVP's former undisputed champion, and the only pro fighter to beat Katie Taylor, Chantelle Cameron (21-1). She fights Czech contender Michaela Kotaskova (11-0-4). Cameron vs Kotaskova will be a ten-round championship bout for the WBO 154-pound world title as Cameron aims to win a world championship in a second weight division. Also on the card, Mexico's IBF super flyweight champion Irma Garcia (25-5-1), will make a ten-round title defense against England's Emma Dolan (8-0). Ticket details will be announced during the kick-off press conference on Friday.
Dubois fights out of London. The 2021 Olympian made her pro debut in February 2022. In August 2024, she won the WBC interim lightweight title, then was elevated to become the WBC lightweight world champion that December. The 25 year-old southpaw successfully defended her title three times in 2025.
Harper, the WBO lightweight champion, fights out of Doncaster. She won the WBC junior lighteight title in 2020. In 2022, Harper moved up four divisions to 154 pounds to win the WBA crown. In September 2024, she moved down to 135 and claimed the WBO lightweight world title. With that win, she became Britain's first three-division women's world champion. Harper made her first title defense at 135 pounds in May of last year.
Scotney is the youngest woman in British boxing history to fight for undisputed, and if she wins, she will become the youngest UK boxer, male or female, in the four-belt era to become undisputed world champion.
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PFL cuts ties with Francis Ngannou |
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PFL - The Professional Fighters League- published the following statement on its social media today: "The Professional Fighters League had made the decision to part ways with Francis Ngannou," the company stated. "We have great respect for Francis as both an athlete and a person, and we wish him success in the next chapter of his combat sports career. The PFL remains focused on recruiting and signing the best athletes in the sport while continuing to deliver world-class competition for fans around the globe." Ngannou, considered the lineal heavyweight champion in MMA, returned to MMA in 2024 after two huge boxing events in 2023-2024. Though he lost to both Tyson Fury (2023) and Anthony Joshua (2024), Ngannou managed to drop Fury, who at the time was the reigning WBC heavyweight champion. After that, Ngannou was spectacularly knocked out by former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. He then returned to MMA to win the PFL championship when he defeated Renan Ferreira by knockout via ground punches in the first round.
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PFL cuts ties with Francis Ngannou
PFL - The Professional Fighters League- published the following statement on its social media today: "The Professional Fighters League had made the decision to part ways with Francis Ngannou," the company stated. "We have great respect for Francis as both an athlete and a person, and we wish him success in the next chapter of his combat sports career. The PFL remains focused on recruiting and signing the best athletes in the sport while continuing to deliver world-class competition for fans around the globe." Ngannou, considered the lineal heavyweight champion in MMA, returned to MMA in 2024 after two huge boxing events in 2023-2024. Though he lost to both Tyson Fury (2023) and Anthony Joshua (2024), Ngannou managed to drop Fury, who at the time was the reigning WBC heavyweight champion. After that, Ngannou was spectacularly knocked out by former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. He then returned to MMA to win the PFL championship when he defeated Renan Ferreira by knockout via ground punches in the first round.
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Hearn signs reigning UFC heavyweight champ to advisor contract |
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In the wake of Zuffa boxing signing one of Matchroom Boxing's biggest start, Conor Benn, Matchroom's Eddie Hearn (pictured) has struck back. On Thursday, Hearn announced he had entered into an advisory agreement with reigning UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. Zuffa is essentially UFC's boxing arm. There is no intent for Aspinall to cross over into boxing, as a video making the rounds on X (formerly Twitter) shows Hearns saying, "He has a contract with the UFC so this isn't about bringing him into boxing. This is a commercial representation in an advisory capacity to help him across all of his businesses." Hearn's tweet also mentioned a new entity, Matchroom Talent Agency. Presumably, the advisory agreement is between Aspinall and Matchroom Talent Agency.
Hearns was beaming in the videos in which he announced the news. "Time to get what’s yours," tweeted the promoter, implying that he will drive a very hard bargain with UFC for future Aspinall fights.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
FEB. 21, 2026: British boxing star Conor Benn announced he is bolting from Matchroom to fight under the Zuffa Boxing banner. Matchroom and its leader, Eddie Hearn, faithfully defended Benn when he tested positive for banned perfromance enhancing substances. But boxing is not a sport known for loyalty. Here is what Benn wrote: "First and foremost, I want to thank Eddie [Heanr] and the entire team at Matchroom for everything they’ve done for me over the past decade. From guiding me when I first turned pro, to headlining stadium shows, they were not only with me for those highlight moments but stood shoulder to shoulder with me during the tough times. It’s been a journey beyond anything we could have imagined, and for their belief, support, and guidance, I will always be truly grateful, but Zuffa Boxing presented me with an opportunity I simply couldn’t refuse. I’d love Eddie to continue to be part of my team and for our partnership to evolve in this new chapter. I’m filled with excitement and hunger for what’s ahead with Zuffa Boxing. I want the legacy fights, the biggest nights, the biggest stages. I fear no man at any weight, and I’m ready to give the fans the fights they’ve been calling for. I’m in my prime, and together we have bold, ambitious plans."
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Hearn signs reigning UFC heavyweight champ to advisor contract
In the wake of Zuffa boxing signing one of Matchroom Boxing's biggest start, Conor Benn, Matchroom's Eddie Hearn (pictured) has struck back. On Thursday, Hearn announced he had entered into an advisory agreement with reigning UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. Zuffa is essentially UFC's boxing arm. There is no intent for Aspinall to cross over into boxing, as a video making the rounds on X (formerly Twitter) shows Hearns saying, "He has a contract with the UFC so this isn't about bringing him into boxing. This is a commercial representation in an advisory capacity to help him across all of his businesses." Hearn's tweet also mentioned a new entity, Matchroom Talent Agency. Presumably, the advisory agreement is between Aspinall and Matchroom Talent Agency.
Hearns was beaming in the videos in which he announced the news. "Time to get what’s yours," tweeted the promoter, implying that he will drive a very hard bargain with UFC for future Aspinall fights.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
FEB. 21, 2026: British boxing star Conor Benn announced he is bolting from Matchroom to fight under the Zuffa Boxing banner. Matchroom and its leader, Eddie Hearn, faithfully defended Benn when he tested positive for banned perfromance enhancing substances. But boxing is not a sport known for loyalty. Here is what Benn wrote: "First and foremost, I want to thank Eddie [Heanr] and the entire team at Matchroom for everything they’ve done for me over the past decade. From guiding me when I first turned pro, to headlining stadium shows, they were not only with me for those highlight moments but stood shoulder to shoulder with me during the tough times. It’s been a journey beyond anything we could have imagined, and for their belief, support, and guidance, I will always be truly grateful, but Zuffa Boxing presented me with an opportunity I simply couldn’t refuse. I’d love Eddie to continue to be part of my team and for our partnership to evolve in this new chapter. I’m filled with excitement and hunger for what’s ahead with Zuffa Boxing. I want the legacy fights, the biggest nights, the biggest stages. I fear no man at any weight, and I’m ready to give the fans the fights they’ve been calling for. I’m in my prime, and together we have bold, ambitious plans."
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Hitman Hearns signs on for Box Fan Expo |
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Boxing legend and multi-division champion Thomas Hearns will appear at the Ninth Annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday May 2nd. BoxFan Expo will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on the weekend of the cruiserweight title fight between Gilbero "Zurdo" Ramirez and David Beanvidez, which is scheduled to take place later that evening at the T-Mobile Arena. Hearns will hold a meet-and-greet for fans at his booth. Hearns will be making his sixth appearance at this years’ Expo and will be signing gloves, photos, personal items and memorabilia with merchandise for sale.
"The Hitman" became the first boxer in history to win world titles in four wight divisions. He would go on to win world titles in five different divisions. Hearns was named Ring Magazine fighter of the year in 1980 and 1984 and is best known for his fights with Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran. He was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012.
Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online. Jones will be making his sixth appearance at this years’ Expo and will be signing gloves, photos, personal items and memorabilia. He will also have merchandise to sell. Hearns joins Roy Jones, José Luis Castillo, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera as stars who have commited to appear at this year’s Box Fan Expo.
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Hitman Hearns signs on for Box Fan Expo
Boxing legend and multi-division champion Thomas Hearns will appear at the Ninth Annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday May 2nd. BoxFan Expo will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on the weekend of the cruiserweight title fight between Gilbero "Zurdo" Ramirez and David Beanvidez, which is scheduled to take place later that evening at the T-Mobile Arena. Hearns will hold a meet-and-greet for fans at his booth. Hearns will be making his sixth appearance at this years’ Expo and will be signing gloves, photos, personal items and memorabilia with merchandise for sale.
"The Hitman" became the first boxer in history to win world titles in four wight divisions. He would go on to win world titles in five different divisions. Hearns was named Ring Magazine fighter of the year in 1980 and 1984 and is best known for his fights with Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran. He was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012.
Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online. Jones will be making his sixth appearance at this years’ Expo and will be signing gloves, photos, personal items and memorabilia. He will also have merchandise to sell. Hearns joins Roy Jones, José Luis Castillo, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera as stars who have commited to appear at this year’s Box Fan Expo.
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Uprising plans NYC amateur event for May 30th |
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Uprising Promotions will bring its next amateur boxing event to one of New York City's most iconic outdoor venues, announcing Rumble on the River at Seaport Pier 16 in Manhattan for Saturday, May 30th. Once again, the event proudly partners with Bigvision Community, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting young adults in recovery from substance abuse. "We built Uprising Promotions on the belief that boxing can be a force for good," said Ronson Frank, President of Uprising Promotions. "Rumble on the River is another chance to prove that with great fights, a great cause, and a night that means something beyond the final bell." Presented by Uprising Promotions in association with HIIT the Deck Boxing Gym, Rumble on the River will spotlight a lineup of talented New York-based fighters competing in amateur bouts. The full card will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets are on sale now; Businesses interested in supporting this community event can contact Uprising Promotions to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
"Taking this event to the waterfront felt like a natural next step for us. Seaport Pier 16 is one of those settings that just elevates everything around it, and we wanted to create a special experience for our fighters and fans,” said Frank. "New York City shows up for us every single time, and we do not take that for granted. On May 30th, we have a chance to give something back, to our fighters, to our fans, and to the community. That is what drives everything we do."
Any amateur fighters interested in competing on the card should email ronsonfrankboxing@gmail.com. Rumble on the River is supported by Seaport Museum, Hendrick's Gin, Once Upon A Coconut and Paper Planes Apparel.
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Uprising plans NYC amateur event for May 30th
Uprising Promotions will bring its next amateur boxing event to one of New York City's most iconic outdoor venues, announcing Rumble on the River at Seaport Pier 16 in Manhattan for Saturday, May 30th. Once again, the event proudly partners with Bigvision Community, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting young adults in recovery from substance abuse. "We built Uprising Promotions on the belief that boxing can be a force for good," said Ronson Frank, President of Uprising Promotions. "Rumble on the River is another chance to prove that with great fights, a great cause, and a night that means something beyond the final bell." Presented by Uprising Promotions in association with HIIT the Deck Boxing Gym, Rumble on the River will spotlight a lineup of talented New York-based fighters competing in amateur bouts. The full card will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets are on sale now; Businesses interested in supporting this community event can contact Uprising Promotions to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
"Taking this event to the waterfront felt like a natural next step for us. Seaport Pier 16 is one of those settings that just elevates everything around it, and we wanted to create a special experience for our fighters and fans,” said Frank. "New York City shows up for us every single time, and we do not take that for granted. On May 30th, we have a chance to give something back, to our fighters, to our fans, and to the community. That is what drives everything we do."
Any amateur fighters interested in competing on the card should email ronsonfrankboxing@gmail.com. Rumble on the River is supported by Seaport Museum, Hendrick's Gin, Once Upon A Coconut and Paper Planes Apparel.
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Fight-by-fight preview of Zuffa Boxing 04 |
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Zuffa Boxing 04 will take place on Sunday March 8th at the Apex in Las Vegas. IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia will take on Brandon Glanton, but what is at stake will be the inaugural Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight chapionship. [Editor's note: it is unclear if the IBF will continue to recognize the winner of Opetaia-Glanton as its champion]. Opetaia (29-0, 23 KOs) was the first champion signed to Zuffa Boxing. Now the Australian will look add a Zuffa Boxing championship belt to his collection. Standing in his way is hard-hitting Glanton (21-3, 18 KOs), who defeated former light heavyweight champion Marcus Browne via TKO last October. The 34 year-old challenger has claimed each of his last seven victories inside the distance, and has 18 knockouts from his 21 career victories. He’s also never been dropped, and his iron-chinned resilience will receive a stern test against Opetaia, who has knocked out 23 of his 29 foes so far.
Co-feature: Ricardo Salas vs. Jesus Saracho
Two Mexican welterweights take center stage in the co-feature, as Ricardo Salas and Jesus Saracho go head-to-head over ten rounds at 147 pounds. Salas (23-2-2, 17 KOs) hasn’t tasted defeat in his last nine fights, notching seven wins and two draws in a run that stretches back to 2021. He’ll take on Saracho (16-2-2, 12 KOs), a southpaw with a 75 percent knockout rate who fought three times in 2025, drawing one and winning his last two.
Adan Palma vs. Pablo Rubio Jr.
The three-fight main card will kick off with an eight-round featherweight matchup as two undefeated boxers, Adan Palma and Pablo Rubio Jr., do battle in their respective Zuffa Boxing debuts. Palma had a busy 2025, kicking off with a split-decision victory over Sharone Carter before claiming successive knockouts of the previously undefeated Alfredo Castro Villafuerte, journeyman Daniel Olea, and Judy Flores. Now he’s set to face Rubio, who returned from a two-year layoff with a sixth-round knockout of Alfredo Cruz in a fight he had dominated throughout. The California-based featherweights will clash as both men battle to hang on to their undefeated records. But, as the old adage goes, someone’s 0 has got to go…
Preliminary Card
Vlad Panin vs. Shinard Bunch
Experienced welterweights top the preliminary card lineup as Vlad “Superbad” Panin takes on Shinard “Showtime” Bunch over ten rounds. Belarus-born, Los Angeles-based Panin (23-2, 15 KOs) has lost just once in six years, and that was via split decision in March 2025. The 30-year old heads into his Zuffa Boxing debut having bounced back with a pair of first-round knockouts on the California scene. Bunch (22-3-1, 1 NC, 18 KOs) has alternated wins and losses through his last five fights. Despite his rollercoaster form, he heads into Sunday night on the back of a first-round TKO victory in January.
Joshua Juarez vs. Jardae Anderson
The preliminary card will also feature heavyweight action, as Mexico’s Joshua “El Mago” Juarez takes on Jardae “Almighty” Anderson. Juarez arrives in Las Vegas with a 14-0 record, with nine wins coming via knockout. The 28-year old from Laredo, Texas, has stopped each of his last five opponents inside the first two rounds. He’ll face Davenport, Iowa’s Anderson (11-1, 9 KOs), who has stopped five of his last six, with four of them coming in the first round.
Jaycob Ramos vs. Ethan Perez
Jaycob Ramos returns to the Meta Apex hoping the second time will be the charm when he faces Ethan Perez in a six-round featherweight matchup. “The Raging Bull” (4-1, 1 KO), appeared on Zuffa Boxing 01, where he lost out to Troy Nash on the scorecards after an entertaining six-rounder that made history as the first-ever Zuffa Boxing matchup. Now, Ramos will step into the Zuffa Boxing ring for the second time in 44 days as he takes on undefeated Perez (8-0, 3 KOs), who racked up four consecutive wins in 2025. The San Antonio native will look to kick off his 2026 with a big win as he faces Ramos in Las Vegas.
Brady Ochoa vs. Adrian Serrano
Las Vegas lightweight Brady Ochoa will put his unblemished record on the line when he faces fellow unbeaten prospect Adrian Serrano over six rounds at 135 pounds. Eighteen year-old Ochoa has already picked up nine professional wins without defeat, and will look to take his young career into double figures when he takes on 21-year-old Serrano (6-0-1, 3 KOs). Ochoa will step through the ropes having claimed six decision wins in a row, but you can bet he’ll be looking for a knockout when he takes on Serrano, who heads into the bout having stopped each of his last three opponents.
Emiliano Alvarado vs. Erick Rosado
The opening bout of the night will also feature Mexico’s Emiliano Alvarado, who impressed at Zuffa Boxing 03 in February when he stopped Devin Gantt in the fourth round of their 122-pound catchweight contest. Now, just 21 days later, Alvarado is back, and will attempt to become the first fighter to win successive bouts under the Zuffa Boxing banner. He’ll take on the Dominican Republic’s Erick Rosado who is making an even quicker turnaround as he makes his Zuffa Boxing debut just 15 days after his unanimous decision victory over previously undefeated Christopher Glenn in Washington. That means Rosado is hunting his second straight win over undefeated opposition.
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Fight-by-fight preview of Zuffa Boxing 04
Zuffa Boxing 04 will take place on Sunday March 8th at the Apex in Las Vegas. IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia will take on Brandon Glanton, but what is at stake will be the inaugural Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight chapionship. [Editor's note: it is unclear if the IBF will continue to recognize the winner of Opetaia-Glanton as its champion]. Opetaia (29-0, 23 KOs) was the first champion signed to Zuffa Boxing. Now the Australian will look add a Zuffa Boxing championship belt to his collection. Standing in his way is hard-hitting Glanton (21-3, 18 KOs), who defeated former light heavyweight champion Marcus Browne via TKO last October. The 34 year-old challenger has claimed each of his last seven victories inside the distance, and has 18 knockouts from his 21 career victories. He’s also never been dropped, and his iron-chinned resilience will receive a stern test against Opetaia, who has knocked out 23 of his 29 foes so far.
Co-feature: Ricardo Salas vs. Jesus Saracho
Two Mexican welterweights take center stage in the co-feature, as Ricardo Salas and Jesus Saracho go head-to-head over ten rounds at 147 pounds. Salas (23-2-2, 17 KOs) hasn’t tasted defeat in his last nine fights, notching seven wins and two draws in a run that stretches back to 2021. He’ll take on Saracho (16-2-2, 12 KOs), a southpaw with a 75 percent knockout rate who fought three times in 2025, drawing one and winning his last two.
Adan Palma vs. Pablo Rubio Jr.
The three-fight main card will kick off with an eight-round featherweight matchup as two undefeated boxers, Adan Palma and Pablo Rubio Jr., do battle in their respective Zuffa Boxing debuts. Palma had a busy 2025, kicking off with a split-decision victory over Sharone Carter before claiming successive knockouts of the previously undefeated Alfredo Castro Villafuerte, journeyman Daniel Olea, and Judy Flores. Now he’s set to face Rubio, who returned from a two-year layoff with a sixth-round knockout of Alfredo Cruz in a fight he had dominated throughout. The California-based featherweights will clash as both men battle to hang on to their undefeated records. But, as the old adage goes, someone’s 0 has got to go…
Preliminary Card
Vlad Panin vs. Shinard Bunch
Experienced welterweights top the preliminary card lineup as Vlad “Superbad” Panin takes on Shinard “Showtime” Bunch over ten rounds. Belarus-born, Los Angeles-based Panin (23-2, 15 KOs) has lost just once in six years, and that was via split decision in March 2025. The 30-year old heads into his Zuffa Boxing debut having bounced back with a pair of first-round knockouts on the California scene. Bunch (22-3-1, 1 NC, 18 KOs) has alternated wins and losses through his last five fights. Despite his rollercoaster form, he heads into Sunday night on the back of a first-round TKO victory in January.
Joshua Juarez vs. Jardae Anderson
The preliminary card will also feature heavyweight action, as Mexico’s Joshua “El Mago” Juarez takes on Jardae “Almighty” Anderson. Juarez arrives in Las Vegas with a 14-0 record, with nine wins coming via knockout. The 28-year old from Laredo, Texas, has stopped each of his last five opponents inside the first two rounds. He’ll face Davenport, Iowa’s Anderson (11-1, 9 KOs), who has stopped five of his last six, with four of them coming in the first round.
Jaycob Ramos vs. Ethan Perez
Jaycob Ramos returns to the Meta Apex hoping the second time will be the charm when he faces Ethan Perez in a six-round featherweight matchup. “The Raging Bull” (4-1, 1 KO), appeared on Zuffa Boxing 01, where he lost out to Troy Nash on the scorecards after an entertaining six-rounder that made history as the first-ever Zuffa Boxing matchup. Now, Ramos will step into the Zuffa Boxing ring for the second time in 44 days as he takes on undefeated Perez (8-0, 3 KOs), who racked up four consecutive wins in 2025. The San Antonio native will look to kick off his 2026 with a big win as he faces Ramos in Las Vegas.
Brady Ochoa vs. Adrian Serrano
Las Vegas lightweight Brady Ochoa will put his unblemished record on the line when he faces fellow unbeaten prospect Adrian Serrano over six rounds at 135 pounds. Eighteen year-old Ochoa has already picked up nine professional wins without defeat, and will look to take his young career into double figures when he takes on 21-year-old Serrano (6-0-1, 3 KOs). Ochoa will step through the ropes having claimed six decision wins in a row, but you can bet he’ll be looking for a knockout when he takes on Serrano, who heads into the bout having stopped each of his last three opponents.
Emiliano Alvarado vs. Erick Rosado
The opening bout of the night will also feature Mexico’s Emiliano Alvarado, who impressed at Zuffa Boxing 03 in February when he stopped Devin Gantt in the fourth round of their 122-pound catchweight contest. Now, just 21 days later, Alvarado is back, and will attempt to become the first fighter to win successive bouts under the Zuffa Boxing banner. He’ll take on the Dominican Republic’s Erick Rosado who is making an even quicker turnaround as he makes his Zuffa Boxing debut just 15 days after his unanimous decision victory over previously undefeated Christopher Glenn in Washington. That means Rosado is hunting his second straight win over undefeated opposition.
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Junior lightweight title overview |
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Here is a look at the recent lineage of the four major championships in the junior lightweight (130-pound) weight class. The current champions are Emanuel Navarrete (WBO / IBF), O'Shaquie Foster (WBC) and James Dickens (WBA). On March 14th, Dickens faces Anthony Cacace, who won the IBF title in 2024, then vacated it and hasn't lost since. Cacace is recognized as the IBO champion. Boxingtalk will be updating and expanding this recent history of the junior lightweight division from time to time.
MARCH 1, 2026 / WBO & IBF: Emanuel Navarrete unified the junior lightweight crowns with a TKO triumph over now former-IBF champion Eduardo Nunez. The pair arrived at Glendale, Arizona's's Desert Diamond Arena each seeking a second strap amid a crowded division scene. But it was Navarrete who added the additional belt to his collection, with an assured performance. A series of heavy blows in the ninth round damaged Nunez, forcing the doctors to check in on him before the contest was allowed to continue. Navarrete, already a three-weight champion, exploited the issue however, leaving his foe with swollen eyes. The contest was waved off shortly after. Now a two-belt champ and already a three-division champ, the win inches Navarrete closer to Hall of Fame credentials.
WBA / DEC. 8, 2025: James "Jazza" Dickens (36-5) reported that the WBA has promoted him from interim junior lightweight champion to junior lighweight champion. The upgrade was made possible by the WBA unfairly stripping Lamont Roach of the WBA junior lightweight championship. On Saturday, Roach fought Isaac Cruz at junior welterweight in a fight that was scored a draw. The WBA then immediately stripped him, although in other cases, it has allowed boxers to retain their title while fighting at a higher weight. Dickens wrote, "Today I became WBA world champion. The second longest ever wait (14 years, 319 days) after Archie Moore (17 years). No help from promoter, TV network, steroids, no mention from British media. Just a small team of good people, guided by god! Praise be to the king of kings Jesus Christ!"
DEC. 7, 2025 / WBC: On the PBC pay-per-view show in San Antonio, reigning WBC junior lightweight champion O’Shaquie Foster (24-3, 12 KOs), fighting at lightweight, dominated on his way to a unanimous decision over former two-division champion Stephen Fulton Jr. (23-2, 8 KOs). After twelve rounds the judges scored the fight 119-109, 118-110 and 117-111, all for Foster. The win added the questionable WBC interim lightweight title to Foster's collection, although he remains the WBC's 130-pound champion. Fulton came in two pounds above the 130-pound weight limit and the WBC shockingly accomodated this failure by creating the interim title yesterday.
WBA INTERIM / JULY 2, 2025: In an upset, British veteran James “Jazza” Dickens (36-5, 15 KOs) handed 2021 Olympic champion Albert Batyrgaziev (14-1 including IBA pro fights) his first professional loss with a stunning knockout victory to claim the WBA interim junior lightweight world title. The bout headlined Wednesday night’s IBA card at the Rixos Tersane in Istanbul. The finish was as dramatic as it was decisive. Dickens, age 34 and a former IBO featherweight titleholder, timed a perfect combination in the fourth round that left Russian Batyrgaziev unable to respond, forcing his corner to throw in the towel after two knockdowns. Up until that moment, the fight had been tightly contested. Batyrgaziev showcased his usual precision and range control, while Dickens pressed forward, banking on pressure and attrition. But in the fourth, the Liverpool native found the moment he was looking for. A sharp left hook followed by a straight right hand that sent Batyrgaziev to the canvas for the first time in his professional career.
IBF / MAY 28, 2025: In Yokohama, Japan, Eduardo Nunez of Mexico beat Masanori Rikiishi to claim the vacant IBF junior lightweight title over twelve rounds. Nunez picked up the unanimous decision win with the scorecards reading 115-113, 116-112 and 117-111. Nunez is now 28-1 with 27 KOs, meaning this was the first fight he won by decision. The title was vacated by Anthony Cacace, who chose to fight former featherweight titlist Leigh Wood rather than Nunez.
WBO / MAY 10, 2025: Emanuel Navarrete controversially retained his WBO junior lightweight world title Saturday evening with an eighth-round technical decision over Filipino contender Charly Suarez. The fight was halted early due to a cut over Navarrete’s left eye, which referee Edward Collantes ruled was caused by an accidental headbutt. However, instant replay showed Suarez landed a punch just before Suarez's follow through caused a very slight clash of heads. It was difficult to tell whether the punch or the head caused the cut, and the California State Athletic Commission conducted an instant replay review. Boxingtalk is of the opinion that the punch caused the cut, which would have given Suarez the championship by TKO. It was a very difficult decision to make, and Suarez deserves a rematch. The headbutt ruling meant that the winner wouldbe determined on the scorecards. Navarrete prevailed by scores of 77-76 (twice) and 78-75.
IBO / MAY 10, 2025: Ex-IBF junior lightweight champion Anthony Cacace has seemingly brought an end to Leigh Wood's career by stopping the former WBA featherweight champion in round nine in Nottingham, England. The end came with Wood runing away from Cacace and the towel flying in from Wood's corner. Cacace (24-1) retained his IBO junior lightweight title, and now has dispatched Joe Cordina, Josh Warrington and Wood in his last three outings. Wood is now 28-4.
WBA / MARCH 23, 2025: In front of a sold-out crowd at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, amateur rivals Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Lamont “The Reaper” Roach engaged in an exciting lightweight brawl over twelve competitive rounds that ended was scored a draw. The outcome of the fight was swayed by a missed knockdown call when Davis took a knee. It was a slow-paced fight early on, but built to a crescendo by the end, as Roach withstood Davis' power and fearlessly battled back in the exchanges, sometimes getting the better of them. As usual, the southpaw Davis’ punch output was measured at first then increased round by round, whether planting straight lefts to the body or letting Roach lead so he could launch a powerful counter attack. Roach, who remains the reigning WBA junior lightweight champion, earned the respect of fans and pundits alike.
IBF / FEB 1, 2025: Anthony Cacace has vacated the IBF 130-pound title to avoid facing his mandatory contender, Mexico's Eduardo Nunez. Here is how Cacace defended the move: "Becoming a world champion was an absolute dream and incredibly proud moment for me. However, at this stage of my career, I only want the biggest fights possible, regardless of the belt on the line. I’m a prize fighter, and my aim is now to secure mine and families future, and to create a legacy for myself in boxing by being involved in massive fights that fans will remember. I look forward to announcing my next fight very soon."
WBO / DEC. 8, 2024: In Phoenix, Emanuel Navarrete stopped Oscar Valdez in round six with a left hook to the body, retaining his WBO junior lightweight world title. Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs) had already bested Valdez (32-3, 24 KOs) once, by decision in August 2023, but this time, the fighting pride of Nogales, Mexico, did not see the final bell. Navarrete knocked down Valdez three times, including at the end of the opening round. While Valdez succeeded in small pockets, the three-division champion landed the harder, more telling blows. It was a return to form for Navarrete, who bounced back from May's decision loss to Denys Berinchyk for the WBO lightweight title. He came back to the junior lightweight ranks and used his awkward style and looping punches to once again blunt Valdez's aggression.
WBC / NOV. 3, 2024: O'Shaquie Foster (23-3, 12 KOs) is now a two-time junior lightweight champion. Foster regained the WBC world title with a split decision victory over Robson Conceição (19-3-1, 9 KOs) on Saturday evening at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. Two judges scored it 115-113 for Foster, while one scored it 115-113 for Conceição. Conceição dethroned Foster with a hard-fought verdict in July, prompting the rematch less than four months later. By the seventh, Foster began to wear down Conceição. The Brazilian fired back, but Foster consistently defended against Conceição’s right hand, countering sharply with a right of his own. In the tenth, Foster buzzed Conceição with a one-two, but Conceição survived before trading blows in the championship rounds.
WBC / JULY 26, 2024: The WBC Board of Governors has ordered a direct rematch between WBC 130-pound champion Robson Conceciao and the man he controversially beat for the title last month, former champ O'Shaquie Foster. On July 6th, Conceicao upset Foster by split decision to win the WBC title in a tactical affair. Conceicao fell short in world title bids three times before but this time, the judges though he did just enough to win. The verdict that sparked immediate debate. Conceicao (19-2-1, 9 KOs) prevailed by scores of 116-112 and 115-113, while Foster held a 116-112 edge on the third card. Boxingtalk reviewed the fight and scored it 115-113 for Foster.
IBF / MAY 19, 2024: Anthony Cacace (22-1, 8 KOs) is now the IBF champion after stopping Wales' Joe Cordina (17-1, 9 KOs) in round eight in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia. Cacace, from Belfast, Northern Ireland, became a world champion at the advanced age of 35. Punchstats credited Cacace with outlanding Cordina, 282 punches to 113. Cacace was breaking down Cordina against the ropes when the referee delcared the bout over and Cacace the new champion.
WBO / MAY 19, 2024: He tried moving up to 135 pounds, but Emanuel Navarrete (38-2-1, 31 KOs) failed in his attempt to become a four-division champion.On the same day Oleksandr Usyk captured the undisputed world heavyweight championsip, Usyk's 2012 Olympic temmate, Denys Berinchyk defeated Navarrete by split decision to win the vacant WBO lightweight world title in San Diego. Berinchyk prevailed by scores of 116-112 and 115-113, while Navarrete won the third card, 116-112. Navarrete remains the WBO 130-pound champion.
WBA / NOV. 26, 2023: In Las Vegas, Lamont Roach wrested away Héctor García’s WBA super featherweight title in his second attempt at a belt. Roach dropped García in the twelfth round and wound up winning a split decision by scores of 116-111, 114-113 and 113-114 in a technical and strategic fight. [The result is controversial as Roach appeared to knock Garcia down with an improper blow to the back of the head]. The knockdown caused the WBA title to change hands as it allowed Roach to avoid a split-draw. The punch in question was a the left hook that landed with 1:20 left in the fight and drove García into the canvas for the second time in his career. In 2019, Roach came up short in his first title shot against Jamel Herring, also a southpaw
WBO / NOV. 16, 2023... Robson Conceicao of Brazil showed incredible heart, battling through two knockdowns and an apparent broken nose to get a draw against WBO champion Emanuel Navarrete. Conceicao, age 35, is a three-time Olympian, gold medal winner and three time world title challenger. After a legitimate loss to Shakur Stevenson and a controversial one to Oscar Valdez in prior title fights, Conceicao was all smiles after the bruising stalemate. Official scores were 113-113 (twice) and 114-112 (Navarrete). With the draw, Navarrete retains his title.
IBF / NOV. 4, 2023: The IBF 130-pound title remained with Joe Cordina of Wales who edged Edward Vazquez of Texas via a debatable majority decision. After twelve exciting and very competitive rounds in Monte Carlo, the three neutral judges scored it 114-114 and 116-112 (twice) for Cordina. Now 19-2 including the World Series of Boxing, Cordina is regarded as one of the best British fighters today and is a two-time champion. Cordina's first reign ended due to injury, and both of his losses date back to the Word Series of Boxing. Vazquez returns to Texas at 15-2, with both losses being controversial. Most feel Vazquez was robbed against Raymond Ford in 2022.
WBC / OCT. 29, 2023: O'Shaquie Foster was in position to lose by split decision before gaining a thrilling twelfth-round technical knockout victory over Eduardo Hernandez on Saturday. Fighting a Mexican in Cancun, Mexico, Foster and Hernandez went to war in round eleven. Foster was then three minutes away from losing his title to some very bad judging, as he entered the final round trailing on two of the official scorecards by 110-99 and 107-102. Foster led on the third scorecard by 106-103 but that would not have been enought to save his title. So he came out aggressively and kept his WBC super featherweight championship by knocking Hernandez down and then stopping him. It was dramatic stuff from the Houston resident, who is now 21-2 on ths his career. Boxingtalk salutes Hernandez, who is now 34-2, as well as Foster.
WBO / AUG. 12, 2023: Emanuel Navarrete defeated former two-division champion Oscar Valdez in a classic Mexican war held in Glendale, Arizona. Navarrete, a three-division champion, retained the WBO junior lightweight championship by unanimous decision. The official scores were 116-112, 118-110 and 119-109. Navarrete threw 1038 punches according to Compubox, outlanding Valdez 216-140. Valdez finished with swelling plus a deep bruise under his right eye. Valdez has now failed in his last two title fights, vs. Shakur Stevenson and now Navarrete.
IBF/ APRIL 24, 2023: Joe Cordina became a two-time IBF 130-pound champion, winning a unanimous decision over Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov in a thriller of a bout held in Cordina's native Wales. The two men both entered the fight undefeated, as Cordina briefly held the title last year but had to give it up due to injury. The vacant belt was then won by Rakhimov last November, setting up Saturday's match
WBC / FEB. 12, 2023: With the words “ice water” and “shock the world” etched on his trunks, O’Shaquie Foster produced the fight of his life, coolly and methodically outboxing two-division champion Rey Vargas to capture the vacant WBC junior lightweight championship in his first title shot at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Foster, who normally switches to southpaw in his fights, fought orthodox for the entire twelve rounds with the objective of befuddling Vargas. He won by scores of 116-112, 117-111 and 119-109 in a dominant, albeit very competitive win. “I can’t put it into words (what this means),” Foster said in the ring afterward. “I know my mom, my uncle, my grandpa, they are all looking down on me.” Vargas was returning to the Alamodome after winning the WBC featherweight championship in his last bout with a decision victory over Mark Magsayo at the same venue last July. He still holds that title, so a return to 126 pounds may be in the cards for Vargas.
WBO / FEB. 4, 2023: In Glendale, Arizona, Mexico's Emanuel Navarrete (37-1) survived a knockdown and stopped Australia's Liam Wilson (11-2) in a thriller to earn the vacant WBO 130-pound championship. By claiming the title recently vacated by Shakur Stevenson, Navarrete become a three-division champion. Though Wilson lost, he established himself as a skillful and exciting boxer, and earned a return invitiation to the world stage. In round four, Navarrete was knocked down for the first time in his career. As Navarrete lunged forward with a punch, Wilson caught him with a combination that floored and hurt Navarrete. Luckily for him, Navarrete got critical extra seconds of recovery time as his mouth piece needed to be replaced, and Navarrete struggled to put in correctly. Round seven saw Navarrete swing the momentum his way, as blood began to flow freely from Wilson's nose. In round eight, Wilson appeared to be fighting the wrong kind of fight, looking for one big shot while Navarrete landed multiple blows upstairs and downstairs. Navarrete's body work paid off in round nine, as he knocked down Wilson in the first minute with a one-two combination. Wilson got up, but was clearly drained. He absorbed a lot of hard punches, stumbled badly in the middle of the ring, and seemed unable to tie up Navarrete up. When Navarrete trapped Wilson against the rope and began raining in punches, the referee had no choice but to stop the bout.
WBA / JAN. 8, 2023: In Washington D.C., Gervonta Davis defeated WBA 130-pound champion Hector Luis Garcia in a 135-pound bout in which Garcia's title was not at stake. Davis' feared punching power did not produce the knockout the fans were looking for, but it nonetheless proved to be Garcia's undoing. After seven competitive rounds, Davis began consistently landing power punches in round eight. Garcia was staggered but survived until the end of the round. Garcia was guided back to his corner in clear distress and told trainer Bob Santos he could not see. Garcia did not come out for round ten, and Davis was the winner by technical knockout. Davis remains the WBA regular title holder in the lightweight division, while the battered Garcia also retains the WBA junior lightweight title, which was not on the line because this was a lightweight bout. Davis led the cards at the time of the stoppage, 78-74 (twice) and 79-73. Punchstats gave Davis the lead in punches landed, 99-55.
IBF / NOV 6, 2022: In Abu Dhabi, Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov won the vacant IBF 130-pound title after the IBF stripped Joe Cordina for having hand surgery. Rakhimov defeated Zelfa Barrett by ninth-round technical knockout. The new champ is from Tajikistan and boasts a pro record of 16-0-1 with the draw coming in a prior IBF title shot vs. Joseph "JoJo" Diaz last year. Barrett was doing well in the fight as a whole, even knocking Rakhimov down with a huge uppercut early in the contest. But according to DAZN, something happened in the ninth round and Barrett's leg appeared to be injured. It looked like Barrett couldn't put full weight on his right leg, and Rakhimov took advantage with a flurry of hard shots to knock Barrett down twice. At the point the fight was stopped, the referee did not administer a count, although Barrett's corner was ready to throw in the towel. The British Barrett is now 28-2.
IBF / OCT. 5, 2022: Joe Cordina had this to say about getting stripped by the IBF of his 130-pound championship because he had hand surgery (he posted a picture on social media to prove it): "Absolutely gutted. Worked my whole life to become a world champion and I haven’t even had the chance to defend the title Feel like I’ve been robbed !!" Zelfa Barrett will face Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov for the vacant IBF 130-pound championship on a Matchroom show at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Saturday November 5th. Rakhimov (16-0-1, 13 KOs) gets a second opportunity to fight for the 130-pound crown following his draw with an overweight Joseph Diaz last year.
WBC & WBO / SEPT. 23, 2022: At Thursday's weigh-in in Newark, New Jersey, hometown hero Shakur Stevenson could not get below 131.6 pounds, and therefore lost the WBO and WBC 130-pound championships on the scale. His ESPN main event vs. Robson Conceição is still on, with the Brazilian challenger still eligible to win the titles. If Stevenson wins the twelve-round bout, the two titles become vacant. Conceição made weight with a bit to spare at 129.6. [Stevenson won the fight, so the titles remained vacant until February 2023 when O'Shaquie Foster defeated Rey Vargas for the WBC and Emanuel Navarrete stopped Liam WIlson for the WBO].
WBA / AUG. 21, 2022: Hector Luis Garcia of the Dominican Republic dethroned Roger Gutierrez for the WBA 130-pound championship. From San Juan de la Maguana, Garcia (16-0) proved that his dominant win against Chris Colbert in February wasn’t a fluke. Garcia, a former Olympian, dictated the action and survived a late rally to wrest the WBA title from Gutierrez via unanimous decision. Scores were 117-111 (twice) and 118-110.
IBF / JUNE 4, 2022: Wales has a new world champion as Joe Cordina had a dream-come-true moment in Cardiff. Fightng in front of a passionate hometown crowd, Cordina claimed the IBF 130-pound championship from Japan's Kenichi Ogawa with a turn-out-the-lights right hand. The one-punch, knockout-of-the-year candidate came in round two and saw Ogawa struggling to stand up, only to fall back down as the referee reched the ten count. Cordina was outboxed in the first round, but he made it all irrelevant with one punch a round later. He's been credited as the 13th world champion from Wales. Cordina is listed as 15-0, but Boxingtalk recognizes the World Series of Boxing as professional, so we report him as 17-1. Ogawa, a former drug cheat in 2017, is now 26-2-1.
WBC & WBO / MAY 21, 2022: WBO junior lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson unified two titles when he outboxed WBC champion Oscar Valdez via unanimous decision on Saturday in front of 10,102 fans in Las Vegas. After twelve rounds, the judges declared Newark, New Jersey's Stevenson the winner by scores of 118-109 (twice) and 117-110. Stevenson (20-0 including the World Series of Boxing) established the southpaw jab in the early going, and Valdez (30-1, 23 KOs) could not get his offense going outside of pockets of success in the third round. In the sixth, Stevenson spun Valdez into the ropes and knocked him down with a right hand. It was all Stevenson in the second half of the fight, who built an insurmountable lead on the cards. Valdez won the final round on all three judges' cards, but it was too little, too late.
IBF / NOV. 21, 2021... In the Madison Square Garden co-feature, Japan's Kenichi Ogawa became the new IBF super featherweight champion, dropping South Africa's Azinga Fuzile three times on the way to a unanimous decision. Official scores were 115-110 (twice) and 114-111 for Ogawa to claim the vacant title. A former drug cheat, Ogawa is now 26-1-1 but also has a no contest after testing positive in a fight vs. Tevin Farmer in 2017. Fuzile is now 15-2. The title became vacant ealier this year when JoJo Diaz failed to make the 130-pound limit for a fight.
WBO / OCT. 24, 2021: In Atlanta, Shakur Stevenson stopped Jamel Herring (23-3, 11 KOs) on cuts in round ten to become the new WBO junior lightweight champion. There were no knockdowns, but Herring was well behind on the cards and a cut over his left eye was rapidly worsening from Stevenson's punches. Although he was not badly hurt, Herring did not complain much about referee Mark Nelson's stoppage. The undefeated Stevenson is now a two-division title holder (as well as an Olympic silver medalist), having previously won a featherweight title before moving up in weight. As soon as the fight ended, talk began about Stevenson's next foe. The top name on his list is the WBC champion at 130 pounds, Mexico's Oscar Valdez.
WBC / SEPT. 11, 2021: In Tucson, Arizona, WBC 130-pound champion Oscar Valdez started slow but got some home cooking to help him remain a champion. Robson Conceicao was fighting the fight of his life, likely winning the first five rounds although not getting credit from the judges for it. The champion then turned it around. Valdez retained his title Friday evening with a unanimous decision over 2016 Brazilian Olympian gold medalist Conceicao. Official scores were 115-112 (twice) and a corrupt or incompetent 117-110. [Punchstat numbers favored Conceicao widely, 141 punches landed to 83. Valdez's face was completely marked up from the punches he absorbed. The referee did his part to assist Valdez by making a ridiculous and unjustified point deduction againt the challenger for a minor tap to the back of the head. Not even a warning for Conceicao but Valdez did the same thing and suffered no penalty. Valdez probably should not have even been allowed to fight, as he tested positive for a VADA-banned substance last week.
WBO / APRIL 23, 2021: Jamel Herring stops and retires the respected Carl Frampton a former two-division champion. With the win, Herring retained his WBO championship.
WBC / FEB. 20, 2021: In Las Vegas, Oscar Valdez and Miguel Berchelt promised an all-Mexican clash for the ages. They delivered. Valdez knocked out Berchelt with a left hook at the end of the tenth round to win the WBC super featherweight title from Berchelt, who was making his seventh title defense. The hook crumpled Berchelt, who fell face-first to the canvas, and referee Russell Mora immediately waved off the fight. Valdez, a former WBO featherweight champion, is now a two-division champion and a major star in boxing. Berchelt (38-2, 34 KOs) had been badly hurt and knocked down in the fourth, but steadied himself and continued to pressure Valdez (29-0, 23 KOs) throughout the middle rounds. Valdez turned the tide once again in the ninth with a knockdown, and with the tenth round in hand, he lowered the boom.
WBA / JAN. 2, 2021: Venezuela's Roger Gutierrez defeated Nicaragua's Rene Alvarado by an extremely narrow unanimous decision in Dallas on Saturday. Gutierrez, who had a prior loss to Alvarado in 2017, scored three knockdowns this time around and needed every one of them to capture the three scorecards by 113-112. It was a very close fight that had Alvarez ahead but things were still up for grabs going into the final round. A twelfth-round left hook from Gutierrez sent Alvarado to the canvas for the third time and proved to be the difference on the scorecards. With the win, Gutierrez acquires the WBA regular junior lightweight title in a situation hopelessly mucked up by the WBA. Right now Gervonta Davis holds the WBA super championship in this division and also the WBA regular championship at lightweight, but under the WBA rules, a super championship in at 130 pounds should never have been issued. So Gutierrez has a stronger claim to being the WBA 130-pound champion than Davis.
WBA / NOV. 24, 2019: A confrontation between veterans ended with a technical knockout in favor of Nicaragua's Rene Alvarado, who defeated California's Andrew Cancio to become the WBA junior lightweight champion. Alvarado (32-8), never considered true world-class material, surprised the fans in Indio, California by dominating Cancio for seven rounds. As soon as round seven ended, referee Raul Caiz, Sr. made a wise decision and stopped the bout. Alvarado broke down in tears in his corner. At one point, Alvarado was 24-8 but has now reeled off eight straight wins. Alvarado's twin brother is Felix Alvarado, the IBF 108-pound champion, meaning they have duplicated the Charlo brothers' feat as simultaneous twin champions.
WBA / JUNE 22, 2019: A boxing Cinderella story continued in true Arturo Gatti fashion on Friday in Indio, California. In an immediate rematch, Andrew Cancio fought through a bad cut to knock out Alberto Machado and retain his WBA regular 130-pound championship. Cancio, who is not hard to hit, suffered a cut forhead in round two, but he immediately began walking Machado down, landing hard body punches that quickly took all the steam out of Machado. Cutman Carlos Vargas did a phenomenal job stopping the bleeding, and Cancio picked up right where he left off to start round three. A nasty Cancio left hook to the side put his opponent down on one knee, and the deflated Machado got up an instant after the referee reached the ten count. No controversy. The result is similar to their first fight, in which Cancio's body attack stopped Machado in four rounds. Cancio is an unlikely champion: he retired from boxing in 2016 and remains a full-time employee of California Gas & Electric. Cancio (20-4-2) holds a title that it listed by the WBA as secondary to Gervonta Davis' super championship, but Cancio's title is no less legitimate than Davis', as Cancio beat a reigning title holder (Machado) to get his belt while Davis beat a non-champion who had lost his prior fight (Jesus Cuellar) to acquire the super championship
WBO / MAY 26, 2019: Marine Corps veteran Jamel Herring completed his Hollywood story, upsetting WBO junior lightweight champion Masayuki Ito via unanimous decision Saturday evening at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida. It was a highly active yet largely tactical match-up between Ito (25-2-1, 13 KOs) and Herring (20-2, 10 KOs). With Herring’s stamina fading slightly down the stretch, Ito’s best rounds came in the final quarter of the fight, however it was too little too late as Herring won a unanimous decision by scores of 116-112 and 118-110 (twice). Herring accomplished his championship dream on Memorial Day weekend in front of a host of active and reserve U.S. Marines.
WBO / JULY 29, 2018: Masayuki Ito traveled halfway around the world but he will return home with the WBO 130-pound championship. Ito, from Tokyo, defeated Puerto Rico's Christopher “Pitufo” Diaz via unanimous decision (116-111, 117-110, 118-109) on Saturday evening at the Kissimmee (Florida) Civic Center. Ito claimed the title that had been vacated by Vasyl Lomachenko. Ito (24-1-1, 12 KOs) knocked down Diaz (23-1, 15 KOs) in the fourth round and controlled the tempo of the fight. Ito, who was fighting for the first time outside of Japan, was not fazed by the pro-Diaz crowd
WBC / JAN 29, 2017: The WBC 130-pound title now belongs to Miguel Berchelt, who punished Francisco Vargas in Indio, California. The HBO Boxing After Dark fight went on a couple of rounds too long as Berchelt turned Vargas’ face into a bloody wreck. The ringside physician declined two opportunities to stop the fight, and when it was over, the cut above Vargas’ left eye was longer than the eye itself. Berchelt is now 30-1, with lone loss coming in 2014 to non-contender Luis Eduardo Florez. Bechelt’s first defense could be against former WBC champion Takashi Miura, who won an eliminator on the undercard. Another possibility is Orlando Salido, a former featherweight champion who recently drew with Vargas. Meanwhile, Vargas is now 23-1-1, and showed some effects from back-to-back wars vs. Miura and Salido.
IBF / JAN. 14, 2017: Baltimore's Gervonta "Tank" Davis (17-0 with 16 KOs) punished and stopped Jose Pedraza (22-1 with 12 KOs) to claim the IBF 130-pound championship. Just 22 years old, Davis is built like Mike Tyson. He certainly fought in a Tysonesque manner, bulling forward to take the Puerto Rican Pedraza's title in round seven. Davis started aggressively and landed some hard shots in the opening round. Davis continued to show he meant business, hitting Pedraza when Pedraza was down on a slip in round two and engaging in rabbit punches in round three. In the fourth round, Pedraza made some adjustments, landing enough to make Davis shake his head no, trying to indicate he wasn't hurt. In the fifth, Pedraza controlled the action for most of the round until both men put on a display of machismo, thrilling the crowd by trading punches with their hands down. Davis hurt Pedraza badly with a left hook to the ribs, forcing Pedraza to fight the remainder of the round with his right hand down to cover the rib. Davis punished the one-handed Pedraza accordingly, and it looked as though the fight might be stopped by the ringside doctor between rounds. The seventh round eventually got started, and the weakened Pedraza could no nothing but absorb punishment against the ropes. A hard combination punctuated by a right decked Pedraza. The Puerto Rican beat the count but the referee wisely ended the bout immediately.
WBO / JUNE 11, 2016: Ukrainian Vasiliy Lomachenko defeated Roman "Rocky" Martinez in a fifth-round knockout at Madison Square Garden to become the WBO junior lightweight champion. Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic champion, is now a two-division professional champion. Lomachenko made a successful debut at 130 pounds with a spectacular, fifth-round knockout of Martinez. WBC / JUNE 6, 2016: Francisco Vargas and Orlando Salido fight to a draw, allowing Vargas to retain his WBC title. WBC / NOV. 21, 2015: In Las Vegas, Francisco Vargas and Takashi Miura gave boxing fans an instant classic. The Mexican Vargas (23-0-1) took the WBC 130-pound championship from Japan's Takashi Miura (29-3-2). In round one, Vargas nearly knocked Takashi down with a looping right hand. Despite doing his best to make it an early night, Vargas was unable to finish Miura off. Soon, Miura began to time his left hand and he dropped Vargas with a straight right hand at the end of round four. After being cut under his right eye by an accidental clash of heads in the earlier rounds, Miura opened a cut on top of Vargas' eye turning his face into a bloody mask. Rounds 5-8 were all Miura, as the soon-to-be-ex champ landed the cleaner, harder shots for the majority of those frames. But Vargas was not to be denied. He came out blazing in the ninth and dropped Miura with a series of heavy shots. After flopping around on the canvas, Miura made it to his feet and his found his balance. After not punching back for nearly 30 seconds, referee Tony Weeks appeared to stop the bout just when it seemed Miura was getting his feet back under him. IBF / JUNE 14, 2015: In the opening bout of the Showtime doubleheader from Birmingham, Alabama, Jose Pedraza (20-0, 12 KOs) dominated Andrey Klimov (20-1, 9 KOs) from the opening bell to claim the vacant IBF junior lightweight title with a unanimous decision victory. The Puerto Rican Pedraza, making his 2015 debut, triumphed by the scores of 120-108 (twice) and 119-109. The IBF title was last held by Cuba's Rances Barthelemy. WBO/ APRIL 11, 2015: Score one for Puerto Rico in its boxing rivalry vs. Mexico. In San Juan, Roman "Rocky" Martinez won the WBO 130-pound championship by unanimous decision over Mexico's Orlando Salido. Martinez knocked Salido down in the third and fifth rounds, and Salido was also penalized for low blows in the eleventh. Martinez carried the scorecards by tallies of 115-110, 114-111 and 116-109. Salido previously had great success over Puerto Rican rivals, including Juan Manuel Lopez, but having turned pro at age 15, the now 34 year-old Salido has absorbed a lot of punishment over his career. He was taken to the hospital after the fight. Salido is now 42-13-2 with 1 no contest in a long and honorable career. Martinez (29-2-2) now begins his third reign as the WBO 130-pound champion. Both times, his title was taken from him under dubious circumstances (vs. Ricky Burns in 2010 and Mikey Garcia in 2013). WBO / OCT. 17, 2014: Orlando Salido has earned his warrior stripes many times over, but this week, he got a free pass to a paper championship. The WBO handed Salido a title belt in the 130-pound weight class. Salido, who held featherweight titles on multiple occasions, was handed the title because the prior titlist, Mikey Garcia, is embroiled in a lawsuit with Top Rank over his promotional rights, and Garcia intends to move up to 140 pounds anyway. Garcia has not fought since January and has no fight on the horizon. Garcia beat Salido controversially at 126 pounds in 2013 when Garcia, ahead on points, quit on his stool after eight rounds. The bout was allowed to go to the scorecards when it appeared that Salido, although losing most rounds, should have won by technical knockout because the injury to Garcia was caused by a punch. In any event, Garcia moved up to 130 and took the WBO title from Roman Martinez. Last month, with Garcia on the sideline due to the lawsuit, Salido defeated Terdsak Kokietgym of Thailand for an interim title. That title has now been updated from interim to full.
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Junior lightweight title overview
Here is a look at the recent lineage of the four major championships in the junior lightweight (130-pound) weight class. The current champions are Emanuel Navarrete (WBO / IBF), O'Shaquie Foster (WBC) and James Dickens (WBA). On March 14th, Dickens faces Anthony Cacace, who won the IBF title in 2024, then vacated it and hasn't lost since. Cacace is recognized as the IBO champion. Boxingtalk will be updating and expanding this recent history of the junior lightweight division from time to time.
MARCH 1, 2026 / WBO & IBF: Emanuel Navarrete unified the junior lightweight crowns with a TKO triumph over now former-IBF champion Eduardo Nunez. The pair arrived at Glendale, Arizona's's Desert Diamond Arena each seeking a second strap amid a crowded division scene. But it was Navarrete who added the additional belt to his collection, with an assured performance. A series of heavy blows in the ninth round damaged Nunez, forcing the doctors to check in on him before the contest was allowed to continue. Navarrete, already a three-weight champion, exploited the issue however, leaving his foe with swollen eyes. The contest was waved off shortly after. Now a two-belt champ and already a three-division champ, the win inches Navarrete closer to Hall of Fame credentials.
WBA / DEC. 8, 2025: James "Jazza" Dickens (36-5) reported that the WBA has promoted him from interim junior lightweight champion to junior lighweight champion. The upgrade was made possible by the WBA unfairly stripping Lamont Roach of the WBA junior lightweight championship. On Saturday, Roach fought Isaac Cruz at junior welterweight in a fight that was scored a draw. The WBA then immediately stripped him, although in other cases, it has allowed boxers to retain their title while fighting at a higher weight. Dickens wrote, "Today I became WBA world champion. The second longest ever wait (14 years, 319 days) after Archie Moore (17 years). No help from promoter, TV network, steroids, no mention from British media. Just a small team of good people, guided by god! Praise be to the king of kings Jesus Christ!"
DEC. 7, 2025 / WBC: On the PBC pay-per-view show in San Antonio, reigning WBC junior lightweight champion O’Shaquie Foster (24-3, 12 KOs), fighting at lightweight, dominated on his way to a unanimous decision over former two-division champion Stephen Fulton Jr. (23-2, 8 KOs). After twelve rounds the judges scored the fight 119-109, 118-110 and 117-111, all for Foster. The win added the questionable WBC interim lightweight title to Foster's collection, although he remains the WBC's 130-pound champion. Fulton came in two pounds above the 130-pound weight limit and the WBC shockingly accomodated this failure by creating the interim title yesterday.
WBA INTERIM / JULY 2, 2025: In an upset, British veteran James “Jazza” Dickens (36-5, 15 KOs) handed 2021 Olympic champion Albert Batyrgaziev (14-1 including IBA pro fights) his first professional loss with a stunning knockout victory to claim the WBA interim junior lightweight world title. The bout headlined Wednesday night’s IBA card at the Rixos Tersane in Istanbul. The finish was as dramatic as it was decisive. Dickens, age 34 and a former IBO featherweight titleholder, timed a perfect combination in the fourth round that left Russian Batyrgaziev unable to respond, forcing his corner to throw in the towel after two knockdowns. Up until that moment, the fight had been tightly contested. Batyrgaziev showcased his usual precision and range control, while Dickens pressed forward, banking on pressure and attrition. But in the fourth, the Liverpool native found the moment he was looking for. A sharp left hook followed by a straight right hand that sent Batyrgaziev to the canvas for the first time in his professional career.
IBF / MAY 28, 2025: In Yokohama, Japan, Eduardo Nunez of Mexico beat Masanori Rikiishi to claim the vacant IBF junior lightweight title over twelve rounds. Nunez picked up the unanimous decision win with the scorecards reading 115-113, 116-112 and 117-111. Nunez is now 28-1 with 27 KOs, meaning this was the first fight he won by decision. The title was vacated by Anthony Cacace, who chose to fight former featherweight titlist Leigh Wood rather than Nunez.
WBO / MAY 10, 2025: Emanuel Navarrete controversially retained his WBO junior lightweight world title Saturday evening with an eighth-round technical decision over Filipino contender Charly Suarez. The fight was halted early due to a cut over Navarrete’s left eye, which referee Edward Collantes ruled was caused by an accidental headbutt. However, instant replay showed Suarez landed a punch just before Suarez's follow through caused a very slight clash of heads. It was difficult to tell whether the punch or the head caused the cut, and the California State Athletic Commission conducted an instant replay review. Boxingtalk is of the opinion that the punch caused the cut, which would have given Suarez the championship by TKO. It was a very difficult decision to make, and Suarez deserves a rematch. The headbutt ruling meant that the winner wouldbe determined on the scorecards. Navarrete prevailed by scores of 77-76 (twice) and 78-75.
IBO / MAY 10, 2025: Ex-IBF junior lightweight champion Anthony Cacace has seemingly brought an end to Leigh Wood's career by stopping the former WBA featherweight champion in round nine in Nottingham, England. The end came with Wood runing away from Cacace and the towel flying in from Wood's corner. Cacace (24-1) retained his IBO junior lightweight title, and now has dispatched Joe Cordina, Josh Warrington and Wood in his last three outings. Wood is now 28-4.
WBA / MARCH 23, 2025: In front of a sold-out crowd at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, amateur rivals Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Lamont “The Reaper” Roach engaged in an exciting lightweight brawl over twelve competitive rounds that ended was scored a draw. The outcome of the fight was swayed by a missed knockdown call when Davis took a knee. It was a slow-paced fight early on, but built to a crescendo by the end, as Roach withstood Davis' power and fearlessly battled back in the exchanges, sometimes getting the better of them. As usual, the southpaw Davis’ punch output was measured at first then increased round by round, whether planting straight lefts to the body or letting Roach lead so he could launch a powerful counter attack. Roach, who remains the reigning WBA junior lightweight champion, earned the respect of fans and pundits alike.
IBF / FEB 1, 2025: Anthony Cacace has vacated the IBF 130-pound title to avoid facing his mandatory contender, Mexico's Eduardo Nunez. Here is how Cacace defended the move: "Becoming a world champion was an absolute dream and incredibly proud moment for me. However, at this stage of my career, I only want the biggest fights possible, regardless of the belt on the line. I’m a prize fighter, and my aim is now to secure mine and families future, and to create a legacy for myself in boxing by being involved in massive fights that fans will remember. I look forward to announcing my next fight very soon."
WBO / DEC. 8, 2024: In Phoenix, Emanuel Navarrete stopped Oscar Valdez in round six with a left hook to the body, retaining his WBO junior lightweight world title. Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs) had already bested Valdez (32-3, 24 KOs) once, by decision in August 2023, but this time, the fighting pride of Nogales, Mexico, did not see the final bell. Navarrete knocked down Valdez three times, including at the end of the opening round. While Valdez succeeded in small pockets, the three-division champion landed the harder, more telling blows. It was a return to form for Navarrete, who bounced back from May's decision loss to Denys Berinchyk for the WBO lightweight title. He came back to the junior lightweight ranks and used his awkward style and looping punches to once again blunt Valdez's aggression.
WBC / NOV. 3, 2024: O'Shaquie Foster (23-3, 12 KOs) is now a two-time junior lightweight champion. Foster regained the WBC world title with a split decision victory over Robson Conceição (19-3-1, 9 KOs) on Saturday evening at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. Two judges scored it 115-113 for Foster, while one scored it 115-113 for Conceição. Conceição dethroned Foster with a hard-fought verdict in July, prompting the rematch less than four months later. By the seventh, Foster began to wear down Conceição. The Brazilian fired back, but Foster consistently defended against Conceição’s right hand, countering sharply with a right of his own. In the tenth, Foster buzzed Conceição with a one-two, but Conceição survived before trading blows in the championship rounds.
WBC / JULY 26, 2024: The WBC Board of Governors has ordered a direct rematch between WBC 130-pound champion Robson Conceciao and the man he controversially beat for the title last month, former champ O'Shaquie Foster. On July 6th, Conceicao upset Foster by split decision to win the WBC title in a tactical affair. Conceicao fell short in world title bids three times before but this time, the judges though he did just enough to win. The verdict that sparked immediate debate. Conceicao (19-2-1, 9 KOs) prevailed by scores of 116-112 and 115-113, while Foster held a 116-112 edge on the third card. Boxingtalk reviewed the fight and scored it 115-113 for Foster.
IBF / MAY 19, 2024: Anthony Cacace (22-1, 8 KOs) is now the IBF champion after stopping Wales' Joe Cordina (17-1, 9 KOs) in round eight in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia. Cacace, from Belfast, Northern Ireland, became a world champion at the advanced age of 35. Punchstats credited Cacace with outlanding Cordina, 282 punches to 113. Cacace was breaking down Cordina against the ropes when the referee delcared the bout over and Cacace the new champion.
WBO / MAY 19, 2024: He tried moving up to 135 pounds, but Emanuel Navarrete (38-2-1, 31 KOs) failed in his attempt to become a four-division champion.On the same day Oleksandr Usyk captured the undisputed world heavyweight championsip, Usyk's 2012 Olympic temmate, Denys Berinchyk defeated Navarrete by split decision to win the vacant WBO lightweight world title in San Diego. Berinchyk prevailed by scores of 116-112 and 115-113, while Navarrete won the third card, 116-112. Navarrete remains the WBO 130-pound champion.
WBA / NOV. 26, 2023: In Las Vegas, Lamont Roach wrested away Héctor García’s WBA super featherweight title in his second attempt at a belt. Roach dropped García in the twelfth round and wound up winning a split decision by scores of 116-111, 114-113 and 113-114 in a technical and strategic fight. [The result is controversial as Roach appeared to knock Garcia down with an improper blow to the back of the head]. The knockdown caused the WBA title to change hands as it allowed Roach to avoid a split-draw. The punch in question was a the left hook that landed with 1:20 left in the fight and drove García into the canvas for the second time in his career. In 2019, Roach came up short in his first title shot against Jamel Herring, also a southpaw
WBO / NOV. 16, 2023... Robson Conceicao of Brazil showed incredible heart, battling through two knockdowns and an apparent broken nose to get a draw against WBO champion Emanuel Navarrete. Conceicao, age 35, is a three-time Olympian, gold medal winner and three time world title challenger. After a legitimate loss to Shakur Stevenson and a controversial one to Oscar Valdez in prior title fights, Conceicao was all smiles after the bruising stalemate. Official scores were 113-113 (twice) and 114-112 (Navarrete). With the draw, Navarrete retains his title.
IBF / NOV. 4, 2023: The IBF 130-pound title remained with Joe Cordina of Wales who edged Edward Vazquez of Texas via a debatable majority decision. After twelve exciting and very competitive rounds in Monte Carlo, the three neutral judges scored it 114-114 and 116-112 (twice) for Cordina. Now 19-2 including the World Series of Boxing, Cordina is regarded as one of the best British fighters today and is a two-time champion. Cordina's first reign ended due to injury, and both of his losses date back to the Word Series of Boxing. Vazquez returns to Texas at 15-2, with both losses being controversial. Most feel Vazquez was robbed against Raymond Ford in 2022.
WBC / OCT. 29, 2023: O'Shaquie Foster was in position to lose by split decision before gaining a thrilling twelfth-round technical knockout victory over Eduardo Hernandez on Saturday. Fighting a Mexican in Cancun, Mexico, Foster and Hernandez went to war in round eleven. Foster was then three minutes away from losing his title to some very bad judging, as he entered the final round trailing on two of the official scorecards by 110-99 and 107-102. Foster led on the third scorecard by 106-103 but that would not have been enought to save his title. So he came out aggressively and kept his WBC super featherweight championship by knocking Hernandez down and then stopping him. It was dramatic stuff from the Houston resident, who is now 21-2 on ths his career. Boxingtalk salutes Hernandez, who is now 34-2, as well as Foster.
WBO / AUG. 12, 2023: Emanuel Navarrete defeated former two-division champion Oscar Valdez in a classic Mexican war held in Glendale, Arizona. Navarrete, a three-division champion, retained the WBO junior lightweight championship by unanimous decision. The official scores were 116-112, 118-110 and 119-109. Navarrete threw 1038 punches according to Compubox, outlanding Valdez 216-140. Valdez finished with swelling plus a deep bruise under his right eye. Valdez has now failed in his last two title fights, vs. Shakur Stevenson and now Navarrete.
IBF/ APRIL 24, 2023: Joe Cordina became a two-time IBF 130-pound champion, winning a unanimous decision over Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov in a thriller of a bout held in Cordina's native Wales. The two men both entered the fight undefeated, as Cordina briefly held the title last year but had to give it up due to injury. The vacant belt was then won by Rakhimov last November, setting up Saturday's match
WBC / FEB. 12, 2023: With the words “ice water” and “shock the world” etched on his trunks, O’Shaquie Foster produced the fight of his life, coolly and methodically outboxing two-division champion Rey Vargas to capture the vacant WBC junior lightweight championship in his first title shot at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Foster, who normally switches to southpaw in his fights, fought orthodox for the entire twelve rounds with the objective of befuddling Vargas. He won by scores of 116-112, 117-111 and 119-109 in a dominant, albeit very competitive win. “I can’t put it into words (what this means),” Foster said in the ring afterward. “I know my mom, my uncle, my grandpa, they are all looking down on me.” Vargas was returning to the Alamodome after winning the WBC featherweight championship in his last bout with a decision victory over Mark Magsayo at the same venue last July. He still holds that title, so a return to 126 pounds may be in the cards for Vargas.
WBO / FEB. 4, 2023: In Glendale, Arizona, Mexico's Emanuel Navarrete (37-1) survived a knockdown and stopped Australia's Liam Wilson (11-2) in a thriller to earn the vacant WBO 130-pound championship. By claiming the title recently vacated by Shakur Stevenson, Navarrete become a three-division champion. Though Wilson lost, he established himself as a skillful and exciting boxer, and earned a return invitiation to the world stage. In round four, Navarrete was knocked down for the first time in his career. As Navarrete lunged forward with a punch, Wilson caught him with a combination that floored and hurt Navarrete. Luckily for him, Navarrete got critical extra seconds of recovery time as his mouth piece needed to be replaced, and Navarrete struggled to put in correctly. Round seven saw Navarrete swing the momentum his way, as blood began to flow freely from Wilson's nose. In round eight, Wilson appeared to be fighting the wrong kind of fight, looking for one big shot while Navarrete landed multiple blows upstairs and downstairs. Navarrete's body work paid off in round nine, as he knocked down Wilson in the first minute with a one-two combination. Wilson got up, but was clearly drained. He absorbed a lot of hard punches, stumbled badly in the middle of the ring, and seemed unable to tie up Navarrete up. When Navarrete trapped Wilson against the rope and began raining in punches, the referee had no choice but to stop the bout.
WBA / JAN. 8, 2023: In Washington D.C., Gervonta Davis defeated WBA 130-pound champion Hector Luis Garcia in a 135-pound bout in which Garcia's title was not at stake. Davis' feared punching power did not produce the knockout the fans were looking for, but it nonetheless proved to be Garcia's undoing. After seven competitive rounds, Davis began consistently landing power punches in round eight. Garcia was staggered but survived until the end of the round. Garcia was guided back to his corner in clear distress and told trainer Bob Santos he could not see. Garcia did not come out for round ten, and Davis was the winner by technical knockout. Davis remains the WBA regular title holder in the lightweight division, while the battered Garcia also retains the WBA junior lightweight title, which was not on the line because this was a lightweight bout. Davis led the cards at the time of the stoppage, 78-74 (twice) and 79-73. Punchstats gave Davis the lead in punches landed, 99-55.
IBF / NOV 6, 2022: In Abu Dhabi, Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov won the vacant IBF 130-pound title after the IBF stripped Joe Cordina for having hand surgery. Rakhimov defeated Zelfa Barrett by ninth-round technical knockout. The new champ is from Tajikistan and boasts a pro record of 16-0-1 with the draw coming in a prior IBF title shot vs. Joseph "JoJo" Diaz last year. Barrett was doing well in the fight as a whole, even knocking Rakhimov down with a huge uppercut early in the contest. But according to DAZN, something happened in the ninth round and Barrett's leg appeared to be injured. It looked like Barrett couldn't put full weight on his right leg, and Rakhimov took advantage with a flurry of hard shots to knock Barrett down twice. At the point the fight was stopped, the referee did not administer a count, although Barrett's corner was ready to throw in the towel. The British Barrett is now 28-2.
IBF / OCT. 5, 2022: Joe Cordina had this to say about getting stripped by the IBF of his 130-pound championship because he had hand surgery (he posted a picture on social media to prove it): "Absolutely gutted. Worked my whole life to become a world champion and I haven’t even had the chance to defend the title Feel like I’ve been robbed !!" Zelfa Barrett will face Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov for the vacant IBF 130-pound championship on a Matchroom show at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Saturday November 5th. Rakhimov (16-0-1, 13 KOs) gets a second opportunity to fight for the 130-pound crown following his draw with an overweight Joseph Diaz last year.
WBC & WBO / SEPT. 23, 2022: At Thursday's weigh-in in Newark, New Jersey, hometown hero Shakur Stevenson could not get below 131.6 pounds, and therefore lost the WBO and WBC 130-pound championships on the scale. His ESPN main event vs. Robson Conceição is still on, with the Brazilian challenger still eligible to win the titles. If Stevenson wins the twelve-round bout, the two titles become vacant. Conceição made weight with a bit to spare at 129.6. [Stevenson won the fight, so the titles remained vacant until February 2023 when O'Shaquie Foster defeated Rey Vargas for the WBC and Emanuel Navarrete stopped Liam WIlson for the WBO].
WBA / AUG. 21, 2022: Hector Luis Garcia of the Dominican Republic dethroned Roger Gutierrez for the WBA 130-pound championship. From San Juan de la Maguana, Garcia (16-0) proved that his dominant win against Chris Colbert in February wasn’t a fluke. Garcia, a former Olympian, dictated the action and survived a late rally to wrest the WBA title from Gutierrez via unanimous decision. Scores were 117-111 (twice) and 118-110.
IBF / JUNE 4, 2022: Wales has a new world champion as Joe Cordina had a dream-come-true moment in Cardiff. Fightng in front of a passionate hometown crowd, Cordina claimed the IBF 130-pound championship from Japan's Kenichi Ogawa with a turn-out-the-lights right hand. The one-punch, knockout-of-the-year candidate came in round two and saw Ogawa struggling to stand up, only to fall back down as the referee reched the ten count. Cordina was outboxed in the first round, but he made it all irrelevant with one punch a round later. He's been credited as the 13th world champion from Wales. Cordina is listed as 15-0, but Boxingtalk recognizes the World Series of Boxing as professional, so we report him as 17-1. Ogawa, a former drug cheat in 2017, is now 26-2-1.
WBC & WBO / MAY 21, 2022: WBO junior lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson unified two titles when he outboxed WBC champion Oscar Valdez via unanimous decision on Saturday in front of 10,102 fans in Las Vegas. After twelve rounds, the judges declared Newark, New Jersey's Stevenson the winner by scores of 118-109 (twice) and 117-110. Stevenson (20-0 including the World Series of Boxing) established the southpaw jab in the early going, and Valdez (30-1, 23 KOs) could not get his offense going outside of pockets of success in the third round. In the sixth, Stevenson spun Valdez into the ropes and knocked him down with a right hand. It was all Stevenson in the second half of the fight, who built an insurmountable lead on the cards. Valdez won the final round on all three judges' cards, but it was too little, too late.
IBF / NOV. 21, 2021... In the Madison Square Garden co-feature, Japan's Kenichi Ogawa became the new IBF super featherweight champion, dropping South Africa's Azinga Fuzile three times on the way to a unanimous decision. Official scores were 115-110 (twice) and 114-111 for Ogawa to claim the vacant title. A former drug cheat, Ogawa is now 26-1-1 but also has a no contest after testing positive in a fight vs. Tevin Farmer in 2017. Fuzile is now 15-2. The title became vacant ealier this year when JoJo Diaz failed to make the 130-pound limit for a fight.
WBO / OCT. 24, 2021: In Atlanta, Shakur Stevenson stopped Jamel Herring (23-3, 11 KOs) on cuts in round ten to become the new WBO junior lightweight champion. There were no knockdowns, but Herring was well behind on the cards and a cut over his left eye was rapidly worsening from Stevenson's punches. Although he was not badly hurt, Herring did not complain much about referee Mark Nelson's stoppage. The undefeated Stevenson is now a two-division title holder (as well as an Olympic silver medalist), having previously won a featherweight title before moving up in weight. As soon as the fight ended, talk began about Stevenson's next foe. The top name on his list is the WBC champion at 130 pounds, Mexico's Oscar Valdez.
WBC / SEPT. 11, 2021: In Tucson, Arizona, WBC 130-pound champion Oscar Valdez started slow but got some home cooking to help him remain a champion. Robson Conceicao was fighting the fight of his life, likely winning the first five rounds although not getting credit from the judges for it. The champion then turned it around. Valdez retained his title Friday evening with a unanimous decision over 2016 Brazilian Olympian gold medalist Conceicao. Official scores were 115-112 (twice) and a corrupt or incompetent 117-110. [Punchstat numbers favored Conceicao widely, 141 punches landed to 83. Valdez's face was completely marked up from the punches he absorbed. The referee did his part to assist Valdez by making a ridiculous and unjustified point deduction againt the challenger for a minor tap to the back of the head. Not even a warning for Conceicao but Valdez did the same thing and suffered no penalty. Valdez probably should not have even been allowed to fight, as he tested positive for a VADA-banned substance last week.
WBO / APRIL 23, 2021: Jamel Herring stops and retires the respected Carl Frampton a former two-division champion. With the win, Herring retained his WBO championship.
WBC / FEB. 20, 2021: In Las Vegas, Oscar Valdez and Miguel Berchelt promised an all-Mexican clash for the ages. They delivered. Valdez knocked out Berchelt with a left hook at the end of the tenth round to win the WBC super featherweight title from Berchelt, who was making his seventh title defense. The hook crumpled Berchelt, who fell face-first to the canvas, and referee Russell Mora immediately waved off the fight. Valdez, a former WBO featherweight champion, is now a two-division champion and a major star in boxing. Berchelt (38-2, 34 KOs) had been badly hurt and knocked down in the fourth, but steadied himself and continued to pressure Valdez (29-0, 23 KOs) throughout the middle rounds. Valdez turned the tide once again in the ninth with a knockdown, and with the tenth round in hand, he lowered the boom.
WBA / JAN. 2, 2021: Venezuela's Roger Gutierrez defeated Nicaragua's Rene Alvarado by an extremely narrow unanimous decision in Dallas on Saturday. Gutierrez, who had a prior loss to Alvarado in 2017, scored three knockdowns this time around and needed every one of them to capture the three scorecards by 113-112. It was a very close fight that had Alvarez ahead but things were still up for grabs going into the final round. A twelfth-round left hook from Gutierrez sent Alvarado to the canvas for the third time and proved to be the difference on the scorecards. With the win, Gutierrez acquires the WBA regular junior lightweight title in a situation hopelessly mucked up by the WBA. Right now Gervonta Davis holds the WBA super championship in this division and also the WBA regular championship at lightweight, but under the WBA rules, a super championship in at 130 pounds should never have been issued. So Gutierrez has a stronger claim to being the WBA 130-pound champion than Davis.
WBA / NOV. 24, 2019: A confrontation between veterans ended with a technical knockout in favor of Nicaragua's Rene Alvarado, who defeated California's Andrew Cancio to become the WBA junior lightweight champion. Alvarado (32-8), never considered true world-class material, surprised the fans in Indio, California by dominating Cancio for seven rounds. As soon as round seven ended, referee Raul Caiz, Sr. made a wise decision and stopped the bout. Alvarado broke down in tears in his corner. At one point, Alvarado was 24-8 but has now reeled off eight straight wins. Alvarado's twin brother is Felix Alvarado, the IBF 108-pound champion, meaning they have duplicated the Charlo brothers' feat as simultaneous twin champions.
WBA / JUNE 22, 2019: A boxing Cinderella story continued in true Arturo Gatti fashion on Friday in Indio, California. In an immediate rematch, Andrew Cancio fought through a bad cut to knock out Alberto Machado and retain his WBA regular 130-pound championship. Cancio, who is not hard to hit, suffered a cut forhead in round two, but he immediately began walking Machado down, landing hard body punches that quickly took all the steam out of Machado. Cutman Carlos Vargas did a phenomenal job stopping the bleeding, and Cancio picked up right where he left off to start round three. A nasty Cancio left hook to the side put his opponent down on one knee, and the deflated Machado got up an instant after the referee reached the ten count. No controversy. The result is similar to their first fight, in which Cancio's body attack stopped Machado in four rounds. Cancio is an unlikely champion: he retired from boxing in 2016 and remains a full-time employee of California Gas & Electric. Cancio (20-4-2) holds a title that it listed by the WBA as secondary to Gervonta Davis' super championship, but Cancio's title is no less legitimate than Davis', as Cancio beat a reigning title holder (Machado) to get his belt while Davis beat a non-champion who had lost his prior fight (Jesus Cuellar) to acquire the super championship
WBO / MAY 26, 2019: Marine Corps veteran Jamel Herring completed his Hollywood story, upsetting WBO junior lightweight champion Masayuki Ito via unanimous decision Saturday evening at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida. It was a highly active yet largely tactical match-up between Ito (25-2-1, 13 KOs) and Herring (20-2, 10 KOs). With Herring’s stamina fading slightly down the stretch, Ito’s best rounds came in the final quarter of the fight, however it was too little too late as Herring won a unanimous decision by scores of 116-112 and 118-110 (twice). Herring accomplished his championship dream on Memorial Day weekend in front of a host of active and reserve U.S. Marines.
WBO / JULY 29, 2018: Masayuki Ito traveled halfway around the world but he will return home with the WBO 130-pound championship. Ito, from Tokyo, defeated Puerto Rico's Christopher “Pitufo” Diaz via unanimous decision (116-111, 117-110, 118-109) on Saturday evening at the Kissimmee (Florida) Civic Center. Ito claimed the title that had been vacated by Vasyl Lomachenko. Ito (24-1-1, 12 KOs) knocked down Diaz (23-1, 15 KOs) in the fourth round and controlled the tempo of the fight. Ito, who was fighting for the first time outside of Japan, was not fazed by the pro-Diaz crowd
WBC / JAN 29, 2017: The WBC 130-pound title now belongs to Miguel Berchelt, who punished Francisco Vargas in Indio, California. The HBO Boxing After Dark fight went on a couple of rounds too long as Berchelt turned Vargas’ face into a bloody wreck. The ringside physician declined two opportunities to stop the fight, and when it was over, the cut above Vargas’ left eye was longer than the eye itself. Berchelt is now 30-1, with lone loss coming in 2014 to non-contender Luis Eduardo Florez. Bechelt’s first defense could be against former WBC champion Takashi Miura, who won an eliminator on the undercard. Another possibility is Orlando Salido, a former featherweight champion who recently drew with Vargas. Meanwhile, Vargas is now 23-1-1, and showed some effects from back-to-back wars vs. Miura and Salido.
IBF / JAN. 14, 2017: Baltimore's Gervonta "Tank" Davis (17-0 with 16 KOs) punished and stopped Jose Pedraza (22-1 with 12 KOs) to claim the IBF 130-pound championship. Just 22 years old, Davis is built like Mike Tyson. He certainly fought in a Tysonesque manner, bulling forward to take the Puerto Rican Pedraza's title in round seven. Davis started aggressively and landed some hard shots in the opening round. Davis continued to show he meant business, hitting Pedraza when Pedraza was down on a slip in round two and engaging in rabbit punches in round three. In the fourth round, Pedraza made some adjustments, landing enough to make Davis shake his head no, trying to indicate he wasn't hurt. In the fifth, Pedraza controlled the action for most of the round until both men put on a display of machismo, thrilling the crowd by trading punches with their hands down. Davis hurt Pedraza badly with a left hook to the ribs, forcing Pedraza to fight the remainder of the round with his right hand down to cover the rib. Davis punished the one-handed Pedraza accordingly, and it looked as though the fight might be stopped by the ringside doctor between rounds. The seventh round eventually got started, and the weakened Pedraza could no nothing but absorb punishment against the ropes. A hard combination punctuated by a right decked Pedraza. The Puerto Rican beat the count but the referee wisely ended the bout immediately.
WBO / JUNE 11, 2016: Ukrainian Vasiliy Lomachenko defeated Roman "Rocky" Martinez in a fifth-round knockout at Madison Square Garden to become the WBO junior lightweight champion. Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic champion, is now a two-division professional champion. Lomachenko made a successful debut at 130 pounds with a spectacular, fifth-round knockout of Martinez. WBC / JUNE 6, 2016: Francisco Vargas and Orlando Salido fight to a draw, allowing Vargas to retain his WBC title. WBC / NOV. 21, 2015: In Las Vegas, Francisco Vargas and Takashi Miura gave boxing fans an instant classic. The Mexican Vargas (23-0-1) took the WBC 130-pound championship from Japan's Takashi Miura (29-3-2). In round one, Vargas nearly knocked Takashi down with a looping right hand. Despite doing his best to make it an early night, Vargas was unable to finish Miura off. Soon, Miura began to time his left hand and he dropped Vargas with a straight right hand at the end of round four. After being cut under his right eye by an accidental clash of heads in the earlier rounds, Miura opened a cut on top of Vargas' eye turning his face into a bloody mask. Rounds 5-8 were all Miura, as the soon-to-be-ex champ landed the cleaner, harder shots for the majority of those frames. But Vargas was not to be denied. He came out blazing in the ninth and dropped Miura with a series of heavy shots. After flopping around on the canvas, Miura made it to his feet and his found his balance. After not punching back for nearly 30 seconds, referee Tony Weeks appeared to stop the bout just when it seemed Miura was getting his feet back under him. IBF / JUNE 14, 2015: In the opening bout of the Showtime doubleheader from Birmingham, Alabama, Jose Pedraza (20-0, 12 KOs) dominated Andrey Klimov (20-1, 9 KOs) from the opening bell to claim the vacant IBF junior lightweight title with a unanimous decision victory. The Puerto Rican Pedraza, making his 2015 debut, triumphed by the scores of 120-108 (twice) and 119-109. The IBF title was last held by Cuba's Rances Barthelemy. WBO/ APRIL 11, 2015: Score one for Puerto Rico in its boxing rivalry vs. Mexico. In San Juan, Roman "Rocky" Martinez won the WBO 130-pound championship by unanimous decision over Mexico's Orlando Salido. Martinez knocked Salido down in the third and fifth rounds, and Salido was also penalized for low blows in the eleventh. Martinez carried the scorecards by tallies of 115-110, 114-111 and 116-109. Salido previously had great success over Puerto Rican rivals, including Juan Manuel Lopez, but having turned pro at age 15, the now 34 year-old Salido has absorbed a lot of punishment over his career. He was taken to the hospital after the fight. Salido is now 42-13-2 with 1 no contest in a long and honorable career. Martinez (29-2-2) now begins his third reign as the WBO 130-pound champion. Both times, his title was taken from him under dubious circumstances (vs. Ricky Burns in 2010 and Mikey Garcia in 2013). WBO / OCT. 17, 2014: Orlando Salido has earned his warrior stripes many times over, but this week, he got a free pass to a paper championship. The WBO handed Salido a title belt in the 130-pound weight class. Salido, who held featherweight titles on multiple occasions, was handed the title because the prior titlist, Mikey Garcia, is embroiled in a lawsuit with Top Rank over his promotional rights, and Garcia intends to move up to 140 pounds anyway. Garcia has not fought since January and has no fight on the horizon. Garcia beat Salido controversially at 126 pounds in 2013 when Garcia, ahead on points, quit on his stool after eight rounds. The bout was allowed to go to the scorecards when it appeared that Salido, although losing most rounds, should have won by technical knockout because the injury to Garcia was caused by a punch. In any event, Garcia moved up to 130 and took the WBO title from Roman Martinez. Last month, with Garcia on the sideline due to the lawsuit, Salido defeated Terdsak Kokietgym of Thailand for an interim title. That title has now been updated from interim to full.
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ProBox coming to Kissimmee, Florida next month |
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On Friday, March 13th, ProBoxTV returns to Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida, for another installment of “The Contender Series. In the ten-round main event, light heavyweight Najee Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs) of Ellenwood, Georgia, takes on Manuel Gallegos (22-3-1, 19 KOs) of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. In other action, Dominic Valle (12-0, 7 KOs) of Lutz, Florida, will face his toughest test yet against another Sinaloan, Eduardo “Zurdito” Ramirez (29-5-3, 14 KOs) in a ten-round junior lightweight battle. Also featured will be light heavyweight Dante Benjamin (13-0-1, 9 KOs) of Cleveland against Pomona, California’s also undefeated Angel Lozano (8-0, 6 KOs). Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
“Najee is a special talent, a very athletic light heavyweight,” said ProBoxTV CEO, Garry Jonas about the main event. “With his speed and power, we think he’s the future of the division. With him facing Gallegos, this is a rare Puerto Rico vs. Mexico matchup in the higher weight divisions. Najee’s whole family is from the Island and he’s very proud of his Puerto Rican heritage. This will be a super fun, high-energy fight for the fans. Najee is an entertaining action fighter rounding into championship form and this excellent test will continue his development. I can’t wait.”
As for the co-feature, Jonas said, “It’s nice to see Dominic Valle stepping up to 10 rounds. He’s no longer a prospect; he’s stepping up to being an early-stage contender and continuing to develop into what we think will be a force in the division. He’s freakishly large and has a great motor. I’m excited he’s stepping up and it won’t be long before he’s at the top of the rankings.”
Lopez is one of ProBoxTV’s brightest stars, having never appeared anywhere but on ProBox air as a professional. Lopez started boxing at the age of six and began training under his father, Tito Lopez Sr. He went on to compete in 140 amateur bouts, winning two US amateur championships and numerous medals, including gold medals at the 2015 National Junior Olympics and the 2019 Olympic National Qualifiers, where he also received the Outstanding Boxer Award.
Lopez turned pro in 2021 and has taken the fistic hard way to the top. The 26-year-old has never fought outside the ProBox TV promotional banner, meaning he has survived several 50-50 matchups. Known for his speed, power and ability in the ring, Lopez won the WBA Continental North America Light Heavyweight Championship with a TKO 5 over Kalvin Henderson in September 2025. He had previously won the WBA Continental North America Light Heavyweight Championship with a TKO 6 over Gilbert Castillo Rivera in January of this year. Lopez lost his “guiding light,” his father Tito Lopez, on December 12, 2020, at age 54, leaving Najee and brothers Hakim and Casey to navigate as pros without his instruction.
Gallegos is an 11-year veteran who has already faced many of the top names in the division and established himself as a fearsome gatekeeper. He will surely push Lopez to his limits during fierce combat. After debuting in 2014, Gallegos went undefeated in first 17 pro fights, all held in Mexico. In February 2023, Gallegos made his ProBoxTV debut by fighting to a majority 10-round draw with fellow prospect Richard Vansiclen (then 13-0) at the Whitesands Events Center in Plant City, Florida. Two judges had it a draw, one scored it for Gallegos. In July of that same year, Gallegos suffered a TKO 4 loss when he was dropped and stopped by elite top contender Diego Pacheco for the WBC USA & WBO International Super Middleweight Championships.
Gallegos then moved up in weight and split a pair of fights with then-highly touted Khalil Coe, stopping Coe and taking his undefeated 0 in November 2024 for the rematch where he was stopped in six rounds by Coe in May 2025. Gallegos was last seen against Mexican journeyman Cesar Chavez in two rounds last December.
Before turning professional in 2021, Dominic Valle won the 2016 National Silver Gloves, as well as the 2018 National Junior Olympics, and finished with an amateur record of 43-3. A father, husband and one of three fighting brothers (including older brother Marques and younger brother Kenyan), Valle is a proud Puerto, who is coached by Marc Farrait and trains in Lutz, Florida, alongside ProBoxTV stars Najee Lopez, Darrelle Valsaint.
Remarkably, in his spare time, Valle models for celebrity brands such as Michael Jordan, as well as major companies like Adidas, Nike, ASOS and Calvin Klein. Valle will be making his 13th consecutive appearance on ProBoxTV air against Dudo on March 13. Notable highlights of his professional career include a KO 2 over (1:33) over Jenel Lausa (then 11-1-1) in December 2023. He then returned to the same site for a second-round stoppage over Angel Vazquez Lupercio (then 12-1) in April 2024. A confessed boxer/puncher, Valle was last seen in November of last year, scoring an eight-round unanimous decision over veteran Rene Alvardo at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, Florida.
ADDITIONAL BOUTS
Opening the 50/50 action will be junior middleweight Jeovanny Estela (14-2, 5 KOs) defending his home turf against Paraguay-based slugger Jorge Rodrigo Sosa (8-14, 8 KOs) plus... homegrown super bantamweight Kenyan Valle (2-0, 1 KO) facing Anel Dudo (4-6-1, 1 KO) of Colorado via Sarajevo... Bantamweight Christian Chessa (6-0, 6 KOs) and Florida-based Miguel Paredes will also appear in separate fights.
Osceola Heritage Park is located at 1875 Silver Spur Ln, in Kissimmee. PH: Phone: (321) 697-3333. On fight night, the action starts at 6 pm EST.
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ProBox coming to Kissimmee, Florida next month
On Friday, March 13th, ProBoxTV returns to Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida, for another installment of “The Contender Series. In the ten-round main event, light heavyweight Najee Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs) of Ellenwood, Georgia, takes on Manuel Gallegos (22-3-1, 19 KOs) of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. In other action, Dominic Valle (12-0, 7 KOs) of Lutz, Florida, will face his toughest test yet against another Sinaloan, Eduardo “Zurdito” Ramirez (29-5-3, 14 KOs) in a ten-round junior lightweight battle. Also featured will be light heavyweight Dante Benjamin (13-0-1, 9 KOs) of Cleveland against Pomona, California’s also undefeated Angel Lozano (8-0, 6 KOs). Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
“Najee is a special talent, a very athletic light heavyweight,” said ProBoxTV CEO, Garry Jonas about the main event. “With his speed and power, we think he’s the future of the division. With him facing Gallegos, this is a rare Puerto Rico vs. Mexico matchup in the higher weight divisions. Najee’s whole family is from the Island and he’s very proud of his Puerto Rican heritage. This will be a super fun, high-energy fight for the fans. Najee is an entertaining action fighter rounding into championship form and this excellent test will continue his development. I can’t wait.”
As for the co-feature, Jonas said, “It’s nice to see Dominic Valle stepping up to 10 rounds. He’s no longer a prospect; he’s stepping up to being an early-stage contender and continuing to develop into what we think will be a force in the division. He’s freakishly large and has a great motor. I’m excited he’s stepping up and it won’t be long before he’s at the top of the rankings.”
Lopez is one of ProBoxTV’s brightest stars, having never appeared anywhere but on ProBox air as a professional. Lopez started boxing at the age of six and began training under his father, Tito Lopez Sr. He went on to compete in 140 amateur bouts, winning two US amateur championships and numerous medals, including gold medals at the 2015 National Junior Olympics and the 2019 Olympic National Qualifiers, where he also received the Outstanding Boxer Award.
Lopez turned pro in 2021 and has taken the fistic hard way to the top. The 26-year-old has never fought outside the ProBox TV promotional banner, meaning he has survived several 50-50 matchups. Known for his speed, power and ability in the ring, Lopez won the WBA Continental North America Light Heavyweight Championship with a TKO 5 over Kalvin Henderson in September 2025. He had previously won the WBA Continental North America Light Heavyweight Championship with a TKO 6 over Gilbert Castillo Rivera in January of this year. Lopez lost his “guiding light,” his father Tito Lopez, on December 12, 2020, at age 54, leaving Najee and brothers Hakim and Casey to navigate as pros without his instruction.
Gallegos is an 11-year veteran who has already faced many of the top names in the division and established himself as a fearsome gatekeeper. He will surely push Lopez to his limits during fierce combat. After debuting in 2014, Gallegos went undefeated in first 17 pro fights, all held in Mexico. In February 2023, Gallegos made his ProBoxTV debut by fighting to a majority 10-round draw with fellow prospect Richard Vansiclen (then 13-0) at the Whitesands Events Center in Plant City, Florida. Two judges had it a draw, one scored it for Gallegos. In July of that same year, Gallegos suffered a TKO 4 loss when he was dropped and stopped by elite top contender Diego Pacheco for the WBC USA & WBO International Super Middleweight Championships.
Gallegos then moved up in weight and split a pair of fights with then-highly touted Khalil Coe, stopping Coe and taking his undefeated 0 in November 2024 for the rematch where he was stopped in six rounds by Coe in May 2025. Gallegos was last seen against Mexican journeyman Cesar Chavez in two rounds last December.
Before turning professional in 2021, Dominic Valle won the 2016 National Silver Gloves, as well as the 2018 National Junior Olympics, and finished with an amateur record of 43-3. A father, husband and one of three fighting brothers (including older brother Marques and younger brother Kenyan), Valle is a proud Puerto, who is coached by Marc Farrait and trains in Lutz, Florida, alongside ProBoxTV stars Najee Lopez, Darrelle Valsaint.
Remarkably, in his spare time, Valle models for celebrity brands such as Michael Jordan, as well as major companies like Adidas, Nike, ASOS and Calvin Klein. Valle will be making his 13th consecutive appearance on ProBoxTV air against Dudo on March 13. Notable highlights of his professional career include a KO 2 over (1:33) over Jenel Lausa (then 11-1-1) in December 2023. He then returned to the same site for a second-round stoppage over Angel Vazquez Lupercio (then 12-1) in April 2024. A confessed boxer/puncher, Valle was last seen in November of last year, scoring an eight-round unanimous decision over veteran Rene Alvardo at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, Florida.
ADDITIONAL BOUTS
Opening the 50/50 action will be junior middleweight Jeovanny Estela (14-2, 5 KOs) defending his home turf against Paraguay-based slugger Jorge Rodrigo Sosa (8-14, 8 KOs) plus... homegrown super bantamweight Kenyan Valle (2-0, 1 KO) facing Anel Dudo (4-6-1, 1 KO) of Colorado via Sarajevo... Bantamweight Christian Chessa (6-0, 6 KOs) and Florida-based Miguel Paredes will also appear in separate fights.
Osceola Heritage Park is located at 1875 Silver Spur Ln, in Kissimmee. PH: Phone: (321) 697-3333. On fight night, the action starts at 6 pm EST.
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Brian Norman co-founds Throwback Boxing Promotions |
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Former WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. has formed a new promotional company, Throwback Boxing Promotions, along with veteran boxing promoter Jolene Mizzone. They have also announced the new outfit’s first signing, Edwin De Los Santos. With the combined experience of Norman, who fought his way up the rankings from unknown to WBO champion, and Mizzone, who worked her way up in the sport while contributing to every facet of the business, Throwback Boxing Promotions will seek to put the interests of fighters ahead of all else, both inside of and outside the ring. This perspective on the often-chaotic nature of boxing promotion has the company saying that it will take a smaller percentage of fighter earnings.
“This is Throwback Boxing Promotions and that word throwback means so much to me,” said the company CEO Norman. “There are a lot of old school fighters that lost to the business of boxing and couldn’t get an opportunity to show their talents. We will be the ones that give those hidden gems their opportunity to shine. We are doing this for you.”
“When Brian asked me to come on board, we spoke a lot about the name and how we need to be different than others,” said Mizzone, who will serve as the President of Throwback Boxing Promotions. “We both decided that the way to be different is to always have the fighters’ best interest. We don’t win unless our fighters win. We take less so they can earn more – because real leadership isn’t about percentages, it’s about principles. We stand on loyalty, transparency and truly protecting fighters who trust us with their careers. We both started from the bottom and worked our way up. Why can’t others do the same?”
Norman and Mizzone have wasted no time making a splash, getting right into the thick of the business by signing De Los Santos to a co-promotional contract with Zuffa Boxing. De Los Santos has scored upsets over numerous previously unbeaten fighters, including ex-champ “Rayo” Valenzuela. De Los Santos also performed well in a loss to challenge yet to undefeated four-division champion Shakur Stevenson.
With this new team at his back, De Los Santos looks forward to dominating the ring and ascending to the top of the sport in 2026. “I’m excited to work with Brian Norman Jr.,” said De Los Santos. “He has shown to be a brother in this transition. I consider myself a throwback fighter. I’ll fight the best, anywhere, anytime. The name fits who we are. Respect to Zuffa & Throwback Boxing Promotions.”
“Edwin De La Santos being the first signee of Throwback Promotions speaks volumes,” said Norman. “He is the epitome of what we represent. Rugged hard work and a strong mind. The sky's the limit for him!”
“I want to thank Edwin for having faith in us and trusting us,” said Mizzone. “He is the type of fighter that makes my job fun. He will fight anyone, anytime, anywhere! I am looking forward to this journey with him.”
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Brian Norman co-founds Throwback Boxing Promotions
Former WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. has formed a new promotional company, Throwback Boxing Promotions, along with veteran boxing promoter Jolene Mizzone. They have also announced the new outfit’s first signing, Edwin De Los Santos. With the combined experience of Norman, who fought his way up the rankings from unknown to WBO champion, and Mizzone, who worked her way up in the sport while contributing to every facet of the business, Throwback Boxing Promotions will seek to put the interests of fighters ahead of all else, both inside of and outside the ring. This perspective on the often-chaotic nature of boxing promotion has the company saying that it will take a smaller percentage of fighter earnings.
“This is Throwback Boxing Promotions and that word throwback means so much to me,” said the company CEO Norman. “There are a lot of old school fighters that lost to the business of boxing and couldn’t get an opportunity to show their talents. We will be the ones that give those hidden gems their opportunity to shine. We are doing this for you.”
“When Brian asked me to come on board, we spoke a lot about the name and how we need to be different than others,” said Mizzone, who will serve as the President of Throwback Boxing Promotions. “We both decided that the way to be different is to always have the fighters’ best interest. We don’t win unless our fighters win. We take less so they can earn more – because real leadership isn’t about percentages, it’s about principles. We stand on loyalty, transparency and truly protecting fighters who trust us with their careers. We both started from the bottom and worked our way up. Why can’t others do the same?”
Norman and Mizzone have wasted no time making a splash, getting right into the thick of the business by signing De Los Santos to a co-promotional contract with Zuffa Boxing. De Los Santos has scored upsets over numerous previously unbeaten fighters, including ex-champ “Rayo” Valenzuela. De Los Santos also performed well in a loss to challenge yet to undefeated four-division champion Shakur Stevenson.
With this new team at his back, De Los Santos looks forward to dominating the ring and ascending to the top of the sport in 2026. “I’m excited to work with Brian Norman Jr.,” said De Los Santos. “He has shown to be a brother in this transition. I consider myself a throwback fighter. I’ll fight the best, anywhere, anytime. The name fits who we are. Respect to Zuffa & Throwback Boxing Promotions.”
“Edwin De La Santos being the first signee of Throwback Promotions speaks volumes,” said Norman. “He is the epitome of what we represent. Rugged hard work and a strong mind. The sky's the limit for him!”
“I want to thank Edwin for having faith in us and trusting us,” said Mizzone. “He is the type of fighter that makes my job fun. He will fight anyone, anytime, anywhere! I am looking forward to this journey with him.”
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Boxingtalk belatedly salutes two-division champ Edith Soledad Matthysse |
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Boxingtalk belatedly salutes Argentina's Edith Soledad Matthysse, who etched a second championship reign into her career at the age of 45, three weight classes up from her original championship division. On February 22nd, Matthysse captured the WBA junior welterweight world title with a commanding performance over previously undefeated American contender Samantha Worthington. The bout came to an abrupt conclusion when Worthington’s corner informed the referee that their fighter would not answer the bell for the ninth round at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Worthington’s team cited accumulated punishment and their fighter’s inability to respond effectively to the Argentine’s sustained dominance. Matthysse, who has a very ordinary record of 21-16-1, is the older sister of former welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse. She turned pro in 2007 and reigned as the WBA featherweight champion from 2013, adding the WBC title in a unification bout vs. Jelena Mrdjenovich. Matthysse's championship run ended the following year when she lost a rematch to Mrdjenovich.
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Boxingtalk belatedly salutes two-division champ Edith Soledad Matthysse
Boxingtalk belatedly salutes Argentina's Edith Soledad Matthysse, who etched a second championship reign into her career at the age of 45, three weight classes up from her original championship division. On February 22nd, Matthysse captured the WBA junior welterweight world title with a commanding performance over previously undefeated American contender Samantha Worthington. The bout came to an abrupt conclusion when Worthington’s corner informed the referee that their fighter would not answer the bell for the ninth round at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Worthington’s team cited accumulated punishment and their fighter’s inability to respond effectively to the Argentine’s sustained dominance. Matthysse, who has a very ordinary record of 21-16-1, is the older sister of former welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse. She turned pro in 2007 and reigned as the WBA featherweight champion from 2013, adding the WBC title in a unification bout vs. Jelena Mrdjenovich. Matthysse's championship run ended the following year when she lost a rematch to Mrdjenovich.
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Welter fighting at middleweight on Friday |
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Polish middleweight Karol Welter will see action this Friday against Venezuela’s Evander Castillo at the Hotel Terminal in Wroclaw, Poland. Welter brings a record of 20-1 with 8 knockouts into the bout, while Castillo stands at 21-4 with a formidable 19 wins coming by way of knockout. Welter enjoyed a breakout 2025 campaign, going 3-for-3 against quality opposition and stopping all three. The 30 year-old native of Legnica now steps a pivotal moment that could elevate his standing in the 160-pound division. Castillo, age 24, hails from Anzoátegui and enters on a hot streak of his own, riding three consecutive knockout victories. The heavy-handed Venezuelan, however, faces a significantly tougher assignment this time on the road. Castillo’s power is real, and he’ll look to make it travel as he attempts to spring the upset on European soil.
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Welter fighting at middleweight on Friday
Polish middleweight Karol Welter will see action this Friday against Venezuela’s Evander Castillo at the Hotel Terminal in Wroclaw, Poland. Welter brings a record of 20-1 with 8 knockouts into the bout, while Castillo stands at 21-4 with a formidable 19 wins coming by way of knockout. Welter enjoyed a breakout 2025 campaign, going 3-for-3 against quality opposition and stopping all three. The 30 year-old native of Legnica now steps a pivotal moment that could elevate his standing in the 160-pound division. Castillo, age 24, hails from Anzoátegui and enters on a hot streak of his own, riding three consecutive knockout victories. The heavy-handed Venezuelan, however, faces a significantly tougher assignment this time on the road. Castillo’s power is real, and he’ll look to make it travel as he attempts to spring the upset on European soil.
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Golden Boy vs. Ortiz headed to arbitration: Who Holds the Stronger Hand? |
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Promotional disputes in boxing often play out in interviews and social media posts. Contracts, however, are not decided in public. They are decided by the language in the wrtten agreement — and by what that language requires. On Monday, a federal court ordered the dispute between junior middleweight contender Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Golden Boy Promotions to arbitration. The outcome will likely turn on a single provision: section 10(g) of the Promotional Rights Agreement (PRA) that Ortiz signed. As quoted in paragraph 19 of Ortiz's lawsuit, section 10(g) of the PRA provides that Ortiz can terminate the agreement if Golden Boy's “distribution relationship with DAZN terminates, for any reason,” and there was no agreement in principle in place with an alternative broadcaster. At first glance, the dispute appears to hinge on whether Golden Boy’s written agreement with DAZN expired on December 31, 2025. But expiration is not the contractual test. The operative phrase is “distribution relationship.” And that distinction may decide the case.
The Threshold Question
A disciplined arbitrator will not begin with public positioning, and the entire arbitration will be held behind closed doors, unlike a lawsuit which is public. The first question will be direct: Did Golden Boy’s distribution relationship with DAZN terminate? If the answer is no, Ortiz’s termination right never activates and he is still under contract to Golden Boy. If the answer is yes, the analysis turns to whether Golden Boy had an agreement in principle with an alternative broadcaster. But there really is no alternate broadcaster in play, so the arbitration likely rises or falls at that first inquiry.
What Golden Boy Must Show
Golden Boy does not need to prove that a fully executed 2026 master agreement existed before Ortiz sent his termination notice (we know it did not). That is because section 10(g) does not require a signed contract. It requires that the distribution relationship not terminate. Thereofre, to prevail, Golden Boy must demonstrate continuity in substance. Public listings show Golden Boy promoted events scheduled on DAZN in early 2026, including: January 16th– Rocha vs. Curiel II; January 23rd– Friday Night Fights card; and February 21st – Barrios vs. Garcia (DAZN pay-per view). Those events were publicly integrated into DAZN’s broadcast schedule. To be clear, scheduling alone, however, is not enough. Arbitrators look for economic reality.
Golden Boy must establish: whether the three 2026 events were covered under the old contract or a new agreement; real financial commitment behind those events; agreed rights fees or budget structures; production and operational allocations; and evidence that material 2026 terms were mutually accepted. If material terms — including duration, financial structure, exclusivity, and scope — were agreed before expiration, the absence of finalized long-form documentation becomes less significant.
What Does “Agreement in Principle” Mean Under Nevada Law?
Nevada courts do not require a fully signed contract for an agreement to exist. What matters is whether the parties reached a meeting of the minds on the essential terms. An “agreement in principle” generally means that the core business terms have been settled — even if lawyers are still drafting the final paperwork. If the parties agree on key elements such as duration, financial structure, exclusivity, and overall scope, a court may treat the agreement as sufficiently formed, even if minor or technical provisions remain unresolved.
There is, however, an important limitation. Nevada law does not enforce a mere “agreement to agree.” If significant terms remain open, or if either side is free to walk away without consequence, then no binding understanding exists. The practical inquiry is straightforward, and the arbitrator will want to determine whether the essential economic terms were locked in, or were negotiations still ongoing? In the context of Section 10(g), that distinction is pivotal. If Golden Boy and DAZN agreed on the core 2026 economic framework before the prior deal expired, the distribution relationship may be viewed as continuing. If not, the termination clause may have been triggered.
The Importance of Continuity
Perhaps most significant is operational continuity. If Golden Boy events were broadcast seamlessly on DAZN after December 31st, that uninterrupted performance strongly supports the conclusion that the distribution relationship did not terminate. A contract may lapse. A commercial relationship may continue. Where confirmed 2026 events are tied to binding economic structure and exclusive platform integration, the argument that the relationship “ended” becomes considerably more difficult to sustain.
Ortiz’s position is structurally straightforward. He argues: the written DAZN agreement expired; there was no fully executed renewal existed on January 8th; therefore, the distribution relationship terminated “for any reason”; there was no alternative broadcaster; Ortiz's termination right to end the PRA was triggered. This is a formalist reading of the contract. Its force depends on equating expiration of a written agreement with termination of a broader commercial relationship.
But Section 10(g), as pleaded in Paragraph 19 of the Complaint, does not reference a written agreement. It references a “distribution relationship.” That phrasing suggests a functional inquiry rather than a mechanical one.
Where the Arbitration Will Likely Turn
Ultimately, the arbitrator will focus on one practical question: was DAZN economically and operationally committed to broadcast Golden Boy shows in 2026? If the record reflects confirmed events backed by agreed financial structure and seamless broadcast continuity, an arbitrator may conclude that the relationship did not terminate in substance — even if documentation was still being finalized. If, however, the evidence shows only tentative scheduling without binding economic commitment, the contractual trigger may have been validly exercised. Given publicly confirmed 2026 DAZN events and assuming they are supported by demonstrable economic commitment, the continuity argument presents a meaningful obstacle to the termination claim. The distinction is narrow. But in arbitration, narrow distinctions often carry decisive consequences.
Closing Perspective
This dispute will not be resolved by press conferences, social media arguments, or even by the expiration date printed on a contract. It will be resolved by whether Golden Boy can demonstrate that its commercial partnership with DAZN rolled forward with economic substance and uninterrupted performance. Section 10(g), as quoted in the Complaint, poses a functional question: did the distribution relationship truly end? If the evidence shows continuity backed by financial obligation and operational integration, an arbitrator may reasonably view the partnership as having continued despite renewal mechanics. If it does not, the termination provision will be enforced as written. In arbitration, leverage follows documentation — and documentation will determine who ultimately holds the stronger hand.
The author, Charles Muniz, is not a member of the bar, but he is among the few individuals in boxing who have personally litigated civil actions in federal court. As a pro se plaintiff in the Southern District of Florida and in Pennsylvania state court, he has navigated contractual disputes under judicial scrutiny — experience that provides a practical foundation for the analysis that appears in this story.
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Golden Boy vs. Ortiz headed to arbitration: Who Holds the Stronger Hand?
Promotional disputes in boxing often play out in interviews and social media posts. Contracts, however, are not decided in public. They are decided by the language in the wrtten agreement — and by what that language requires. On Monday, a federal court ordered the dispute between junior middleweight contender Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Golden Boy Promotions to arbitration. The outcome will likely turn on a single provision: section 10(g) of the Promotional Rights Agreement (PRA) that Ortiz signed. As quoted in paragraph 19 of Ortiz's lawsuit, section 10(g) of the PRA provides that Ortiz can terminate the agreement if Golden Boy's “distribution relationship with DAZN terminates, for any reason,” and there was no agreement in principle in place with an alternative broadcaster. At first glance, the dispute appears to hinge on whether Golden Boy’s written agreement with DAZN expired on December 31, 2025. But expiration is not the contractual test. The operative phrase is “distribution relationship.” And that distinction may decide the case.
The Threshold Question
A disciplined arbitrator will not begin with public positioning, and the entire arbitration will be held behind closed doors, unlike a lawsuit which is public. The first question will be direct: Did Golden Boy’s distribution relationship with DAZN terminate? If the answer is no, Ortiz’s termination right never activates and he is still under contract to Golden Boy. If the answer is yes, the analysis turns to whether Golden Boy had an agreement in principle with an alternative broadcaster. But there really is no alternate broadcaster in play, so the arbitration likely rises or falls at that first inquiry.
What Golden Boy Must Show
Golden Boy does not need to prove that a fully executed 2026 master agreement existed before Ortiz sent his termination notice (we know it did not). That is because section 10(g) does not require a signed contract. It requires that the distribution relationship not terminate. Thereofre, to prevail, Golden Boy must demonstrate continuity in substance. Public listings show Golden Boy promoted events scheduled on DAZN in early 2026, including: January 16th– Rocha vs. Curiel II; January 23rd– Friday Night Fights card; and February 21st – Barrios vs. Garcia (DAZN pay-per view). Those events were publicly integrated into DAZN’s broadcast schedule. To be clear, scheduling alone, however, is not enough. Arbitrators look for economic reality.
Golden Boy must establish: whether the three 2026 events were covered under the old contract or a new agreement; real financial commitment behind those events; agreed rights fees or budget structures; production and operational allocations; and evidence that material 2026 terms were mutually accepted. If material terms — including duration, financial structure, exclusivity, and scope — were agreed before expiration, the absence of finalized long-form documentation becomes less significant.
What Does “Agreement in Principle” Mean Under Nevada Law?
Nevada courts do not require a fully signed contract for an agreement to exist. What matters is whether the parties reached a meeting of the minds on the essential terms. An “agreement in principle” generally means that the core business terms have been settled — even if lawyers are still drafting the final paperwork. If the parties agree on key elements such as duration, financial structure, exclusivity, and overall scope, a court may treat the agreement as sufficiently formed, even if minor or technical provisions remain unresolved.
There is, however, an important limitation. Nevada law does not enforce a mere “agreement to agree.” If significant terms remain open, or if either side is free to walk away without consequence, then no binding understanding exists. The practical inquiry is straightforward, and the arbitrator will want to determine whether the essential economic terms were locked in, or were negotiations still ongoing? In the context of Section 10(g), that distinction is pivotal. If Golden Boy and DAZN agreed on the core 2026 economic framework before the prior deal expired, the distribution relationship may be viewed as continuing. If not, the termination clause may have been triggered.
The Importance of Continuity
Perhaps most significant is operational continuity. If Golden Boy events were broadcast seamlessly on DAZN after December 31st, that uninterrupted performance strongly supports the conclusion that the distribution relationship did not terminate. A contract may lapse. A commercial relationship may continue. Where confirmed 2026 events are tied to binding economic structure and exclusive platform integration, the argument that the relationship “ended” becomes considerably more difficult to sustain.
Ortiz’s position is structurally straightforward. He argues: the written DAZN agreement expired; there was no fully executed renewal existed on January 8th; therefore, the distribution relationship terminated “for any reason”; there was no alternative broadcaster; Ortiz's termination right to end the PRA was triggered. This is a formalist reading of the contract. Its force depends on equating expiration of a written agreement with termination of a broader commercial relationship.
But Section 10(g), as pleaded in Paragraph 19 of the Complaint, does not reference a written agreement. It references a “distribution relationship.” That phrasing suggests a functional inquiry rather than a mechanical one.
Where the Arbitration Will Likely Turn
Ultimately, the arbitrator will focus on one practical question: was DAZN economically and operationally committed to broadcast Golden Boy shows in 2026? If the record reflects confirmed events backed by agreed financial structure and seamless broadcast continuity, an arbitrator may conclude that the relationship did not terminate in substance — even if documentation was still being finalized. If, however, the evidence shows only tentative scheduling without binding economic commitment, the contractual trigger may have been validly exercised. Given publicly confirmed 2026 DAZN events and assuming they are supported by demonstrable economic commitment, the continuity argument presents a meaningful obstacle to the termination claim. The distinction is narrow. But in arbitration, narrow distinctions often carry decisive consequences.
Closing Perspective
This dispute will not be resolved by press conferences, social media arguments, or even by the expiration date printed on a contract. It will be resolved by whether Golden Boy can demonstrate that its commercial partnership with DAZN rolled forward with economic substance and uninterrupted performance. Section 10(g), as quoted in the Complaint, poses a functional question: did the distribution relationship truly end? If the evidence shows continuity backed by financial obligation and operational integration, an arbitrator may reasonably view the partnership as having continued despite renewal mechanics. If it does not, the termination provision will be enforced as written. In arbitration, leverage follows documentation — and documentation will determine who ultimately holds the stronger hand.
The author, Charles Muniz, is not a member of the bar, but he is among the few individuals in boxing who have personally litigated civil actions in federal court. As a pro se plaintiff in the Southern District of Florida and in Pennsylvania state court, he has navigated contractual disputes under judicial scrutiny — experience that provides a practical foundation for the analysis that appears in this story.
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Sebastian Fundora training camp report |
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WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora has his sights set on re-establishing himself as the top fighter at 154 pounds when he takes on former unified welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman on Saturday, March 28th headlining a PBC pay-per-view event available on Prime Video from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Fundora and Thurman had originally been scheduled to meet last October, before a Fundora hand injury that the reigning champ has since recovered from. “Camp has been good since recovering from the hand injury,” said Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs). “We never stopped training, we just slowed down on some things that we do. We always figure out ways to work, because this is an all year sport. This isn’t seasonal. I don’t think about this is a training camp, this is my job. This is a lifestyle.
“Having more time to focus on one opponent is always a blessing. We wish it didn’t happen this way with the injury, but we’ll take advantage of the extra time. It was disappointing to have to postpone the fight, but things happen in boxing and in life. You just have to roll with the punches. Not being able to use my hands as much as I wanted was challenging. For a period of time, we couldn’t do that. So I had to figure out a way to make sense of it.”
Fundora returns to the ring after sandwiching a pair of victories over Australia's Tim Tszyu around a March 2025 stoppage of Chordale Booker. Last July, Fundora delivered perhaps the best performance of his career, stopping Tszyu in their rematch with a dominant display. Now he hopes to pick up where he left off on that triumphant night last summer. “Beating this former world champion will make a big statement,” said Fundora. “I still feel like I’m at the top of the division. I don’t think we’ve lost any momentum, we just had to reschedule. We’re not hiding from anybody. This is gonna remind everyone that we are at the top.”
In Thurman, Fundora faces without a doubt the most accomplished foe of his career. Thurman had a long reign as the king of the 147-pound division, before officially debuting at 154 with a knockout of Brock Jarvis last March. In the build up to their matchup, Fundora named one of Thurman’s best victory, a decision over fellow then-unbeaten welterweight world champion Danny Garcia, as his favorite performance of his upcoming opponent.
“I liked Thurman’s performance against Danny Garcia,” said Fundora. “Garcia was also a top name and those two clashing together was a great fight and Thurman getting the victory showed how great of a fighter he was.”
Fundora vs. Thurman not only presents a unique clash inside of the ring, but outside of it as well, with the soft-spoken, “gentle giant” Fundora going up against the bombastic and outspoken Thurman. While Thurman has tried to poke at Fundora during pre-fight activities, Fundora has no problem brushing the talk to the side.
“Keith’s trash talk is good for TV, that’s what I’ll say,” said Fundora. “He’s always been the bad guy going into a fight because of that. And he backs it up a lot. But this time he’s not gonna be able to back it up.
“I’m not distracted by the talking. It doesn’t bother me one bit. Maybe if he wasn’t as well-known as he is, it could have caught me off guard. But when I step into the ring with these guys, I expect them to hate my guts. I expect that they wanna get rid of me. That’s boxing. We’re in a competitive sport and we want to do the same thing to each other. It’s nothing personal, but we both gotta do what we gotta do.”
A native of Coachella, California, Fundora’s career has been led by his father and trainer Freddy Fundora, who runs the champion’s training camp from their mountain home. The unique landscape for the Fundora’s has helped give Sebastian a boost throughout his career.
“This isn’t easy living right here in the mountains,” said Fundora. “I don’t even know how much snow we have, but it’s a lot. It’s past my ankles already, and we ran in it this morning. There are lots of obstacles training up here, but we still work and come to win and be the best.”
Another advantage for Fundora’s training is that he works alongside his younger sister, undisputed world champion Gabriela Fundora. With Gabriela fighting a couple of weeks before Sebastian gets into the ring, the combined training efforts of the siblings helps boost each up to be their best.
“Having Gabriela training alongside me is a good reminder that show’s me what’s working and what needs to be done,” said Fundora. “Watching her fight is gonna give me a good IQ lesson for what can work for me in this fight and what can’t.”
With a big name opponent and boxing’s historic stage, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, set for Fundora’s arrival, the 28-year-old plans to make the most of this opportunity and continue to lay his claim as king of the 154 pounders.
“This is the Fundora’s first pay-per-view main event as the A-side,” said Fundora. “We’re very blessed that Las Vegas is taking us in with open arms. I think every time we fought in Vegas and at MGM, it’s been a great fight. I’m fighting one of the best fighters of this era, so make sure you tune in and watch this live. You’re gonna see the king of 154 do his thing all over again.”
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Sebastian Fundora training camp report
WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora has his sights set on re-establishing himself as the top fighter at 154 pounds when he takes on former unified welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman on Saturday, March 28th headlining a PBC pay-per-view event available on Prime Video from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Fundora and Thurman had originally been scheduled to meet last October, before a Fundora hand injury that the reigning champ has since recovered from. “Camp has been good since recovering from the hand injury,” said Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs). “We never stopped training, we just slowed down on some things that we do. We always figure out ways to work, because this is an all year sport. This isn’t seasonal. I don’t think about this is a training camp, this is my job. This is a lifestyle.
“Having more time to focus on one opponent is always a blessing. We wish it didn’t happen this way with the injury, but we’ll take advantage of the extra time. It was disappointing to have to postpone the fight, but things happen in boxing and in life. You just have to roll with the punches. Not being able to use my hands as much as I wanted was challenging. For a period of time, we couldn’t do that. So I had to figure out a way to make sense of it.”
Fundora returns to the ring after sandwiching a pair of victories over Australia's Tim Tszyu around a March 2025 stoppage of Chordale Booker. Last July, Fundora delivered perhaps the best performance of his career, stopping Tszyu in their rematch with a dominant display. Now he hopes to pick up where he left off on that triumphant night last summer. “Beating this former world champion will make a big statement,” said Fundora. “I still feel like I’m at the top of the division. I don’t think we’ve lost any momentum, we just had to reschedule. We’re not hiding from anybody. This is gonna remind everyone that we are at the top.”
In Thurman, Fundora faces without a doubt the most accomplished foe of his career. Thurman had a long reign as the king of the 147-pound division, before officially debuting at 154 with a knockout of Brock Jarvis last March. In the build up to their matchup, Fundora named one of Thurman’s best victory, a decision over fellow then-unbeaten welterweight world champion Danny Garcia, as his favorite performance of his upcoming opponent.
“I liked Thurman’s performance against Danny Garcia,” said Fundora. “Garcia was also a top name and those two clashing together was a great fight and Thurman getting the victory showed how great of a fighter he was.”
Fundora vs. Thurman not only presents a unique clash inside of the ring, but outside of it as well, with the soft-spoken, “gentle giant” Fundora going up against the bombastic and outspoken Thurman. While Thurman has tried to poke at Fundora during pre-fight activities, Fundora has no problem brushing the talk to the side.
“Keith’s trash talk is good for TV, that’s what I’ll say,” said Fundora. “He’s always been the bad guy going into a fight because of that. And he backs it up a lot. But this time he’s not gonna be able to back it up.
“I’m not distracted by the talking. It doesn’t bother me one bit. Maybe if he wasn’t as well-known as he is, it could have caught me off guard. But when I step into the ring with these guys, I expect them to hate my guts. I expect that they wanna get rid of me. That’s boxing. We’re in a competitive sport and we want to do the same thing to each other. It’s nothing personal, but we both gotta do what we gotta do.”
A native of Coachella, California, Fundora’s career has been led by his father and trainer Freddy Fundora, who runs the champion’s training camp from their mountain home. The unique landscape for the Fundora’s has helped give Sebastian a boost throughout his career.
“This isn’t easy living right here in the mountains,” said Fundora. “I don’t even know how much snow we have, but it’s a lot. It’s past my ankles already, and we ran in it this morning. There are lots of obstacles training up here, but we still work and come to win and be the best.”
Another advantage for Fundora’s training is that he works alongside his younger sister, undisputed world champion Gabriela Fundora. With Gabriela fighting a couple of weeks before Sebastian gets into the ring, the combined training efforts of the siblings helps boost each up to be their best.
“Having Gabriela training alongside me is a good reminder that show’s me what’s working and what needs to be done,” said Fundora. “Watching her fight is gonna give me a good IQ lesson for what can work for me in this fight and what can’t.”
With a big name opponent and boxing’s historic stage, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, set for Fundora’s arrival, the 28-year-old plans to make the most of this opportunity and continue to lay his claim as king of the 154 pounders.
“This is the Fundora’s first pay-per-view main event as the A-side,” said Fundora. “We’re very blessed that Las Vegas is taking us in with open arms. I think every time we fought in Vegas and at MGM, it’s been a great fight. I’m fighting one of the best fighters of this era, so make sure you tune in and watch this live. You’re gonna see the king of 154 do his thing all over again.”
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Gabe Rosado to fight on a Misfit show this Saturday |
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Gabe Rosado (pictured) will become the latest fighter to make his Misfits debut this weekend when he faces Ty Mitchell in Derby, England this Saturday, live on DAZN. Rosado, a former contender at middleweight and super middleweight, is now 40 years old. After a long losing streak, he returned weith two wins in 2025 to raise his record back up to 28-17-1. The popular Philadelphia fighter will be hoping his experience from sharing the ring with the likes of Gennadiy Golovkin and Danny Jacobs will be enough when he faces Mitchell, who is listed as 5-2. Mitchell was considered a light heavyweight prospect in England before doing a long prison stretch that kept him out of the ring for about fourteen years. He's now 35 years old..
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Gabe Rosado to fight on a Misfit show this Saturday
Gabe Rosado (pictured) will become the latest fighter to make his Misfits debut this weekend when he faces Ty Mitchell in Derby, England this Saturday, live on DAZN. Rosado, a former contender at middleweight and super middleweight, is now 40 years old. After a long losing streak, he returned weith two wins in 2025 to raise his record back up to 28-17-1. The popular Philadelphia fighter will be hoping his experience from sharing the ring with the likes of Gennadiy Golovkin and Danny Jacobs will be enough when he faces Mitchell, who is listed as 5-2. Mitchell was considered a light heavyweight prospect in England before doing a long prison stretch that kept him out of the ring for about fourteen years. He's now 35 years old..
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Bryce Mills continues to pack 'em in at the Turning Stone |
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Bryce Mills KO4 Tobias Green ... More than 3000 fans were in a 3400-seat building on Saturday night at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York. Most were there to see Bryce Mills (21-1-, 8 KOs), a 24 year-old junior welterweight who put on the best performance of his five-year career with a fourth-round knockout over Tobias Green of Rochester, NY. Green, age 29, is 12-4-1 and had never previously been stopped. Promoter Russell Peltz (pictured) commented, "I have been around boxing for more than half a century and I cannot recall such love and adoration for a boxer. Turning Stone comes alive when Bryce enters the ring and it stays that way for hours after the fight. The mob outside his dressing room afterward made it difficult for him to move. Cell phones clicked endlessly for photos; souvenir gloves were signed; backslaps; well wishes; hugs like I've never seen before. He is a rock star at Turning Stone, where he is unbeaten in seven fights.It was another one of those nights when you fall in love with boxing all over again. It made me remember why I fell in love with this sport when I was 12. Wish there were more nights like this!" Also celebrating was Bryce's friend Damiana Andrello, a bantamweight (118) who notched her second straight win on the undercard, going to 2-1-1 as a pro.
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Bryce Mills continues to pack 'em in at the Turning Stone
Bryce Mills KO4 Tobias Green ... More than 3000 fans were in a 3400-seat building on Saturday night at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York. Most were there to see Bryce Mills (21-1-, 8 KOs), a 24 year-old junior welterweight who put on the best performance of his five-year career with a fourth-round knockout over Tobias Green of Rochester, NY. Green, age 29, is 12-4-1 and had never previously been stopped. Promoter Russell Peltz (pictured) commented, "I have been around boxing for more than half a century and I cannot recall such love and adoration for a boxer. Turning Stone comes alive when Bryce enters the ring and it stays that way for hours after the fight. The mob outside his dressing room afterward made it difficult for him to move. Cell phones clicked endlessly for photos; souvenir gloves were signed; backslaps; well wishes; hugs like I've never seen before. He is a rock star at Turning Stone, where he is unbeaten in seven fights.It was another one of those nights when you fall in love with boxing all over again. It made me remember why I fell in love with this sport when I was 12. Wish there were more nights like this!" Also celebrating was Bryce's friend Damiana Andrello, a bantamweight (118) who notched her second straight win on the undercard, going to 2-1-1 as a pro.
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