Whittaker vs. Wallace eliminator is this weekend |
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Ben Whittaker looks to lock in his status as the IBF #1 contender in the light heavyweight division this weekend when he faces Conor Wallace in his home city of Birmingham, England, live worldwide on DAZN. The Midlands’ native (12-0-1, 9 KOs) will top the bill at the Utilita Arena on Saturday night in what promises to be his toughest test to date against IBF #2 ranked Wallace (17-1, 12 KOs). The Australian-born Wallace is on a strong run, andhas not lost in more than five years.
Matchroom Boxing’s latest recruit Odel Kamara joins the stacked card as the junior welterweight from Liverpool makes his professional debut... Walsall’s Hamza Uddin battles Sean Bruce for the British & Commonwealth flyweight titles... Bilal Fawaz defends his British & Commonwealth junir middleweight titles against Eithan James.... Ibraheem Sulaimaan, meanwhile, meets Sonny Hardy at 130 pounds... Aaron Bowen collides with Klint Baptiste in the same weight division and...undefeated young guns Adam Maca and Harley Burrows are in action too.
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Whittaker vs. Wallace eliminator is this weekend
Ben Whittaker looks to lock in his status as the IBF #1 contender in the light heavyweight division this weekend when he faces Conor Wallace in his home city of Birmingham, England, live worldwide on DAZN. The Midlands’ native (12-0-1, 9 KOs) will top the bill at the Utilita Arena on Saturday night in what promises to be his toughest test to date against IBF #2 ranked Wallace (17-1, 12 KOs). The Australian-born Wallace is on a strong run, andhas not lost in more than five years.
Matchroom Boxing’s latest recruit Odel Kamara joins the stacked card as the junior welterweight from Liverpool makes his professional debut... Walsall’s Hamza Uddin battles Sean Bruce for the British & Commonwealth flyweight titles... Bilal Fawaz defends his British & Commonwealth junir middleweight titles against Eithan James.... Ibraheem Sulaimaan, meanwhile, meets Sonny Hardy at 130 pounds... Aaron Bowen collides with Klint Baptiste in the same weight division and...undefeated young guns Adam Maca and Harley Burrows are in action too.
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The rematch demanded by Washngton boxing fans |
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It all started on a cold, whipping January night at Legends Casino in Toppenish, Washington in 2024. The crowd was buzzing, and tension filled the air. The atmosphere was electric. Devontae McDonald, of Wenatchee, Washington, just 4-3 at the time, was about to go against an undefeated Andrew “White Lightning” Murphy, of Yakima, Washington. The blue and white sparks flew as Devonte crossed the point of no return with his team. Then, all eyes turned to Andrew. With thye great Roy Jones Jr. guiding him, “White Lightning” walked the same path only a few have gone before him. As they stepped into the ring, the crowd could feel the hunger in the air. They could see the firmness of purpose in both of their eyes. McDonald, with a fragment of amateur experience, stood across from the decorated and accomplished Murphy. The bell rang, and the two super middleweights clashed like titans in the ring. This was unexpected to many who had the notion that Murphy, the RJJ protege and knockout savant, should demolish McDonald. However, at the end of round eight, there was room for interpretation - which is never a good thing in boxing. Little did either of them know that people would still be talking about this fight two years later.
Although Murphy walked away with a unanimous decision, one lingering question remained in the minds of the fans who watched it: Did he deserve to win? Was McDonald simply the underdog people were rooting for? Should the fight have been scored a draw? Or did McDonald deserve the win outright?
McDonald wanted the rematch, that's for certain. In the years that followed, the rivals clashed online. People began calling Murphy a “duck.” At one point, even Roy Jones Jr. had to address a crowd yelling, “We want Devontae!” From Murphy’s side, this was a bridge they had already crossed. There was no need to prove what had already been done. But this fight didn’t disappear. Instead, it created a wave of division in Washington. Half of Washington believes McDonald won and deserves the chance to win officially. The other half wants Murphy to fight him again just to shut him up, once and for all. Now they're finally going to get their answer. McDonald comes into the rematch more mature after several toilsome fights against tough competitors, including exchanging blows with one of Murphy’s stablemates, Shady Gilmour. He now enters this fight with 14 total professional fights behind him and a record of 8-6. Andrew enters still undefeated after thirteen pro fights, including multiple first-round knockouts.
One could say McDonald has gained more experience in fighting through to the final bell, while Murphy has repeatedly ended fights before those later rounds ever arrived. Does that give McDonald an advantage in a long, grueling fight? Is Murphy’s undefeated record as good as it appears to be, or has he not been tested enough? Those are questions that can only be answered on October 3rd, the night they meet again? The two are scheduled to go head-to-head in an epic, eight-round rematch in the same venue.
And that brings us to perhaps the biggest inquisition of all: Who is in the more dangerous position? The boxer who says, "I know I won, and I will do anything to prove it" or the boxer who says, "proving it will be the last thing you do"?
The rivalry has now reached beyond Washington. What began as a regional battle has reached boxing fans from the Pacific Northwest all the way to Pensacola and the South. Because this rivalry has reached an intrastate level, the Roy Jones Jr. team wants it accessible to all of us invested; That's why it will be shown on TikTok live. Boxing commentator Christian Schmidt, a Boxingtalk regular, says “This will be the most watched boxing fight on the planet on that day.” This coming Saturday, October 3rd at Legends Casino Hotel, (or virtually, on TikTok live) Devontae gets another chance to prove what he has believed since that icy January night. Andrew gets a chance to prove there was never anything to doubt in the first place. If you want a preview of the kind of fight this rivalry has the potential to produce, do me a favor and watch the fifteenth round of Larry Holmes vs. Ken Norton. Then, imagine witnessing it yourself at Legends Casino on October 3rd.
Boxingtalk welcomes the author, Emmerscyn Grigsby, a former amateur boxer and US Army member who co-founded the 509 Boxing Gym in Yakima, Washingtom
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The rematch demanded by Washngton boxing fans
It all started on a cold, whipping January night at Legends Casino in Toppenish, Washington in 2024. The crowd was buzzing, and tension filled the air. The atmosphere was electric. Devontae McDonald, of Wenatchee, Washington, just 4-3 at the time, was about to go against an undefeated Andrew “White Lightning” Murphy, of Yakima, Washington. The blue and white sparks flew as Devonte crossed the point of no return with his team. Then, all eyes turned to Andrew. With thye great Roy Jones Jr. guiding him, “White Lightning” walked the same path only a few have gone before him. As they stepped into the ring, the crowd could feel the hunger in the air. They could see the firmness of purpose in both of their eyes. McDonald, with a fragment of amateur experience, stood across from the decorated and accomplished Murphy. The bell rang, and the two super middleweights clashed like titans in the ring. This was unexpected to many who had the notion that Murphy, the RJJ protege and knockout savant, should demolish McDonald. However, at the end of round eight, there was room for interpretation - which is never a good thing in boxing. Little did either of them know that people would still be talking about this fight two years later.
Although Murphy walked away with a unanimous decision, one lingering question remained in the minds of the fans who watched it: Did he deserve to win? Was McDonald simply the underdog people were rooting for? Should the fight have been scored a draw? Or did McDonald deserve the win outright?
McDonald wanted the rematch, that's for certain. In the years that followed, the rivals clashed online. People began calling Murphy a “duck.” At one point, even Roy Jones Jr. had to address a crowd yelling, “We want Devontae!” From Murphy’s side, this was a bridge they had already crossed. There was no need to prove what had already been done. But this fight didn’t disappear. Instead, it created a wave of division in Washington. Half of Washington believes McDonald won and deserves the chance to win officially. The other half wants Murphy to fight him again just to shut him up, once and for all. Now they're finally going to get their answer. McDonald comes into the rematch more mature after several toilsome fights against tough competitors, including exchanging blows with one of Murphy’s stablemates, Shady Gilmour. He now enters this fight with 14 total professional fights behind him and a record of 8-6. Andrew enters still undefeated after thirteen pro fights, including multiple first-round knockouts.
One could say McDonald has gained more experience in fighting through to the final bell, while Murphy has repeatedly ended fights before those later rounds ever arrived. Does that give McDonald an advantage in a long, grueling fight? Is Murphy’s undefeated record as good as it appears to be, or has he not been tested enough? Those are questions that can only be answered on October 3rd, the night they meet again? The two are scheduled to go head-to-head in an epic, eight-round rematch in the same venue.
And that brings us to perhaps the biggest inquisition of all: Who is in the more dangerous position? The boxer who says, "I know I won, and I will do anything to prove it" or the boxer who says, "proving it will be the last thing you do"?
The rivalry has now reached beyond Washington. What began as a regional battle has reached boxing fans from the Pacific Northwest all the way to Pensacola and the South. Because this rivalry has reached an intrastate level, the Roy Jones Jr. team wants it accessible to all of us invested; That's why it will be shown on TikTok live. Boxing commentator Christian Schmidt, a Boxingtalk regular, says “This will be the most watched boxing fight on the planet on that day.” This coming Saturday, October 3rd at Legends Casino Hotel, (or virtually, on TikTok live) Devontae gets another chance to prove what he has believed since that icy January night. Andrew gets a chance to prove there was never anything to doubt in the first place. If you want a preview of the kind of fight this rivalry has the potential to produce, do me a favor and watch the fifteenth round of Larry Holmes vs. Ken Norton. Then, imagine witnessing it yourself at Legends Casino on October 3rd.
Boxingtalk welcomes the author, Emmerscyn Grigsby, a former amateur boxer and US Army member who co-founded the 509 Boxing Gym in Yakima, Washingtom
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Heather Hardy seeks donations, alleges brain damage |
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Ex-champ Heather Hardy has received over $46,000 in donations on GoFundMe, including donations from Claressa Shields and Ebanie Bridges. Hardy is seeking public assistance because of, according to her, brain damage suffered in combat sports (through primarily a boxer, Hardy also competed in mixed martial arts). She has filed multiple lawsuits against her former promoters, which Boxingtalk is currently investigating. In the meantime, donations can be made by clicking here.
Here is what Hardy wrote on GoFundMe: "My name is Heather 'The Heat' Hardy, and I gave everything I had to boxing. A Brooklyn fighter, single mother and former WBO featherweight world champion, I built my career the hard way, round by round, fight by fight, often while working and raising my daughter. I fought in an era when women had to force doors open, and I always tried to give fans championship moments they’d never forget. Now I’m facing the hardest fight of my life outside the ring. After years of taking punches for the sport I loved, I suffered a traumatic brain injury. The damage has affected my health, my vision, and my ability to work consistently enough to cover basic living expenses and necessities. If my fights ever inspired you, if you cheered for my championships, or if you've ever given everything to a job only to have it take your health and leave you without help, please consider donating and sharing this fundraiser. Every contribution helps me to meet my immediate living needs while I focus on my health, stability, and the next chapter of my life after boxing. To everyone who has ever cheered for me, stood by me, or shares this today, your support means the world to me, and I’m grateful beyond words. Thank you."
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Heather Hardy seeks donations, alleges brain damage
Ex-champ Heather Hardy has received over $46,000 in donations on GoFundMe, including donations from Claressa Shields and Ebanie Bridges. Hardy is seeking public assistance because of, according to her, brain damage suffered in combat sports (through primarily a boxer, Hardy also competed in mixed martial arts). She has filed multiple lawsuits against her former promoters, which Boxingtalk is currently investigating. In the meantime, donations can be made by clicking here.
Here is what Hardy wrote on GoFundMe: "My name is Heather 'The Heat' Hardy, and I gave everything I had to boxing. A Brooklyn fighter, single mother and former WBO featherweight world champion, I built my career the hard way, round by round, fight by fight, often while working and raising my daughter. I fought in an era when women had to force doors open, and I always tried to give fans championship moments they’d never forget. Now I’m facing the hardest fight of my life outside the ring. After years of taking punches for the sport I loved, I suffered a traumatic brain injury. The damage has affected my health, my vision, and my ability to work consistently enough to cover basic living expenses and necessities. If my fights ever inspired you, if you cheered for my championships, or if you've ever given everything to a job only to have it take your health and leave you without help, please consider donating and sharing this fundraiser. Every contribution helps me to meet my immediate living needs while I focus on my health, stability, and the next chapter of my life after boxing. To everyone who has ever cheered for me, stood by me, or shares this today, your support means the world to me, and I’m grateful beyond words. Thank you."
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Ex-MMA champ Cejudo wins pro boxing debut |
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Henry Cejudo W4 Javon Walton ... Henry Cejudo made a winning start in pro boxing with Misfits Boxing as he edged past late-replacement Javon "Wanna" Walton in four-round encounter held in Miami. Now 39 years old, Cejudo is a 2008 Olympic gold medalist wrestler and former two-division UFC champion in mixed martial arts. picked up a split decision in Miami after coming through a tough series of opening exchanges. Official scores were 39-37 (twice f0oe Cejudo) and 39-37 for Walton. Age 20, Walton, was a solid opponent for Cejudo. Walton had a solid amateur background and entered the fight with a 3-0-1 record.
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Ex-MMA champ Cejudo wins pro boxing debut
Henry Cejudo W4 Javon Walton ... Henry Cejudo made a winning start in pro boxing with Misfits Boxing as he edged past late-replacement Javon "Wanna" Walton in four-round encounter held in Miami. Now 39 years old, Cejudo is a 2008 Olympic gold medalist wrestler and former two-division UFC champion in mixed martial arts. picked up a split decision in Miami after coming through a tough series of opening exchanges. Official scores were 39-37 (twice f0oe Cejudo) and 39-37 for Walton. Age 20, Walton, was a solid opponent for Cejudo. Walton had a solid amateur background and entered the fight with a 3-0-1 record.
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Undercard details for Chicago's Oct. 10th show |
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The undercard is set for the WBA vacant lightweight championship showdown between undefeated contenders Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield III (19-0, 13 KOs) and “Prince” Lucas Bahdi (20-0, 15 KOs). The show takes place Saturday, October 10th, live worldwide on DAZN from Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. WBA / WBC flyweight champion Ricardo “El Niño” Sandoval (27-2, 18 KOs) of Rialto, Calif., will make the first defense of his unified titles against Sergio “Yoreme” Mendoza (27-1, 23 KOs) of Hermosillo, Mexico. Mendoza stepped in when 105-poud champion Oscar Collazo withdrew from the bout after sustaining a rib injury. Rounding out the DAZN broadcast, U.S. Olympian Jahmal Harvey (4-0, 3 KOs) of Oxon Hill, Maryland, will compete in an eight-round lightweight fight against Pedro Castaneda (9-1-1, 5 KOs) of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. In a ten-round junior lightweight fight, Puerto Rico’s Jan Paul Rivera (16-0, 7 KOs) will face Mexico’s Abraham Perfecto (14-2, 9 KOs).
The event is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in co-promotion with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP).
Sandoval said: “I’m very excited to still be fighting in Chicago and to have the opportunity to defend my titles for the first time. I’ve been training extremely hard and I’m ready to put on a great performance. I know the fans can expect an exciting fight, and I’m looking forward to stepping into the ring and giving them a show.”
Mendoza said:“I want to thank the people who made this fight possible. I’m going to leave my soul in the ring to become world champion.”
Harvey said: “I’m excited to be back again so quickly, on another great card! I’m keen to be really active and continue to excite the fans with dominant performances and viral KO’s. Come see me shine in Chicago, Saturday, October 10th live on DAZN.”
Rivera said: “I’m very happy to be stepping back into the ring in a new city like Chicago. This time, you’ll see the Jan Paul of old—with strong defense and fast hands. I’ve added a nutritionist to my team and will be better conditioned than ever before. Many thanks to MVP, Golden Boy, and Universal Promotions who made it possible to return to the ring, this time on DAZN.”
On the preliminary card, which will stream live on the Golden Boy YouTube channel and sponsored by Scotch Porter, U.S. Olympian Joshua “The Rocket” Edwards (7-0, 6 KOs) of Houston, will face Detroit’s Craig Lewis (15-9-1, 8 KOs) in an eight-round heavyweight bout. In a ten-round cruiserweight contest, Tristan “Sweet T” Kalkreuth (17-1, 12 KOs) will face Puerto Rico’s Ivan Rosado (12-0, 9 KOs). Opening fight night, Thermal, Calif.’s Grant Flores (13-0, 9 KOs) will take on Chicago’s Mikey Dahlman (19-2, 17 KOs) in a ten-round middleweight fight. Also joining the card, MVP’s Naomy Valle (15-1, 9 KOs) from Costa Rica returns to the ring to face Sheyla Moreno (5-1-1, 1 KO) from Mexico City in an eight-round flyweight bout.
Valle said: “Making my U.S. debut in a city like Chicago, with MVP, is an opportunity that could change my future. I’ve learned so much from my trainer, José Benavidez Sr., during this camp, and now it’s time to show it in the ring. I know this is a huge test, and I’m preparing to give the best performance of my career. That night, I want to show everyone who Naomy Valle is and how far I’m determined to go.”
Golden Boy and Most Valuable Promotions have also announced a new partnership with Movember for the October 10 event, bringing the fight community together to raise awareness and funds for men’s health.
As part of the partnership, Golden Boy, MVP and Movember will host Back Your Fighter, a live fundraising stream during fight week and following the ceremonial weigh-in on Friday, Oct. 9, at Wind Creek Chicago Southland. Fans will be able to donate in real time to back their fighter, with the fundraising totals determining which fighters take the clippers in a live shave-off. The shave-off and a free pop-up barbershop for fans are presented by Scotch Porter, the grooming brand born in the barbershop and made with clean ingredients. Fighters will participate alongside young athletes from Movember-funded youth sports programs in Chicago. The stream will be available on Golden Boy’s YouTube channel, with every dollar raised supporting Movember’s work in prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.
Additionally, young athletes from The Bloc, a West Side Chicago youth boxing program funded by Movember, will join the fighters on fight night. The Bloc is one of several Chicago youth sports programs Movember funds and implements Game Changers, a curriculum designed to build mental resilience and life skills in boys and young men — the same qualities of discipline, perseverance and resilience that the sport demands from every fighter stepping into the ring on October 10.
Tim Gnaneswaran, U.S. Director for Movember, said: “Boxing is a sport built on discipline and having good people in your corner, the people who are there for you when it gets hard. That is exactly what men’s health needs more of. From the boxers, to the fans, to the youth athletes from Movember’s Chicago programs who will be joining us, fight week in Chicago gives us a chance to turn one of the biggest nights in boxing into real awareness and support for men’s health.”
Ben Speelman, CEO, Scotch Porter, said: “The barbershop and the boxing gym have a lot in common. They’re where young men learn it’s okay to talk. Through Game Changers, The Bloc gives Chicago kids the tools to handle what happens outside the ring, and we’re proud to stand next to them and the fighters during fight week.”
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Undercard details for Chicago's Oct. 10th show
The undercard is set for the WBA vacant lightweight championship showdown between undefeated contenders Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield III (19-0, 13 KOs) and “Prince” Lucas Bahdi (20-0, 15 KOs). The show takes place Saturday, October 10th, live worldwide on DAZN from Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. WBA / WBC flyweight champion Ricardo “El Niño” Sandoval (27-2, 18 KOs) of Rialto, Calif., will make the first defense of his unified titles against Sergio “Yoreme” Mendoza (27-1, 23 KOs) of Hermosillo, Mexico. Mendoza stepped in when 105-poud champion Oscar Collazo withdrew from the bout after sustaining a rib injury. Rounding out the DAZN broadcast, U.S. Olympian Jahmal Harvey (4-0, 3 KOs) of Oxon Hill, Maryland, will compete in an eight-round lightweight fight against Pedro Castaneda (9-1-1, 5 KOs) of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. In a ten-round junior lightweight fight, Puerto Rico’s Jan Paul Rivera (16-0, 7 KOs) will face Mexico’s Abraham Perfecto (14-2, 9 KOs).
The event is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in co-promotion with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP).
Sandoval said: “I’m very excited to still be fighting in Chicago and to have the opportunity to defend my titles for the first time. I’ve been training extremely hard and I’m ready to put on a great performance. I know the fans can expect an exciting fight, and I’m looking forward to stepping into the ring and giving them a show.”
Mendoza said:“I want to thank the people who made this fight possible. I’m going to leave my soul in the ring to become world champion.”
Harvey said: “I’m excited to be back again so quickly, on another great card! I’m keen to be really active and continue to excite the fans with dominant performances and viral KO’s. Come see me shine in Chicago, Saturday, October 10th live on DAZN.”
Rivera said: “I’m very happy to be stepping back into the ring in a new city like Chicago. This time, you’ll see the Jan Paul of old—with strong defense and fast hands. I’ve added a nutritionist to my team and will be better conditioned than ever before. Many thanks to MVP, Golden Boy, and Universal Promotions who made it possible to return to the ring, this time on DAZN.”
On the preliminary card, which will stream live on the Golden Boy YouTube channel and sponsored by Scotch Porter, U.S. Olympian Joshua “The Rocket” Edwards (7-0, 6 KOs) of Houston, will face Detroit’s Craig Lewis (15-9-1, 8 KOs) in an eight-round heavyweight bout. In a ten-round cruiserweight contest, Tristan “Sweet T” Kalkreuth (17-1, 12 KOs) will face Puerto Rico’s Ivan Rosado (12-0, 9 KOs). Opening fight night, Thermal, Calif.’s Grant Flores (13-0, 9 KOs) will take on Chicago’s Mikey Dahlman (19-2, 17 KOs) in a ten-round middleweight fight. Also joining the card, MVP’s Naomy Valle (15-1, 9 KOs) from Costa Rica returns to the ring to face Sheyla Moreno (5-1-1, 1 KO) from Mexico City in an eight-round flyweight bout.
Valle said: “Making my U.S. debut in a city like Chicago, with MVP, is an opportunity that could change my future. I’ve learned so much from my trainer, José Benavidez Sr., during this camp, and now it’s time to show it in the ring. I know this is a huge test, and I’m preparing to give the best performance of my career. That night, I want to show everyone who Naomy Valle is and how far I’m determined to go.”
Golden Boy and Most Valuable Promotions have also announced a new partnership with Movember for the October 10 event, bringing the fight community together to raise awareness and funds for men’s health.
As part of the partnership, Golden Boy, MVP and Movember will host Back Your Fighter, a live fundraising stream during fight week and following the ceremonial weigh-in on Friday, Oct. 9, at Wind Creek Chicago Southland. Fans will be able to donate in real time to back their fighter, with the fundraising totals determining which fighters take the clippers in a live shave-off. The shave-off and a free pop-up barbershop for fans are presented by Scotch Porter, the grooming brand born in the barbershop and made with clean ingredients. Fighters will participate alongside young athletes from Movember-funded youth sports programs in Chicago. The stream will be available on Golden Boy’s YouTube channel, with every dollar raised supporting Movember’s work in prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.
Additionally, young athletes from The Bloc, a West Side Chicago youth boxing program funded by Movember, will join the fighters on fight night. The Bloc is one of several Chicago youth sports programs Movember funds and implements Game Changers, a curriculum designed to build mental resilience and life skills in boys and young men — the same qualities of discipline, perseverance and resilience that the sport demands from every fighter stepping into the ring on October 10.
Tim Gnaneswaran, U.S. Director for Movember, said: “Boxing is a sport built on discipline and having good people in your corner, the people who are there for you when it gets hard. That is exactly what men’s health needs more of. From the boxers, to the fans, to the youth athletes from Movember’s Chicago programs who will be joining us, fight week in Chicago gives us a chance to turn one of the biggest nights in boxing into real awareness and support for men’s health.”
Ben Speelman, CEO, Scotch Porter, said: “The barbershop and the boxing gym have a lot in common. They’re where young men learn it’s okay to talk. Through Game Changers, The Bloc gives Chicago kids the tools to handle what happens outside the ring, and we’re proud to stand next to them and the fighters during fight week.”
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Nicholson to defend vs. ex-champ Yoshida |
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On Sunday, November 8th, Australia's Skye Nicolson puts her WBC super bantamweight title on the line against former two-time champion Miyo Yoshida (19-5) of Japan. The fight takes lace on neutral ground in Arlington, Texas. Nicolson (16-1), with her polished style, solid defense and surgical southpaw jab, will be making a voluntary defense of her title. The Australian's task demands total focus. The fight presents a contrast of styles: Nicolson’s tactical finesse and distance management pitted against Yoshida’s relentless drive, bravery and punch volume. The card in Texas promises to keep fans on the edge of their seats from the opening bell to the very end.
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Nicholson to defend vs. ex-champ Yoshida
On Sunday, November 8th, Australia's Skye Nicolson puts her WBC super bantamweight title on the line against former two-time champion Miyo Yoshida (19-5) of Japan. The fight takes lace on neutral ground in Arlington, Texas. Nicolson (16-1), with her polished style, solid defense and surgical southpaw jab, will be making a voluntary defense of her title. The Australian's task demands total focus. The fight presents a contrast of styles: Nicolson’s tactical finesse and distance management pitted against Yoshida’s relentless drive, bravery and punch volume. The card in Texas promises to keep fans on the edge of their seats from the opening bell to the very end.
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Takuma Inoue defeats Tenshi Nashukawa again |
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Takuma Inoue W12 Tenshin Nasukawa ... WBC champion Takuma Inoue retained his title by defeating fellow Japaese bantamweight Tenshin Nasukawa by unanimous decision in a highly anticipated rematch held in Tokyo. The judges delivered scorecards of 114–113 and 116–111 (twice) in favor of the reigning champion. The bout featured moments of high tension, especially in the seventh round, when a powerful one-two combination from Nasukawa sent Inoue to the canvas. The challenger seized the moment to pressure the champion against the ropes, leaving him staggering on the verge of a more definitive knockdown, from which he was saved only by the ring ropes themselves. Inoue weathered the storm, recovered in the subsequent rounds, and regained control of the fight by precisely utilizing his right hand and effective jab from mid-to-long range, neutralizing the southpaw Nasukawa’s attempts. Despite a late surge from Nasukawa—including a strong left-handed combination in the eleventh round—Inoue successfully managed the lead he had built during the first half of the encounter. The result was a repeat of Inoue's exciting win over Nashukawa last November. With this victory, Inoue dispels any doubts from a physical and intense battle, firmly maintaining his position as the WBC bantamweight champion while now targeting a unification bout in hopes of following in the footsteps of his brother, Naoya Inoue.
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Takuma Inoue defeats Tenshi Nashukawa again
Takuma Inoue W12 Tenshin Nasukawa ... WBC champion Takuma Inoue retained his title by defeating fellow Japaese bantamweight Tenshin Nasukawa by unanimous decision in a highly anticipated rematch held in Tokyo. The judges delivered scorecards of 114–113 and 116–111 (twice) in favor of the reigning champion. The bout featured moments of high tension, especially in the seventh round, when a powerful one-two combination from Nasukawa sent Inoue to the canvas. The challenger seized the moment to pressure the champion against the ropes, leaving him staggering on the verge of a more definitive knockdown, from which he was saved only by the ring ropes themselves. Inoue weathered the storm, recovered in the subsequent rounds, and regained control of the fight by precisely utilizing his right hand and effective jab from mid-to-long range, neutralizing the southpaw Nasukawa’s attempts. Despite a late surge from Nasukawa—including a strong left-handed combination in the eleventh round—Inoue successfully managed the lead he had built during the first half of the encounter. The result was a repeat of Inoue's exciting win over Nashukawa last November. With this victory, Inoue dispels any doubts from a physical and intense battle, firmly maintaining his position as the WBC bantamweight champion while now targeting a unification bout in hopes of following in the footsteps of his brother, Naoya Inoue.
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New champion alert: Malajika wins on foreign soil |
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Ricardo Malajika W12 Tomoya Tsuboi... South Africa’s Ricardo Malajika (18–2, 12 KOs) accomplished a rare feat in boxing.. a South African winning a world title on foreign soil. Malajika was crowned the new WBC super flyweight champion after earning a points victory over local fighter Tomoya Tsuboi (3–1, 1 NC, 2 KOs) in a bout that filled the vacancy left by American Jesse “Bam” Rodríguez, who has moved up in weight. The fight proved hard fought and dynamic, with Tsuboi driving the offensive initiative for nearly the entirety of the match. For his part, Malajika opted for a sharper counter-punching strategy, capitalizing on his superior agility and reach. Although the duel lacked a dominant force landing explosive, game-changing blows, the South African raised his work rate with greater intensity in the final rounds. After twelve rounds, the judges’ verdict came down as a split decision: the American officials tilted the scales in favor of the visitor with scores of 116–112 and 115–113, while a third judge scored it 115–113 for the home fighter, sealing Malajika’s coronation on Japanese soil.
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New champion alert: Malajika wins on foreign soil
Ricardo Malajika W12 Tomoya Tsuboi... South Africa’s Ricardo Malajika (18–2, 12 KOs) accomplished a rare feat in boxing.. a South African winning a world title on foreign soil. Malajika was crowned the new WBC super flyweight champion after earning a points victory over local fighter Tomoya Tsuboi (3–1, 1 NC, 2 KOs) in a bout that filled the vacancy left by American Jesse “Bam” Rodríguez, who has moved up in weight. The fight proved hard fought and dynamic, with Tsuboi driving the offensive initiative for nearly the entirety of the match. For his part, Malajika opted for a sharper counter-punching strategy, capitalizing on his superior agility and reach. Although the duel lacked a dominant force landing explosive, game-changing blows, the South African raised his work rate with greater intensity in the final rounds. After twelve rounds, the judges’ verdict came down as a split decision: the American officials tilted the scales in favor of the visitor with scores of 116–112 and 115–113, while a third judge scored it 115–113 for the home fighter, sealing Malajika’s coronation on Japanese soil.
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Fisher edges Pirotton by majority decision |
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Johnny Fisher W10 Michael Pirotton... England’s Johnny Fisher delivered a hard-earned victory for his legion of fans at London’s Copper Box Arena at Zuffa Boxing 11. Fisher outbattled Belgium’s Michael Pirotton over ten grueling rounds in the heavyweight main event Fisher was forced to dig deep, but found the shots he needed when it mattered to battle his way to a majority decision victory over the durable Belgian heavyweight. Fisher took a majority decision verdict, with the judges scoring the contest 95-95, 98-92, 96-95 to give an exhausted “The Romford Bull” the 15th victory of his career.
Pirotton got to work immediately and, after Fisher swung and missed with a big shot, clipped “The Romford Bull” with a two-punch combination to serve a warning to the Englishman. In response, Fisher then exploded into a big salvo of his own as he made sure the Belgian got a taste of his power, too.
In the second round, a big left hook from Fisher got through and appeared to stun Pirotton, and while Pirotton’s shots were getting through to Fisher, the Englishman was able to walk through to land some big shots, ripping hard punches to the body, then coming over the top to send Pirotton back to his corner with a cut on his left eyebrow.
Fisher came out for round three looking much more aggressive, and landed some big shots that started to have an effect on Pirotton. The Belgian came back swinging, and connected with a solid right of his own.
By the middle of round four, Pirotton’s cut had started to bleed profusely, and the referee paused the action to let the doctor inspect the cut, as Pirotton begged the medic to let the action continue. The decision was made to proceed, and Fisher turned up the pressure, hammering Pirotton with shots for the rest of the round as the Belgian looked to cover up against the ropes.
Pirotton came back strongly in the fifth as he pushed the pace on Fisher and forced the Englishman to work off the back foot. Fisher’s work started to look a bit labored, and the Belgian sensed an opportunity. He connected with a flashy one-two combination and continued to land good shots. But, in the closing seconds of the round, Fisher connected with a superb short hook that clearly rocked Pirotton just before the bell.
The back-and-forth action continued through the next three rounds, with both men looking to land big shots, but with neither seemingly able to connect with enough power to deter or discombobulate the other, though Pirotton appeared to be punching his way back into the contest through rounds seven and eight with two of his strongest rounds of the contest.
By the ninth, Fisher was starting to look tired, but was still dangerous with his power. And, despite the Englishman’s bobbing and weaving, Pirotton was able to connect more frequently as he continued to push the pace on the hometown fighter.
Remarkably, after nine energy-sapping rounds, the bout went into the final round and, after a strong start from Pirotton, Fisher unloaded a massive right hand that shook the Belgian down to his boots. Fisher looked the more tired fighter, but he continued to throw bombs as he bobbed and weaved away from Pirotton’s hooks. The Belgian was keeping his form much better, but Fisher’s power punches found their mark. Those power shots may have proved decisive in the final reckoning.
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Fisher edges Pirotton by majority decision
Johnny Fisher W10 Michael Pirotton... England’s Johnny Fisher delivered a hard-earned victory for his legion of fans at London’s Copper Box Arena at Zuffa Boxing 11. Fisher outbattled Belgium’s Michael Pirotton over ten grueling rounds in the heavyweight main event Fisher was forced to dig deep, but found the shots he needed when it mattered to battle his way to a majority decision victory over the durable Belgian heavyweight. Fisher took a majority decision verdict, with the judges scoring the contest 95-95, 98-92, 96-95 to give an exhausted “The Romford Bull” the 15th victory of his career.
Pirotton got to work immediately and, after Fisher swung and missed with a big shot, clipped “The Romford Bull” with a two-punch combination to serve a warning to the Englishman. In response, Fisher then exploded into a big salvo of his own as he made sure the Belgian got a taste of his power, too.
In the second round, a big left hook from Fisher got through and appeared to stun Pirotton, and while Pirotton’s shots were getting through to Fisher, the Englishman was able to walk through to land some big shots, ripping hard punches to the body, then coming over the top to send Pirotton back to his corner with a cut on his left eyebrow.
Fisher came out for round three looking much more aggressive, and landed some big shots that started to have an effect on Pirotton. The Belgian came back swinging, and connected with a solid right of his own.
By the middle of round four, Pirotton’s cut had started to bleed profusely, and the referee paused the action to let the doctor inspect the cut, as Pirotton begged the medic to let the action continue. The decision was made to proceed, and Fisher turned up the pressure, hammering Pirotton with shots for the rest of the round as the Belgian looked to cover up against the ropes.
Pirotton came back strongly in the fifth as he pushed the pace on Fisher and forced the Englishman to work off the back foot. Fisher’s work started to look a bit labored, and the Belgian sensed an opportunity. He connected with a flashy one-two combination and continued to land good shots. But, in the closing seconds of the round, Fisher connected with a superb short hook that clearly rocked Pirotton just before the bell.
The back-and-forth action continued through the next three rounds, with both men looking to land big shots, but with neither seemingly able to connect with enough power to deter or discombobulate the other, though Pirotton appeared to be punching his way back into the contest through rounds seven and eight with two of his strongest rounds of the contest.
By the ninth, Fisher was starting to look tired, but was still dangerous with his power. And, despite the Englishman’s bobbing and weaving, Pirotton was able to connect more frequently as he continued to push the pace on the hometown fighter.
Remarkably, after nine energy-sapping rounds, the bout went into the final round and, after a strong start from Pirotton, Fisher unloaded a massive right hand that shook the Belgian down to his boots. Fisher looked the more tired fighter, but he continued to throw bombs as he bobbed and weaved away from Pirotton’s hooks. The Belgian was keeping his form much better, but Fisher’s power punches found their mark. Those power shots may have proved decisive in the final reckoning.
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Zuffa Boxing 11 undercard results |
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Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kaladjzic W10 Craig Richards... On Zuffa Boxing 11 in London, Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kaladjzic battled to a unanimous decision victory over Craig “Spider” Richards in a light heavyweight battle that saw the momentum swing one way, then the other as they fought all the way to the scorecards. All three scorecards read 97-92. Kalajdzic looked sharp from the start, working his jab and briefly appearing to stun Richards in the closing seconds of the opening round. And he continued to box smartly through the second stanza. Richards, meanwhile, had some success with his own jab, and landed a couple of solid shots when Kalajdzic got too close. Richards found his mark in the third round as he got Kalajdzic’s attention with a big shot that appeared to stun “Hot Rod” for a moment. But in the following round, Kalajdzic returned the favor with a big shot that put Richards in trouble.
“Hot Rod” saw his moment and poured on the pressure as he stalked Richards around the ring, landing big shots. But by the end of the round, Richards was the man throwing the heavier punches as he forced Kalajdzic against the ropes in the closing moments.
Business picked up again in the sixth, as Kalajdzic connected with a huge shot that forced Richards to hold on. Kalajdzic kept the pressure on, but Richards fired back with big shots of his own. The final 30 seconds turned into a back-and-forth slugfest, with both men landing big shots before the bell sounded. Richards started fast in the seventh and landed two big right hands that forced Kalajdzic to retreat. “Spider” then switched to the body and buried a crushing left hook to the body that Kalajdzic clearly felt, too. But “Hot Rod” came back again, throwing solid jabs as he took control of the action in the second half of the round.
As the action went into the final round, Richards loaded up and hurt Kalajdzic to the body with a huge left hook. “Spider” stayed on the attack as he pushed forward, looking to land heavy shots to head and body as Kalajdzic looked to hold. Then, with Richards hunting the late knockout, “Hot Rod” hit the accelerator. A blistering combination saw several big shots find their mark, then a big straight right sent Richards backwards into the ropes and down to the canvas for the first time in his career just before the final bell.
That last-gasp knockdown put the seal on Kalajdzic’s second victory in Zuffa Boxing as he claimed a unanimous decision victory, with all three judges scoring the bout 97-92 to take his record to 31-3 and set him up for bigger fights further down the line.
Lee Cutler W10 Louis Greene... The battle of English middleweights was won by Lee “Chaos” Cutler, who eschewed his fighting moniker to deliver a controlled, composed performance to outpoint “The Medway Mauler” Louis Greene over ten rounds. Cutler started looking the sharper man as he let his hands go early, working behind the jab, but staying well out of range. Greene, meanwhile stayed defensively tight and opted not to open up too much through the first two rounds. That changed at the start of the third, as a big right hand from “The Medway Mauler” sent Cutler staggering backwards. It gave encouragement to Greene, who started to trust his shots more, and he walked forward throwing more punches than he did in the early stages.
Things started to get a little scrappy in the fourth, with Greene looking to engage up close, while Cutler looked to tie him up, then strike from range when the fight was out in the open. Greene was having much more joy with his jab, too, with the Medway man noticeably more open with his work than he was in the first two rounds.
After a tricky couple of rounds for Cutler, “Chaos” went back to what worked for him in the first couple of rounds as he looked to box Greene from distance for the remainder of the fight. Greene appeared to be trying to set up something big, but never really managed to land anything clean, with Cutler proving to be just elusive enough to avoid being clipped by Greene’s heavier shots.
Greene tried to find an extra gear in the final round, but Cutler was able to tie him up and stay out of the way of Greene’s heavier punches to ensure he ran out a comfortable decision winner. The scorecards read 98-92and 97-93 (twice) as Cutler claimed his second straight win in Zuffa Boxing to take his career record to 17 wins, two losses. Greene, meanwhile, dropped to 19 wins, five losses.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
The first female fighter signed to Zuffa Boxing captured her first win in style as England’s former amateur standout Kayla Allen claimed a third-round TKO victory over Hungarian veteran Edina Kiss in their juior welterweight matchup. Allen started fast, establishing her jab early and throwing multi-punch combinations behind them as she connected with some big shots through the opening round. She briefly appeared to wobble Kiss in the closing stages of the round, but time ran out before she had chance to follow up. Kiss landed a solid right hand in the early exchanges in Round 2, and tried to weigh heavy on Allen when they tied up. Allen tried to land more big shots, but was guilty of smothering her own work a little. Then as the pair fought out of a clinch, and Kiss tried to turn her back , Allen connected with a couple of clean shots that prompted the referee to apply a standing eight-count. Allen kept the pressure on in Round 3, landing heavy shots at range. Kiss was seemingly unable to provide an answer, and reverted to holding, leading to a strong warning from the referee as a result. Once the action resumed, Allen continued to batter Kiss with heavy punches for the remainder of the round, with very little coming back from the her opposite number. By the end of the round, Kiss’s corner had seen enough to know their fighter wasn’t going to get back into the contest, and mercifully pulled her out of the contest, giving Allen a third-round TKO stoppage on her professional debut.
Leo Ruiz won the battle of Mexican middleweights, as he followed up on his victory over Casey James Streeter on his Zuffa Boxing debut with a unanimous decision victory over previously undefeated Cesar Mateo Tapia. The pair looked well matched through the first few rounds, with Tapia making better use of the range, while Ruiz tried to make his shots count from close quarters. And with both men seemingly prepared to take a shot to land one, the action moved along at a brisk pace through the first three rounds. As the rounds started to tick off, Ruiz started to separate himself from Tapia as he outworked and outboxed his undefeated opponent. Ruiz’s best work came on the inside as he continually broke Tapia down with body shots, and that body work started to have an effect as Tapia struggled to keep pace with the 27-year-old’s work rate. With Ruiz edging the rounds with his work rate and forward aggression, the bout made it to the final bell, with the judges’ scorecards giving him the victory with scores of 97-93, 96-94, 96-94 to take his record to 18-1. Tapia, meanwhile, drops to 18-1-1.
England’s Alex “The Villain” MacMillan delivered another decisive finish inside the Zuffa Boxing ring with a second-round stoppage of French junior middleweight Guillaume Azagier. The previously undefeated Azagier started out working from range using his southpaw jab and being tricky to engage with, but MacMillan quickly adjusted and stepped into range to land heavy punches. And, with a minute remaining in the opening round, a big right hand caught the Frenchman flush and sent him to the canvas. Azagier continued to throw shots in a bid to keep MacMillan at bay, but the Englishman walked through the punches to land a big right hand to drop Azagier again. It seemed a finish was imminent, but the eight-count proved the Frenchman’s saviour, with insufficient time left in the first round for MacMillan to finish the job. However, “The Villain” made sure he completed the assignment at the start of the second round. A big right hand put Azagier in trouble, and a succession of follow-up punches found their mark as the combined intervention of the referee and the towel from Azagier’s corner brought the action to a close at the 32-second mark. It meant MacMillan improved to 5-0 with the fourth finish of his career, with the Morecambe-based fighter showing plenty of potential early on in his career. And, after a typically bullish post-fight interview, it’s clear he plans on making great strides as he looks to make a name for himself under the Zuffa Boxing banner.
Cruiserweight Rogelio Romero extended his perfect record with a third-round TKO of previously unbeaten Aurel Ignat in an all-action cruiserweight clash saw both men hurt as they connected with big shots throughout. It didn’t take long for the leather to start flying, as both fighters stood in the pocket and traded big shots in the first round. Then, later in the round, a solid left to the body from Romero forced Ignat to temporarily back away in pain as the Mexican found his mark with a liver shot. There was still time for Romero to score again, with a big right hand over the top finding its mark on the Moldovan before the bell sounded to end a frantic opening three minutes. Romero resumed his body attack early in the second round and appeared to hurt Ignat twice in quick succession with lefts to the same area he’d connected to in the first. But, despite being hurt to the midsection, the Moldovan continued to fire back with heavy shots as he pushed the pace on Romero, who started to tire towards the end of the round. Round three started with both fighters being hurt, with Romero clipping Ignat with a big shot in the opening exchanges, only for Ignat to come storming back to hurt Romero in reply. A timely pause in the action to replace Romero’s mouthpiece gave the Mexican some much-needed respite, but Ignat resumed his assault when the action restarted. But, with both men exchanging big shots, Romero unloaded a huge two-punch combination that put Ignat on wobbly legs. Romero stepped in and landed another big left hook that connected clean. The punch was enough to force the referee to step in and wave off the contest at the 2:12 mark.
Featherweight Alexis de la Cerda defeats Cain Lewis via unanimous decision. Scores were 80-72, 79-73, 79-74. The undefeated featherweights went head-to-head, and de la Cerda claimed a hard-earned decision victory after a competitive eight-round battle with Ireland’s “King” Cain Lewis. The pair clearly had respect for the other’s abilities in a cagey start to the contest, but through the first half of the fight, de la Cerda seemed to edge the rounds with more effective work, particularly to the body. With his corner urging him to up the pressure a little heading into the fifth, Lewis started to load up more on his shots, and the Irishman connected with a solid right hand, but de la Cerda immediately fired back with a flurry of shots that saw some big shots land on Lewis in reply. It highlighted the difference the pair, with de la Cerda working showing a little bit more in the exchanges, and through the rounds, despite the action being competitive throughout the contest. An accidental clash of heads in the sixth saw Lewis sustain a nasty cut on his brow that leaked blood into his eye, and that seemed to spur Lewis on as he loaded up and drove forward in a bid to break his opponent down the stretch. De la Cerda showed good defensive skills, however, and responded with excellent work to the body as the pair scrapped it out for the final two rounds.
Lightweight Fred Pullen defeated Leonardo Faretina via decision (40-35), outboxing the Italian veteran over four rounds. Pullen settled into his work from the southpaw stance, and as the round wore on, he started to read the Italian’s feints as he landed some decent shots late in the round. Then, with the first punch of Round 2, Pullen connected with a peach of a left hand to drop Faretina and force an eight-count after the Italian bounced straight back up. Pullen had found his range, and started to draw the Faretina forward, looking for that counter shot, and a similar shot seemed to send him to touch down again, but this time it was ruled a slip. Pullen continued to dominate the exchanges through the third round, with Faretina looking a little more wary to step in, and in the fourth and final frame, he started to tee off on the Italian from range, both with his southpaw right hand, and with a fast, snappy straight left. Faretina connected with a couple of solid right hands as he kept Pullen honest for the full four-round distance. It was a solid first runout for Pullen on his pro debut, as he earned a shutout victory, with the referee scoring the fight 40-35 to get the 22-year-old prospect’s pro career off to a winning start.
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Zuffa Boxing 11 undercard results
Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kaladjzic W10 Craig Richards... On Zuffa Boxing 11 in London, Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kaladjzic battled to a unanimous decision victory over Craig “Spider” Richards in a light heavyweight battle that saw the momentum swing one way, then the other as they fought all the way to the scorecards. All three scorecards read 97-92. Kalajdzic looked sharp from the start, working his jab and briefly appearing to stun Richards in the closing seconds of the opening round. And he continued to box smartly through the second stanza. Richards, meanwhile, had some success with his own jab, and landed a couple of solid shots when Kalajdzic got too close. Richards found his mark in the third round as he got Kalajdzic’s attention with a big shot that appeared to stun “Hot Rod” for a moment. But in the following round, Kalajdzic returned the favor with a big shot that put Richards in trouble.
“Hot Rod” saw his moment and poured on the pressure as he stalked Richards around the ring, landing big shots. But by the end of the round, Richards was the man throwing the heavier punches as he forced Kalajdzic against the ropes in the closing moments.
Business picked up again in the sixth, as Kalajdzic connected with a huge shot that forced Richards to hold on. Kalajdzic kept the pressure on, but Richards fired back with big shots of his own. The final 30 seconds turned into a back-and-forth slugfest, with both men landing big shots before the bell sounded. Richards started fast in the seventh and landed two big right hands that forced Kalajdzic to retreat. “Spider” then switched to the body and buried a crushing left hook to the body that Kalajdzic clearly felt, too. But “Hot Rod” came back again, throwing solid jabs as he took control of the action in the second half of the round.
As the action went into the final round, Richards loaded up and hurt Kalajdzic to the body with a huge left hook. “Spider” stayed on the attack as he pushed forward, looking to land heavy shots to head and body as Kalajdzic looked to hold. Then, with Richards hunting the late knockout, “Hot Rod” hit the accelerator. A blistering combination saw several big shots find their mark, then a big straight right sent Richards backwards into the ropes and down to the canvas for the first time in his career just before the final bell.
That last-gasp knockdown put the seal on Kalajdzic’s second victory in Zuffa Boxing as he claimed a unanimous decision victory, with all three judges scoring the bout 97-92 to take his record to 31-3 and set him up for bigger fights further down the line.
Lee Cutler W10 Louis Greene... The battle of English middleweights was won by Lee “Chaos” Cutler, who eschewed his fighting moniker to deliver a controlled, composed performance to outpoint “The Medway Mauler” Louis Greene over ten rounds. Cutler started looking the sharper man as he let his hands go early, working behind the jab, but staying well out of range. Greene, meanwhile stayed defensively tight and opted not to open up too much through the first two rounds. That changed at the start of the third, as a big right hand from “The Medway Mauler” sent Cutler staggering backwards. It gave encouragement to Greene, who started to trust his shots more, and he walked forward throwing more punches than he did in the early stages.
Things started to get a little scrappy in the fourth, with Greene looking to engage up close, while Cutler looked to tie him up, then strike from range when the fight was out in the open. Greene was having much more joy with his jab, too, with the Medway man noticeably more open with his work than he was in the first two rounds.
After a tricky couple of rounds for Cutler, “Chaos” went back to what worked for him in the first couple of rounds as he looked to box Greene from distance for the remainder of the fight. Greene appeared to be trying to set up something big, but never really managed to land anything clean, with Cutler proving to be just elusive enough to avoid being clipped by Greene’s heavier shots.
Greene tried to find an extra gear in the final round, but Cutler was able to tie him up and stay out of the way of Greene’s heavier punches to ensure he ran out a comfortable decision winner. The scorecards read 98-92and 97-93 (twice) as Cutler claimed his second straight win in Zuffa Boxing to take his career record to 17 wins, two losses. Greene, meanwhile, dropped to 19 wins, five losses.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
The first female fighter signed to Zuffa Boxing captured her first win in style as England’s former amateur standout Kayla Allen claimed a third-round TKO victory over Hungarian veteran Edina Kiss in their juior welterweight matchup. Allen started fast, establishing her jab early and throwing multi-punch combinations behind them as she connected with some big shots through the opening round. She briefly appeared to wobble Kiss in the closing stages of the round, but time ran out before she had chance to follow up. Kiss landed a solid right hand in the early exchanges in Round 2, and tried to weigh heavy on Allen when they tied up. Allen tried to land more big shots, but was guilty of smothering her own work a little. Then as the pair fought out of a clinch, and Kiss tried to turn her back , Allen connected with a couple of clean shots that prompted the referee to apply a standing eight-count. Allen kept the pressure on in Round 3, landing heavy shots at range. Kiss was seemingly unable to provide an answer, and reverted to holding, leading to a strong warning from the referee as a result. Once the action resumed, Allen continued to batter Kiss with heavy punches for the remainder of the round, with very little coming back from the her opposite number. By the end of the round, Kiss’s corner had seen enough to know their fighter wasn’t going to get back into the contest, and mercifully pulled her out of the contest, giving Allen a third-round TKO stoppage on her professional debut.
Leo Ruiz won the battle of Mexican middleweights, as he followed up on his victory over Casey James Streeter on his Zuffa Boxing debut with a unanimous decision victory over previously undefeated Cesar Mateo Tapia. The pair looked well matched through the first few rounds, with Tapia making better use of the range, while Ruiz tried to make his shots count from close quarters. And with both men seemingly prepared to take a shot to land one, the action moved along at a brisk pace through the first three rounds. As the rounds started to tick off, Ruiz started to separate himself from Tapia as he outworked and outboxed his undefeated opponent. Ruiz’s best work came on the inside as he continually broke Tapia down with body shots, and that body work started to have an effect as Tapia struggled to keep pace with the 27-year-old’s work rate. With Ruiz edging the rounds with his work rate and forward aggression, the bout made it to the final bell, with the judges’ scorecards giving him the victory with scores of 97-93, 96-94, 96-94 to take his record to 18-1. Tapia, meanwhile, drops to 18-1-1.
England’s Alex “The Villain” MacMillan delivered another decisive finish inside the Zuffa Boxing ring with a second-round stoppage of French junior middleweight Guillaume Azagier. The previously undefeated Azagier started out working from range using his southpaw jab and being tricky to engage with, but MacMillan quickly adjusted and stepped into range to land heavy punches. And, with a minute remaining in the opening round, a big right hand caught the Frenchman flush and sent him to the canvas. Azagier continued to throw shots in a bid to keep MacMillan at bay, but the Englishman walked through the punches to land a big right hand to drop Azagier again. It seemed a finish was imminent, but the eight-count proved the Frenchman’s saviour, with insufficient time left in the first round for MacMillan to finish the job. However, “The Villain” made sure he completed the assignment at the start of the second round. A big right hand put Azagier in trouble, and a succession of follow-up punches found their mark as the combined intervention of the referee and the towel from Azagier’s corner brought the action to a close at the 32-second mark. It meant MacMillan improved to 5-0 with the fourth finish of his career, with the Morecambe-based fighter showing plenty of potential early on in his career. And, after a typically bullish post-fight interview, it’s clear he plans on making great strides as he looks to make a name for himself under the Zuffa Boxing banner.
Cruiserweight Rogelio Romero extended his perfect record with a third-round TKO of previously unbeaten Aurel Ignat in an all-action cruiserweight clash saw both men hurt as they connected with big shots throughout. It didn’t take long for the leather to start flying, as both fighters stood in the pocket and traded big shots in the first round. Then, later in the round, a solid left to the body from Romero forced Ignat to temporarily back away in pain as the Mexican found his mark with a liver shot. There was still time for Romero to score again, with a big right hand over the top finding its mark on the Moldovan before the bell sounded to end a frantic opening three minutes. Romero resumed his body attack early in the second round and appeared to hurt Ignat twice in quick succession with lefts to the same area he’d connected to in the first. But, despite being hurt to the midsection, the Moldovan continued to fire back with heavy shots as he pushed the pace on Romero, who started to tire towards the end of the round. Round three started with both fighters being hurt, with Romero clipping Ignat with a big shot in the opening exchanges, only for Ignat to come storming back to hurt Romero in reply. A timely pause in the action to replace Romero’s mouthpiece gave the Mexican some much-needed respite, but Ignat resumed his assault when the action restarted. But, with both men exchanging big shots, Romero unloaded a huge two-punch combination that put Ignat on wobbly legs. Romero stepped in and landed another big left hook that connected clean. The punch was enough to force the referee to step in and wave off the contest at the 2:12 mark.
Featherweight Alexis de la Cerda defeats Cain Lewis via unanimous decision. Scores were 80-72, 79-73, 79-74. The undefeated featherweights went head-to-head, and de la Cerda claimed a hard-earned decision victory after a competitive eight-round battle with Ireland’s “King” Cain Lewis. The pair clearly had respect for the other’s abilities in a cagey start to the contest, but through the first half of the fight, de la Cerda seemed to edge the rounds with more effective work, particularly to the body. With his corner urging him to up the pressure a little heading into the fifth, Lewis started to load up more on his shots, and the Irishman connected with a solid right hand, but de la Cerda immediately fired back with a flurry of shots that saw some big shots land on Lewis in reply. It highlighted the difference the pair, with de la Cerda working showing a little bit more in the exchanges, and through the rounds, despite the action being competitive throughout the contest. An accidental clash of heads in the sixth saw Lewis sustain a nasty cut on his brow that leaked blood into his eye, and that seemed to spur Lewis on as he loaded up and drove forward in a bid to break his opponent down the stretch. De la Cerda showed good defensive skills, however, and responded with excellent work to the body as the pair scrapped it out for the final two rounds.
Lightweight Fred Pullen defeated Leonardo Faretina via decision (40-35), outboxing the Italian veteran over four rounds. Pullen settled into his work from the southpaw stance, and as the round wore on, he started to read the Italian’s feints as he landed some decent shots late in the round. Then, with the first punch of Round 2, Pullen connected with a peach of a left hand to drop Faretina and force an eight-count after the Italian bounced straight back up. Pullen had found his range, and started to draw the Faretina forward, looking for that counter shot, and a similar shot seemed to send him to touch down again, but this time it was ruled a slip. Pullen continued to dominate the exchanges through the third round, with Faretina looking a little more wary to step in, and in the fourth and final frame, he started to tee off on the Italian from range, both with his southpaw right hand, and with a fast, snappy straight left. Faretina connected with a couple of solid right hands as he kept Pullen honest for the full four-round distance. It was a solid first runout for Pullen on his pro debut, as he earned a shutout victory, with the referee scoring the fight 40-35 to get the 22-year-old prospect’s pro career off to a winning start.
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Uldedaj to defend IBO cruiserweight title vs. Caparello in Albania |
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Albania's Juergen Uldedaj defends his IBO cruiserweight championship against Australia's Blake Caparello in Tirana, Albania on October 23rd, presented by SES Boxing / Blanko Sports in association with Crown Boxing International. The show will be broadcast live on Digitalb and Klan Kosova, with international broadcast coverage around the world. The venue will be the Feti Borova Olympic Park in Tirana. Uldedaj (22-1) turned pro with SES Boxing in Germany in 2015. His journey ultimately took him to Manchester, UK where he defeated Rolly Lambert Fogoum to win the vacant IBO cruiserweight title in front of 10,000 boxing fans at the 02 Arena in London in October 2025. Uldedaj returned to the UK’s capital in May of this year to successfully defend his crown against Austine Nnamdi at Wembley Arena. Now, more than a decade after turning professional, he brings the title home to Albania.
Uldedaj said: “I’m delighted to finally return home to Tirana to defend my world title. Blake Caparello is coming to Albania to conquer my belt, but he has made the wrong decision. I am the champion - this is my time, my territory and my title.“
A former IBO light heavyweight champion, this will not be the first time Caparello (34-4-1) has stood in the way of Albanian boxing ambitions. In 2014, the Australian defeated Elvir Muriqi in the United States. The experienced Caparello has shared the ring with elite world champions Sergey Kovalev and Andre Direll. Caparello said: “Congratulations, Champ, but he [Uldeddaj] hasn’t fought anyone of my caliber. I’ve been in the ring with world-class fighters and that experience is going to show come fight night. I won my first IBO title October 2013 and now 13 years later I’m going to claim my second. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in the gym, we will come out victorious on October 23rd.”
Brendan Bourke, Caparello’s manager, said: “I’d like to thank Blanko Sports and Crown Boxing International for putting this fight together, and also Blake’s promoter Joe DeGuardia from Star Boxing for being on board with the fight. Blake is ready, Juergen is a worthy champion - I’m looking forward to this fight!”
Caparello's promoter Joe DeGuardia, CEO of Star Boxing, said: “Blake is a former IBO light heavyweight champion, and he is excited to have the opportunity to become a two-division World Champion by challenging Juergen Uldedaj for the IBO Cruiserweight World Championship. He understands the significance of traveling to Tirana to face the defending champion in his home country and is fully committed to making the most of this opportunity. We appreciate Benedikt Poelchau of Blanko Sports and Crown Boxing International working with us to bring this world-title fight together, and we look forward to an exciting night of boxing on October 23rd.”
SES Boxing of Germany is headed by founder Ulf Steinforth and international boxing operator Benedikt Poelchau, after Poelchau’s Blanko Sports Holding acquired a significant stake in the company. Over more than 25 years in professional boxing, SES Boxing has promoted more than 200 events, developed multiple European and World Champions and established itself among the leading boxing promoters on the international stage.
Benedikt Poelchau, CEO of SES Boxing and Blanko Sports Holding, said: “This is the most significant international fight Albania has hosted so far and on October 23rd the eyes of the boxing world will be on Tirana. After fighting on the biggest stages in Europe, it was always Juergen’s dream to bring a World Title fight back to his home country. In Caparello, Juergen is facing not only the biggest name of his career but also his toughest and most experienced challenger. I’m delighted that we were able to make this happen and I want to thank everyone involved - I’m looking forward to a fantastic night of boxing in Tirana“.
Ulf Steinforth, CEO of SES Boxing said: “We have built Juergen Uldedaj from the very beginning, from a four-round debutant into a 12-round elite fighter. Eight years ago, we brought Juergen’s WBO Youth Title fight to Tirana and now he returns for the first time since - this time as the IBO World Champion. To see his journey is something special to me. Juergen has earned this moment. I’m excepting an exiting fight and I can’t wait for October 23rd in Tirana.“
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Uldedaj to defend IBO cruiserweight title vs. Caparello in Albania
Albania's Juergen Uldedaj defends his IBO cruiserweight championship against Australia's Blake Caparello in Tirana, Albania on October 23rd, presented by SES Boxing / Blanko Sports in association with Crown Boxing International. The show will be broadcast live on Digitalb and Klan Kosova, with international broadcast coverage around the world. The venue will be the Feti Borova Olympic Park in Tirana. Uldedaj (22-1) turned pro with SES Boxing in Germany in 2015. His journey ultimately took him to Manchester, UK where he defeated Rolly Lambert Fogoum to win the vacant IBO cruiserweight title in front of 10,000 boxing fans at the 02 Arena in London in October 2025. Uldedaj returned to the UK’s capital in May of this year to successfully defend his crown against Austine Nnamdi at Wembley Arena. Now, more than a decade after turning professional, he brings the title home to Albania.
Uldedaj said: “I’m delighted to finally return home to Tirana to defend my world title. Blake Caparello is coming to Albania to conquer my belt, but he has made the wrong decision. I am the champion - this is my time, my territory and my title.“
A former IBO light heavyweight champion, this will not be the first time Caparello (34-4-1) has stood in the way of Albanian boxing ambitions. In 2014, the Australian defeated Elvir Muriqi in the United States. The experienced Caparello has shared the ring with elite world champions Sergey Kovalev and Andre Direll. Caparello said: “Congratulations, Champ, but he [Uldeddaj] hasn’t fought anyone of my caliber. I’ve been in the ring with world-class fighters and that experience is going to show come fight night. I won my first IBO title October 2013 and now 13 years later I’m going to claim my second. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in the gym, we will come out victorious on October 23rd.”
Brendan Bourke, Caparello’s manager, said: “I’d like to thank Blanko Sports and Crown Boxing International for putting this fight together, and also Blake’s promoter Joe DeGuardia from Star Boxing for being on board with the fight. Blake is ready, Juergen is a worthy champion - I’m looking forward to this fight!”
Caparello's promoter Joe DeGuardia, CEO of Star Boxing, said: “Blake is a former IBO light heavyweight champion, and he is excited to have the opportunity to become a two-division World Champion by challenging Juergen Uldedaj for the IBO Cruiserweight World Championship. He understands the significance of traveling to Tirana to face the defending champion in his home country and is fully committed to making the most of this opportunity. We appreciate Benedikt Poelchau of Blanko Sports and Crown Boxing International working with us to bring this world-title fight together, and we look forward to an exciting night of boxing on October 23rd.”
SES Boxing of Germany is headed by founder Ulf Steinforth and international boxing operator Benedikt Poelchau, after Poelchau’s Blanko Sports Holding acquired a significant stake in the company. Over more than 25 years in professional boxing, SES Boxing has promoted more than 200 events, developed multiple European and World Champions and established itself among the leading boxing promoters on the international stage.
Benedikt Poelchau, CEO of SES Boxing and Blanko Sports Holding, said: “This is the most significant international fight Albania has hosted so far and on October 23rd the eyes of the boxing world will be on Tirana. After fighting on the biggest stages in Europe, it was always Juergen’s dream to bring a World Title fight back to his home country. In Caparello, Juergen is facing not only the biggest name of his career but also his toughest and most experienced challenger. I’m delighted that we were able to make this happen and I want to thank everyone involved - I’m looking forward to a fantastic night of boxing in Tirana“.
Ulf Steinforth, CEO of SES Boxing said: “We have built Juergen Uldedaj from the very beginning, from a four-round debutant into a 12-round elite fighter. Eight years ago, we brought Juergen’s WBO Youth Title fight to Tirana and now he returns for the first time since - this time as the IBO World Champion. To see his journey is something special to me. Juergen has earned this moment. I’m excepting an exiting fight and I can’t wait for October 23rd in Tirana.“
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Weigh-in report from London |
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Here are the boxers' weights for Zuffa Boxing 11 at Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday. The event will stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. and broadcast via Sky Sports for UK audiences.
Johnny Fisher, 243 pounds -vs.- Michael Pirotton, 240.6 (heavyweight, ten rounds);
Craig Richards, 174.2 -vs.- Radivoje Kalajdzic, 174.5 (light heavyweight, ten rounds);
Lee Cutler, 159.5 -vs.- Louis Greene, 159.1 (middleweight, ten rounds);
Kayla Allen, 142.9 -vs.- Edina Kiss, 142 (junior welterweight, six rounds);
Cesar Mateo Tapia, 159.9 -vs.- Leo Ruiz, 159.2 (middleweight, ten rounds);
Alex MacMillan, 149.9 -vs.- Guillaume Azagier, 151.6 (junior middleweight, six rounds);
Rogelio Romero, 199.2 -vs.- Aurel Ignat, 199.6 (cruiserweight, eight rounds);
Alexis de la Cerda, 125.4 -vs.- Cain Lewis, 125.6 (featherweight, eight rounds); and
Fred Pullen, 131.4 -vs.- Leonardo Faretina, 132.7 (lightweight, four rounds).
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Weigh-in report from London
Here are the boxers' weights for Zuffa Boxing 11 at Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday. The event will stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. and broadcast via Sky Sports for UK audiences.
Johnny Fisher, 243 pounds -vs.- Michael Pirotton, 240.6 (heavyweight, ten rounds);
Craig Richards, 174.2 -vs.- Radivoje Kalajdzic, 174.5 (light heavyweight, ten rounds);
Lee Cutler, 159.5 -vs.- Louis Greene, 159.1 (middleweight, ten rounds);
Kayla Allen, 142.9 -vs.- Edina Kiss, 142 (junior welterweight, six rounds);
Cesar Mateo Tapia, 159.9 -vs.- Leo Ruiz, 159.2 (middleweight, ten rounds);
Alex MacMillan, 149.9 -vs.- Guillaume Azagier, 151.6 (junior middleweight, six rounds);
Rogelio Romero, 199.2 -vs.- Aurel Ignat, 199.6 (cruiserweight, eight rounds);
Alexis de la Cerda, 125.4 -vs.- Cain Lewis, 125.6 (featherweight, eight rounds); and
Fred Pullen, 131.4 -vs.- Leonardo Faretina, 132.7 (lightweight, four rounds).
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Argentine boxing update |
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Argentina will be the site of a major night of boxing today (September 26th) when the action returns to the FAB Stadium in Buenos Aires. The event will be broadcast live on TyC Sports. Josue Agüero, one of Argentina’s top prospects, will challenge Brian González at junior lightweght. The 25 year-old Agüero is unbeaten and determined to keep his winning streak alive, but he faces a stern test... Meanwhile, 21 year-old Argentine stylist Junior Narváez will face 25 year-old Venezuelan Jonathan Cisneros in a bantamweight contest... Senegal’s Touba Niang and Venezuela’s Leonardo Sánchez will square off in a closely contested welterweight matchup that promises action from the opening bell to the final round... The event will also mark the return to professional boxing of Venezuelan Olympic medalist Yoel Finol, who will face Argentina’s Sergio Medina in a bantamweight showdown.
Among the other featured bouts, unbeaten Venezuelan Geremy Vera will take on Argentina’s Matías Medina in a flyweight bout... meanwhile, Argentina’s María Mazzarello will challenge young Venezuelan Albys Larez at bantamweight.
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Argentine boxing update
Argentina will be the site of a major night of boxing today (September 26th) when the action returns to the FAB Stadium in Buenos Aires. The event will be broadcast live on TyC Sports. Josue Agüero, one of Argentina’s top prospects, will challenge Brian González at junior lightweght. The 25 year-old Agüero is unbeaten and determined to keep his winning streak alive, but he faces a stern test... Meanwhile, 21 year-old Argentine stylist Junior Narváez will face 25 year-old Venezuelan Jonathan Cisneros in a bantamweight contest... Senegal’s Touba Niang and Venezuela’s Leonardo Sánchez will square off in a closely contested welterweight matchup that promises action from the opening bell to the final round... The event will also mark the return to professional boxing of Venezuelan Olympic medalist Yoel Finol, who will face Argentina’s Sergio Medina in a bantamweight showdown.
Among the other featured bouts, unbeaten Venezuelan Geremy Vera will take on Argentina’s Matías Medina in a flyweight bout... meanwhile, Argentina’s María Mazzarello will challenge young Venezuelan Albys Larez at bantamweight.
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Yan Zak moving up in cruiserweight division |
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Yan Zak KO4 Peter Mysoka... Israeli cruiserweight Yan Zak scored a knockout victory against Tanzania's Peter Mysoka on a show held in Dubai. Competing on Saturday’s BATL Boxing Promotions event, Zak produced a fourth-round knockout that raised his career mark to 8-0 with 6 KOs. He's been fighting a good level of opposition. Mysoka saw an eight-fight KO win streak end, dropping his record to 14-2.
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Yan Zak moving up in cruiserweight division
Yan Zak KO4 Peter Mysoka... Israeli cruiserweight Yan Zak scored a knockout victory against Tanzania's Peter Mysoka on a show held in Dubai. Competing on Saturday’s BATL Boxing Promotions event, Zak produced a fourth-round knockout that raised his career mark to 8-0 with 6 KOs. He's been fighting a good level of opposition. Mysoka saw an eight-fight KO win streak end, dropping his record to 14-2.
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WBC orders Adames to defend vs. Nursultanov |
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Undefeated Kazakh Meiirim Nursultanov is getting his title shot, challenging WBC middleweight monarch Carlos “El Caballo Bronco” Adames (pictured). No date has been set for the fight, but the WBC has officially ordered both boxers' camps to begin negotiations, setting October 20th as the deadline to reach an agreement. If a deal is not finalized within the allotted timeframe, the WBC will call for a purse bid to award the promotional rights for the fight. The path to this long-awaited matchup accelerated directly following the unfortunate withdrawal of the division’s interim champion, Jesus Ramos, who was unable to compete in the scheduled eliminator vs. Nursultanov last weekend due to health reasons. Under these circumstances, the WBC applied its rules and granted Nursultanov the direct right as the division’s official mandatory contender.
Adames, from the Dominican Republic is coming off a successful decision defense against Austin “Ammo” Williams in Orlando, Florida. Carrying power and an increasingly cerebral approach, Adames looks to reaffirm his absolute dominance over the division.
Nursultanov, age 33, earned his mandatory challenger status way back in November 2023 with a decisive victory over Chile’s Julio Álamos. Despite the long layoff away from the squared circle, Nursultanov has maintained constant physical preparation while awaiting the final call to fulfill his dream of becoming a champion.
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WBC orders Adames to defend vs. Nursultanov
Undefeated Kazakh Meiirim Nursultanov is getting his title shot, challenging WBC middleweight monarch Carlos “El Caballo Bronco” Adames (pictured). No date has been set for the fight, but the WBC has officially ordered both boxers' camps to begin negotiations, setting October 20th as the deadline to reach an agreement. If a deal is not finalized within the allotted timeframe, the WBC will call for a purse bid to award the promotional rights for the fight. The path to this long-awaited matchup accelerated directly following the unfortunate withdrawal of the division’s interim champion, Jesus Ramos, who was unable to compete in the scheduled eliminator vs. Nursultanov last weekend due to health reasons. Under these circumstances, the WBC applied its rules and granted Nursultanov the direct right as the division’s official mandatory contender.
Adames, from the Dominican Republic is coming off a successful decision defense against Austin “Ammo” Williams in Orlando, Florida. Carrying power and an increasingly cerebral approach, Adames looks to reaffirm his absolute dominance over the division.
Nursultanov, age 33, earned his mandatory challenger status way back in November 2023 with a decisive victory over Chile’s Julio Álamos. Despite the long layoff away from the squared circle, Nursultanov has maintained constant physical preparation while awaiting the final call to fulfill his dream of becoming a champion.
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Fundora vs. Hadribeaj presser quotes |
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WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora (pictured) and his unbeaten mandatory challenger Ermal Hadribeaj previewed their matchup during a virtual press conference on Thursday. Their twelve-round bout will take place on TNT and DAZN on Saturday, October 17th at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, presented by Premier Boxing Champions. Here is what the fighters had to say on Thursday:
SEBASTIAN FUNDORA
“We’ve been working hard up in the mountains since our last fight and just getting ready for the next one. I’m ready to put on another show in Las Vegas.
“I’ve been getting smarter and wiser. Everything is lining up. The fights are showing the results of everything we’re doing in camp.
“Hadribeaj is undefeated, he’s the mandatory and he’s hungry to win. But it’s nothing we’re unfamiliar with.
“We’re always in the gym 24/7. It’s always working time. The second you step off the gas, that’s when you’re gonna start feeling it.
“Expect the best from Fundora as always. Just like we always do. ‘The Towering Inferno’ is coming to burn down Las Vegas once again.
“We’re only focused on this fight. We know that we can’t overlook anyone. We focus on the work and take it one fight at a time.
“Hadribeaj still has that mechanism that he only knows how to win. He’s protecting that 0. But I’ve taken 0’s before. I’m on a three-fight knockout streak and we intend to keep that going.”
ERMAL HADRIBEAJ
“They call me the Albanian Sniper. I’m new to these big fights, but I’ve worked my way to this position. I’m feeling great. We’re getting ready for war. Fundora is a warrior as well and he likes blood. I can’t wait.
“This fight means that I can become the first Albanian world champion. That’s really important to me and my team.
“Everyone thinks to go to the body against his height. But that’s what everyone has tried. It’s not about bringing something new, it’s about working on specific things that will work. It will be a struggle for both of us. It’s gonna be a hard fight for each of us.
“The way that I came to this moment will help me when the fight finally starts. I got here because I worked for it. I went step by step. The pressure is already gone by now.
“This fight means a lot to me. There are a lot of fighters who want to be in my position. So I’m very grateful. Now it’s not a dream anymore, I’m living it. I’ve been stepping in silence. I’ve just kept working to make it to this point.
“I’m very excited to fight someone like Fundora who is a great guy. I actually met him three years ago, and now here we are fighting for the title.”
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Fundora vs. Hadribeaj presser quotes
WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora (pictured) and his unbeaten mandatory challenger Ermal Hadribeaj previewed their matchup during a virtual press conference on Thursday. Their twelve-round bout will take place on TNT and DAZN on Saturday, October 17th at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, presented by Premier Boxing Champions. Here is what the fighters had to say on Thursday:
SEBASTIAN FUNDORA
“We’ve been working hard up in the mountains since our last fight and just getting ready for the next one. I’m ready to put on another show in Las Vegas.
“I’ve been getting smarter and wiser. Everything is lining up. The fights are showing the results of everything we’re doing in camp.
“Hadribeaj is undefeated, he’s the mandatory and he’s hungry to win. But it’s nothing we’re unfamiliar with.
“We’re always in the gym 24/7. It’s always working time. The second you step off the gas, that’s when you’re gonna start feeling it.
“Expect the best from Fundora as always. Just like we always do. ‘The Towering Inferno’ is coming to burn down Las Vegas once again.
“We’re only focused on this fight. We know that we can’t overlook anyone. We focus on the work and take it one fight at a time.
“Hadribeaj still has that mechanism that he only knows how to win. He’s protecting that 0. But I’ve taken 0’s before. I’m on a three-fight knockout streak and we intend to keep that going.”
ERMAL HADRIBEAJ
“They call me the Albanian Sniper. I’m new to these big fights, but I’ve worked my way to this position. I’m feeling great. We’re getting ready for war. Fundora is a warrior as well and he likes blood. I can’t wait.
“This fight means that I can become the first Albanian world champion. That’s really important to me and my team.
“Everyone thinks to go to the body against his height. But that’s what everyone has tried. It’s not about bringing something new, it’s about working on specific things that will work. It will be a struggle for both of us. It’s gonna be a hard fight for each of us.
“The way that I came to this moment will help me when the fight finally starts. I got here because I worked for it. I went step by step. The pressure is already gone by now.
“This fight means a lot to me. There are a lot of fighters who want to be in my position. So I’m very grateful. Now it’s not a dream anymore, I’m living it. I’ve been stepping in silence. I’ve just kept working to make it to this point.
“I’m very excited to fight someone like Fundora who is a great guy. I actually met him three years ago, and now here we are fighting for the title.”
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Fury vs. Joshua official for Friday, Dec. 11th |
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Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua is officially happening. The British heavyweight boxing, both former champions, will fight for the first time on Friday, Dec. 11th, live on Netflix from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Ahead of the December showdown, Fury and Joshua will participate in a press conference on September 30th. Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) and Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) have both previously headlined live boxing events on Netflix. Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in December 2025, while Fury defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision in April 2026. Now, the former heavyweight champions will meet in one of the biggest all-British heavyweight fights in history.
“Fury vs. Joshua is a fight years in the making between two of boxing’s biggest stars,” Gabe Spitzer, vice president of sports at Netflix, said. “It has the rivalry, the stakes and the scale to capture the attention of sports fans around the world.”
The matchup was officially confirmed by Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority and President of the Saudi Boxing Federation. “Two of the best heavyweights of this generation, finally in the ring together,” says Alalshikh. “This will be one of the biggest fights in boxing history.”
Alalshikh’s The Ring and Dana White will collaborate to promote the event. White points to the fighters’ combined records — and what a win could mean for either man’s legacy. “Together, [Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua] bring 66 wins, 52 knockouts and multiple heavyweight world titles into the ring,” White says. “On December 11th, two of the biggest heavyweights of this generation finally collide– and the winner will take a significant place in heavyweight history.”
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Fury vs. Joshua official for Friday, Dec. 11th
Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua is officially happening. The British heavyweight boxing, both former champions, will fight for the first time on Friday, Dec. 11th, live on Netflix from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Ahead of the December showdown, Fury and Joshua will participate in a press conference on September 30th. Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) and Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) have both previously headlined live boxing events on Netflix. Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in December 2025, while Fury defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision in April 2026. Now, the former heavyweight champions will meet in one of the biggest all-British heavyweight fights in history.
“Fury vs. Joshua is a fight years in the making between two of boxing’s biggest stars,” Gabe Spitzer, vice president of sports at Netflix, said. “It has the rivalry, the stakes and the scale to capture the attention of sports fans around the world.”
The matchup was officially confirmed by Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority and President of the Saudi Boxing Federation. “Two of the best heavyweights of this generation, finally in the ring together,” says Alalshikh. “This will be one of the biggest fights in boxing history.”
Alalshikh’s The Ring and Dana White will collaborate to promote the event. White points to the fighters’ combined records — and what a win could mean for either man’s legacy. “Together, [Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua] bring 66 wins, 52 knockouts and multiple heavyweight world titles into the ring,” White says. “On December 11th, two of the biggest heavyweights of this generation finally collide– and the winner will take a significant place in heavyweight history.”
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Fisher talks about his journey to Zuffa |
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If you’re a combat sports fan from the United Kingdom, you almost certainly know who Johnny Fisher is already. But this week, the big-punching British heavyweight has the chance to introduce himself to an even bigger audience in his Zuffa Boxing debut. “So, I'm Johnny Fisher. I'm known as ‘The Romford Bull,’ born and raised in Romford. My dad's Big John, a big personality over here in the UK, as well,” he began. “But yeah, we just pride ourselves on being real people, being authentic, and what you see is what you get. We'll always try to be honest and be truthful with you. And part of being truthful with yourself is to give 110 percent every time you train, and every time you fight.
“I'm known for my aggressive style, and my best performances have been when I'm aggressive and going for the knockout. I might not be an Oleksandr Usyk or an Agit Kabayel, or a top-level heavyweight right now. But one thing you're guaranteed when you come to watch me fight is entertainment, and it's a privilege and an honor to reach out to this new market of American supporters and American fans. We love going over there when we can, and America is a great place. You don't have to leave that great country. There's so many different biomes and places to explore, and yeah, whether you're on the East Coast, West Coast, or in the middle, we love America. Up the ‘American Bosh Soldiers!’ Bosh!”
No bells and whistles. No outlandish statements. Instead, Fisher is a down-to-earth, straight-talking Englishman who just happens to have a penchant for knocking people out. The hard-hitting heavyweight has finished 12 of his 14 career wins by knockout, and his “live by the sword, die by the sword” approach also led to his one career defeat, in a rematch with fellow Englishman Dave Allen. Since that defeat, Fisher re-evaluated his situation and switched trainers to work with the respected Tony Sims, and after his bounce-back knockout win over Ivan Balaz last December, an opportunity presented itself that was too good for “The Romford Bull” to turn down.
“I was previously with Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn,” Fisher explained. “I was meant to fight for a British title. That fell through because of politics between different promoters, and then I just took a little bit of a holiday, a vacation, when that fight didn't come off, and my contract was running out with Matchroom; it began to run out. We had a negotiation period. We could talk to other guys, and Zuffa Boxing came in with this amazing offer to fight – not only financially a fantastic offer, but to fight on Sky Sports Boxing as well. I've obviously been to Vegas a few times and seen how the UFC world and that side of the combat sports universe works. And now I'm part of it. It's great.”
Being part of Zuffa Boxing has seen a change of environment for Fisher, who is now benefiting from the overall TKO ecosystem, with all of the expertise previously only available to UFC athletes now at the fingertips of Fisher and his fellow Zuffa Boxing athletes. “It's been unbelievable,” he said. “I mean, everything's done for you. I've had about five or six different contacts messaging me, trying to sort this out for me, do this. I've had food offered to me. I've had physiotherapy offered to me. It's just amazing. Everything's run like a well-oiled machine, and it puts you in a good headspace for Fight Week, you know? And it's the same for every fighter, all the way down the card. So, I’m very, very excited to be here. I've got some free gear out of it as well, some merch. So yeah, got some nice sliders which are very comfy, which is great!”
Fisher and his father, known to one and all as “Big John,” have become cult figures in the UK, with their love for Chinese food a feature of some of their social media output over the years. Big John’s ability to fire off a monster Chinese meal order is something to behold, and it was something UFC CEO Dana White got to experience for himself when he joined the pair for a Chinese meal earlier this year.
Fisher was delighted to be able to make that moment happen, as he explained. “So yeah, obviously Dana's a busy man, right? And we were waiting a little bit of time for him,” he said. “We didn't really want to pester him or bother him because he's a busy guy. He’s probably got more important things to do than eat Chinese with me and my fat dad. But here we are, and he really warmed to it, and he enjoyed it. I saw him polishing off a big box of sweet and sour chicken all to himself, or kung pao chicken; he really enjoyed that. We have a really nice restaurant over here called the Blue Orchid in Romford, in our hometown. My mum and dad have been going there since they was 16-17 years old. It's been open since 1963, and hopefully, when Dana comes over here, whether it's this time or next time, we'll get him to come and sample the Chinese food for himself.”
Fisher and his father virtually come as a package deal. Throughout Fisher’s career, he’s had Big John by his side, supporting him through every stage in his career. It’s part of what makes Fisher who he is, and hearing him talk about the importance of family gives you a sense of his grounding as a person, as well as an athlete. As far as Fisher is concerned, this isn’t a journey he’s taking alone. He’s bringing his family, friends and his growing community of fans along for the ride, too.
“For me, family is the most important thing, and the friend network around you, as well – your core support base,” he explained. “This is what it's all really about for me. We do ticket collections in the build-up to fights as well, and it just hits home to you how much of my journey is about a community thing as well. And yeah, it starts in Romford, but that community has grown across the United Kingdom, across Australia. We've got a lot of fans in America starting to build up now as well. But yeah, family is at the center of everything we do. It's bigger than boxing. It's bigger than any financial gain you can make. It's bigger than any other aspect of life. If you've got your family, everything else falls in around that.”
A former student rugby player at Exeter University, Fisher discovered his love for boxing while at university, and eventually took up the sport full-time. But he still talks in glowing terms about his time spent at the establishment, in the South West of England. “Very good memories back at Exeter University, and that's actually where my passion for boxing was reignited,” he recalled. “And I think that's another good thing to say about college and university: Don't go there just for your degree or the qualifications you're going to get, but they can set you on a different journey of life, and you can meet some great people that can bring the best out of you.”
With his toughness built on the rugby field, and a grounding in strength and conditioning developed in the university’s gym, Fisher built himself up, and once he sharpened his boxing tools, he was ready to head out into the world of pro boxing. Now, 15 fights later, Fisher has joined the Zuffa Boxing revolution, and while he’s determined to put on a show every time he steps through the ropes, he does so without any delusions of grandeur about where he stands in the heavyweight pecking order as he gets set to face Belgium’s Michael Pirotton in Saturday night’s main event in London.
“So, Michael Pirotton, he's 12-2, a Belgian guy, never been stopped. So that will be the challenge this weekend,” he said. “He's fought a couple of times in the last few months, so he's going to be up for it, and this is his big opportunity, as well. We talk about this being my opportunity, but he's coming to spoil the party. I'm obviously at a certain level in the heavyweight game – I make no bones about that. I'm honest about where I am, but I have got potential to mix it with some of the top guys. I mean, I was at one point one or two fights off being in with those top guys. I'm only 27 years old. That's all part of this journey and this process of being a combat athlete. And I think the Americans appreciate that as well. They understand that.
“I look at the UFC, looking at guys who take risks and they come back from losses, and it actually makes them better fighters. In this country, I think we suffer from a stigma too much of: if you lose, that's the end of the road. No, that's the start of the road, and it's led me to this point now with a new trainer in Tony Sims, who's a world-class trainer, and a world-class professional outfit in Zuffa Boxing. So, I’m very excited to be part of this.”
With a new trainer pushing him in the gym, and a new promotional company putting him on the biggest platform of his career, on both sides of the Atlantic, Fisher is ready to step up and entertain the world with his own brand of heavyweight boxing. And while he’ll be watched by fans across the planet, he’ll be fighting close to home, at the Copper Box Arena in Stratford, London. “I haven't boxed in London or England for over a year now,” he said. “My last fight was in Monte Carlo in Monaco. So yeah, it's great to be back on familiar ground. Although there's a new aspect of it with a new promoter and new things all [through] this fight week, the outcome's still going to be the same: fighting at the Copper Box in front of my home fans. Hopefully we can build on this from here because it's important to build momentum, and this is the first step. If I put in a good performance, it keeps growing from here. It's very exciting.”
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Fisher talks about his journey to Zuffa
If you’re a combat sports fan from the United Kingdom, you almost certainly know who Johnny Fisher is already. But this week, the big-punching British heavyweight has the chance to introduce himself to an even bigger audience in his Zuffa Boxing debut. “So, I'm Johnny Fisher. I'm known as ‘The Romford Bull,’ born and raised in Romford. My dad's Big John, a big personality over here in the UK, as well,” he began. “But yeah, we just pride ourselves on being real people, being authentic, and what you see is what you get. We'll always try to be honest and be truthful with you. And part of being truthful with yourself is to give 110 percent every time you train, and every time you fight.
“I'm known for my aggressive style, and my best performances have been when I'm aggressive and going for the knockout. I might not be an Oleksandr Usyk or an Agit Kabayel, or a top-level heavyweight right now. But one thing you're guaranteed when you come to watch me fight is entertainment, and it's a privilege and an honor to reach out to this new market of American supporters and American fans. We love going over there when we can, and America is a great place. You don't have to leave that great country. There's so many different biomes and places to explore, and yeah, whether you're on the East Coast, West Coast, or in the middle, we love America. Up the ‘American Bosh Soldiers!’ Bosh!”
No bells and whistles. No outlandish statements. Instead, Fisher is a down-to-earth, straight-talking Englishman who just happens to have a penchant for knocking people out. The hard-hitting heavyweight has finished 12 of his 14 career wins by knockout, and his “live by the sword, die by the sword” approach also led to his one career defeat, in a rematch with fellow Englishman Dave Allen. Since that defeat, Fisher re-evaluated his situation and switched trainers to work with the respected Tony Sims, and after his bounce-back knockout win over Ivan Balaz last December, an opportunity presented itself that was too good for “The Romford Bull” to turn down.
“I was previously with Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn,” Fisher explained. “I was meant to fight for a British title. That fell through because of politics between different promoters, and then I just took a little bit of a holiday, a vacation, when that fight didn't come off, and my contract was running out with Matchroom; it began to run out. We had a negotiation period. We could talk to other guys, and Zuffa Boxing came in with this amazing offer to fight – not only financially a fantastic offer, but to fight on Sky Sports Boxing as well. I've obviously been to Vegas a few times and seen how the UFC world and that side of the combat sports universe works. And now I'm part of it. It's great.”
Being part of Zuffa Boxing has seen a change of environment for Fisher, who is now benefiting from the overall TKO ecosystem, with all of the expertise previously only available to UFC athletes now at the fingertips of Fisher and his fellow Zuffa Boxing athletes. “It's been unbelievable,” he said. “I mean, everything's done for you. I've had about five or six different contacts messaging me, trying to sort this out for me, do this. I've had food offered to me. I've had physiotherapy offered to me. It's just amazing. Everything's run like a well-oiled machine, and it puts you in a good headspace for Fight Week, you know? And it's the same for every fighter, all the way down the card. So, I’m very, very excited to be here. I've got some free gear out of it as well, some merch. So yeah, got some nice sliders which are very comfy, which is great!”
Fisher and his father, known to one and all as “Big John,” have become cult figures in the UK, with their love for Chinese food a feature of some of their social media output over the years. Big John’s ability to fire off a monster Chinese meal order is something to behold, and it was something UFC CEO Dana White got to experience for himself when he joined the pair for a Chinese meal earlier this year.
Fisher was delighted to be able to make that moment happen, as he explained. “So yeah, obviously Dana's a busy man, right? And we were waiting a little bit of time for him,” he said. “We didn't really want to pester him or bother him because he's a busy guy. He’s probably got more important things to do than eat Chinese with me and my fat dad. But here we are, and he really warmed to it, and he enjoyed it. I saw him polishing off a big box of sweet and sour chicken all to himself, or kung pao chicken; he really enjoyed that. We have a really nice restaurant over here called the Blue Orchid in Romford, in our hometown. My mum and dad have been going there since they was 16-17 years old. It's been open since 1963, and hopefully, when Dana comes over here, whether it's this time or next time, we'll get him to come and sample the Chinese food for himself.”
Fisher and his father virtually come as a package deal. Throughout Fisher’s career, he’s had Big John by his side, supporting him through every stage in his career. It’s part of what makes Fisher who he is, and hearing him talk about the importance of family gives you a sense of his grounding as a person, as well as an athlete. As far as Fisher is concerned, this isn’t a journey he’s taking alone. He’s bringing his family, friends and his growing community of fans along for the ride, too.
“For me, family is the most important thing, and the friend network around you, as well – your core support base,” he explained. “This is what it's all really about for me. We do ticket collections in the build-up to fights as well, and it just hits home to you how much of my journey is about a community thing as well. And yeah, it starts in Romford, but that community has grown across the United Kingdom, across Australia. We've got a lot of fans in America starting to build up now as well. But yeah, family is at the center of everything we do. It's bigger than boxing. It's bigger than any financial gain you can make. It's bigger than any other aspect of life. If you've got your family, everything else falls in around that.”
A former student rugby player at Exeter University, Fisher discovered his love for boxing while at university, and eventually took up the sport full-time. But he still talks in glowing terms about his time spent at the establishment, in the South West of England. “Very good memories back at Exeter University, and that's actually where my passion for boxing was reignited,” he recalled. “And I think that's another good thing to say about college and university: Don't go there just for your degree or the qualifications you're going to get, but they can set you on a different journey of life, and you can meet some great people that can bring the best out of you.”
With his toughness built on the rugby field, and a grounding in strength and conditioning developed in the university’s gym, Fisher built himself up, and once he sharpened his boxing tools, he was ready to head out into the world of pro boxing. Now, 15 fights later, Fisher has joined the Zuffa Boxing revolution, and while he’s determined to put on a show every time he steps through the ropes, he does so without any delusions of grandeur about where he stands in the heavyweight pecking order as he gets set to face Belgium’s Michael Pirotton in Saturday night’s main event in London.
“So, Michael Pirotton, he's 12-2, a Belgian guy, never been stopped. So that will be the challenge this weekend,” he said. “He's fought a couple of times in the last few months, so he's going to be up for it, and this is his big opportunity, as well. We talk about this being my opportunity, but he's coming to spoil the party. I'm obviously at a certain level in the heavyweight game – I make no bones about that. I'm honest about where I am, but I have got potential to mix it with some of the top guys. I mean, I was at one point one or two fights off being in with those top guys. I'm only 27 years old. That's all part of this journey and this process of being a combat athlete. And I think the Americans appreciate that as well. They understand that.
“I look at the UFC, looking at guys who take risks and they come back from losses, and it actually makes them better fighters. In this country, I think we suffer from a stigma too much of: if you lose, that's the end of the road. No, that's the start of the road, and it's led me to this point now with a new trainer in Tony Sims, who's a world-class trainer, and a world-class professional outfit in Zuffa Boxing. So, I’m very excited to be part of this.”
With a new trainer pushing him in the gym, and a new promotional company putting him on the biggest platform of his career, on both sides of the Atlantic, Fisher is ready to step up and entertain the world with his own brand of heavyweight boxing. And while he’ll be watched by fans across the planet, he’ll be fighting close to home, at the Copper Box Arena in Stratford, London. “I haven't boxed in London or England for over a year now,” he said. “My last fight was in Monte Carlo in Monaco. So yeah, it's great to be back on familiar ground. Although there's a new aspect of it with a new promoter and new things all [through] this fight week, the outcome's still going to be the same: fighting at the Copper Box in front of my home fans. Hopefully we can build on this from here because it's important to build momentum, and this is the first step. If I put in a good performance, it keeps growing from here. It's very exciting.”
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Nathan Heaney to retire after Saturday's fight |
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The sound of Tom Jones belting out the song Delilah will accompany a Nathan Heaney ring entrance for the final time on Saturday in Birmingham. The Stoke favorite has given advance notice of his retirement when his fight with Gerome Warburton draws to a conclusion. A gentleman of the sport, the passion and spirit of Heaney when he takes to the ring will not be forgotten in a hurry and he can serve as an inspiration to others wondering if dreams can come true. The fights of Heaney, age 37, became events all of their own. He never got the big fight he longed for on home soil, but the ’Stokies’, as he calls them, never failed him and followed him in their thousands. And nobody will ever forget his Delilah ring walk. It took on iconic status.
But all good things come to an end and Heaney intends to go out on a high in his rematch with Warburton. “It is very strange and almost like it is not happening, to be fair, in regards of it being my last ever fight,” admitted the Hitman. “I don’t think my emotions will kick in until post-fight. I have always envisioned when I retire from the sport that I will retire on my terms and, ideally, with a win as well. The main objective [was] to retire as a champion. He is a legitimate opponent and someone who has beaten me. I heard the comments about how he beat me convincingly in the first press conference but, if anything, he pinched it.
"That is for me to rectify now,” he added, before explaining why his longing to go out with a bang will bring about some welcome tension. “No, I need some pressure. The pressure for this one is that I need to retire as a champion. I only perform when I’ve got a bit of fear.”
The highlight is obvious, becoming British champion at the expense of now WBO champion Denzel Bentley in November 2023. “The Bentley performance was one of the greatest achievements in our Stoke sporting history and I was at the centre of it. I was a massive 9-1 underdog, nobody gave me a chance and I boxed beautifully, if I do say so myself!”
In an ideal world for Heaney, he would have spent the last ten years or so banging in goals for his beloved Stoke City, but it is boxing and a wish to have his career guided by Frank Warren that ultimately put his name up in lights. “I’ve been boxing since the age of seven and in fights from 11, but I was forced into boxing by my dad. I did enjoy it, but I wanted to be a footballer, first and foremost. At the age of 17 I knew I wasn’t going to be a footballer, but I was beating some very, very good lads on the amateur scene. I thought if I am beating these lads and not putting my all into boxing, what could I do if I did put my all in?
“So I then had the objective of winning the ABA title and getting signed by the best promoter in the world, which is Frank Warren. That is what my focus was then. I didn’t win the ABAs and I retired at the age of 26 with 90 fights behind me to take up a teaching placement. I thought I would turn pro and if I didn’t sell tickets at least I would have no regrets. I sold 60 on my debut and took that to thousands until Frank Warren, the man I dreamed of signing for, moved to sign me. I’ve now been signed to him for six years, we have had some incredible nights and I have loved boxing for Frank. I’ve loved every second of it.”
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Nathan Heaney to retire after Saturday's fight
The sound of Tom Jones belting out the song Delilah will accompany a Nathan Heaney ring entrance for the final time on Saturday in Birmingham. The Stoke favorite has given advance notice of his retirement when his fight with Gerome Warburton draws to a conclusion. A gentleman of the sport, the passion and spirit of Heaney when he takes to the ring will not be forgotten in a hurry and he can serve as an inspiration to others wondering if dreams can come true. The fights of Heaney, age 37, became events all of their own. He never got the big fight he longed for on home soil, but the ’Stokies’, as he calls them, never failed him and followed him in their thousands. And nobody will ever forget his Delilah ring walk. It took on iconic status.
But all good things come to an end and Heaney intends to go out on a high in his rematch with Warburton. “It is very strange and almost like it is not happening, to be fair, in regards of it being my last ever fight,” admitted the Hitman. “I don’t think my emotions will kick in until post-fight. I have always envisioned when I retire from the sport that I will retire on my terms and, ideally, with a win as well. The main objective [was] to retire as a champion. He is a legitimate opponent and someone who has beaten me. I heard the comments about how he beat me convincingly in the first press conference but, if anything, he pinched it.
"That is for me to rectify now,” he added, before explaining why his longing to go out with a bang will bring about some welcome tension. “No, I need some pressure. The pressure for this one is that I need to retire as a champion. I only perform when I’ve got a bit of fear.”
The highlight is obvious, becoming British champion at the expense of now WBO champion Denzel Bentley in November 2023. “The Bentley performance was one of the greatest achievements in our Stoke sporting history and I was at the centre of it. I was a massive 9-1 underdog, nobody gave me a chance and I boxed beautifully, if I do say so myself!”
In an ideal world for Heaney, he would have spent the last ten years or so banging in goals for his beloved Stoke City, but it is boxing and a wish to have his career guided by Frank Warren that ultimately put his name up in lights. “I’ve been boxing since the age of seven and in fights from 11, but I was forced into boxing by my dad. I did enjoy it, but I wanted to be a footballer, first and foremost. At the age of 17 I knew I wasn’t going to be a footballer, but I was beating some very, very good lads on the amateur scene. I thought if I am beating these lads and not putting my all into boxing, what could I do if I did put my all in?
“So I then had the objective of winning the ABA title and getting signed by the best promoter in the world, which is Frank Warren. That is what my focus was then. I didn’t win the ABAs and I retired at the age of 26 with 90 fights behind me to take up a teaching placement. I thought I would turn pro and if I didn’t sell tickets at least I would have no regrets. I sold 60 on my debut and took that to thousands until Frank Warren, the man I dreamed of signing for, moved to sign me. I’ve now been signed to him for six years, we have had some incredible nights and I have loved boxing for Frank. I’ve loved every second of it.”
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Justin Goossen-Brown continues in family business |
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Boxing has always been part of Justin Goossen-Brown’s life. Now, the next generation of one of the sport’s most recognizable families is beginning to establish a voice of his own. Goossen-Brown will serve as the blow-by-blow announcer for Rising Star Promotions' show at the legendary 2300 Arena in Philadelphia on Saturday, September 26th. The event will stream live and free on the Rising Star Promotions YouTube channel. In the ten-round main event, Kyrone “Shut It Down” Davis (20-4-1, 6 KOs) takes on former WBA & IBF unified junior middleweight champion Jeison “Banana” Rosario (24-5-2, 18 KOs), who returns to Philadelphia, the city where he became a unified world champion.
For Goossen-Brown, stepping behind the microphone represents another chapter in a boxing story that began long before his broadcast career. The son of TGB Promotions president Tom Brown, and nephew of Hall of Famers Dan and Joe Goossen, Justin grew up surrounded by the sport at its highest levels. His family roots have given him a close-up education in boxing, but as he develops as a broadcaster, Goossen-Brown is focused on turning that knowledge into something valuable for the audience.
With each assignment, he says he is becoming increasingly comfortable with the demanding role of blow-by-blow, learning when to describe the action, when to provide context and when to allow the fight itself to tell the story. “I’m definitely becoming more comfortable every time I get behind the microphone,” said Goossen-Brown. “Blow-by-blow is something you have to develop through repetition because there is a rhythm to calling a fight. You have to see what is happening, process it immediately and communicate it to the audience without getting in the way of the action.
“The more fights I call, the more I understand how important timing is, just like in boxing. You don't have to describe every single movement. You want to identify the punches that matter, recognize momentum changes and give the audience the information they need to understand what is developing in front of them.
“I study fighters before a broadcast because I want to understand their tendencies, their backgrounds and the styles they bring into the ring. But once the bell rings, you have to react to what is actually happening. Boxing can change in one punch, so as a blow-by-blow announcer you have to stay locked in every second. I’m still learning, and that’s something I really enjoy about it. Every broadcast gives me another opportunity to get better.”
Goossen-Brown also understands that his surname carries considerable history within boxing. Uncles Dan and Joe Goossen built distinguished careers in the sport, while his dad Tom Brown has been associated with major boxing events and fighters for over 30 years. Justin embraces that history while recognizing that earning credibility behind the microphone requires preparation, knowledge and a style that is authentically his own. “Boxing has been part of my family for as long as I can remember, so I have a tremendous amount of respect for the people in my family who came before me and what they accomplished in this sport,” continued Goossen-Brown. “I’ve been fortunate to grow up around boxing and hear conversations about fighters, styles, matchmaking, training and all of the details that go into this business.”
“When you grow up around people like that, you learn there are layers to boxing that the casual observer might not always notice. Why a fighter is positioning his lead foot a certain way, why someone is attacking the body early, how a corner makes adjustments or how the pace of a fight can change from one round to the next, those are things I’ve always found fascinating. At the same time, I understand that I have to earn my own place in boxing. I can't rely on my last name. Broadcasting gives me an opportunity to take everything I've learned from being around the sport and apply it in my own way. I want people watching the broadcast to know that I've done my homework and that I respect the fighters and the sport enough to be prepared every time I sit down at that microphone.”
Beyond the headline fight, Goossen-Brown believes the atmosphere of the 2300 Arena and the depth of the card will give viewers plenty to watch throughout the night. “I think this is going to be a really good show for boxing fans because there are interesting stories and competitive fights throughout the card. The main event alone gives you a lot to talk about. Kyrone Davis is coming in with something to prove, and Jeison Rosario has already competed and won at the championship level. Rosario coming back to Philadelphia adds another layer because of what this city represents in his career. Philadelphia also has a different energy when it comes to boxing. The fans understand the sport. They appreciate skill, but they also appreciate fighters who are willing to compete. When you combine that type of audience with the atmosphere inside the 2300 Arena, it creates the kind of environment that comes through on a broadcast.”
“As an announcer, those are the nights you want to call. My job is to help bring the audience inside the arena , whether they're watching from Philadelphia or somewhere on the other side of the world. I want them to understand what they're seeing, recognize the adjustments the fighters are making and feel the momentum of the fight as it changes. If we can accomplish that, we've done our job.”
The Goossen name has long been heard throughout boxing gyms, corners, promotional offices and television broadcasts. Now, a new generation is taking his place behind the microphone. And Justin Goossen-Brown is determined to make sure his voice earns its place there.
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Justin Goossen-Brown continues in family business
Boxing has always been part of Justin Goossen-Brown’s life. Now, the next generation of one of the sport’s most recognizable families is beginning to establish a voice of his own. Goossen-Brown will serve as the blow-by-blow announcer for Rising Star Promotions' show at the legendary 2300 Arena in Philadelphia on Saturday, September 26th. The event will stream live and free on the Rising Star Promotions YouTube channel. In the ten-round main event, Kyrone “Shut It Down” Davis (20-4-1, 6 KOs) takes on former WBA & IBF unified junior middleweight champion Jeison “Banana” Rosario (24-5-2, 18 KOs), who returns to Philadelphia, the city where he became a unified world champion.
For Goossen-Brown, stepping behind the microphone represents another chapter in a boxing story that began long before his broadcast career. The son of TGB Promotions president Tom Brown, and nephew of Hall of Famers Dan and Joe Goossen, Justin grew up surrounded by the sport at its highest levels. His family roots have given him a close-up education in boxing, but as he develops as a broadcaster, Goossen-Brown is focused on turning that knowledge into something valuable for the audience.
With each assignment, he says he is becoming increasingly comfortable with the demanding role of blow-by-blow, learning when to describe the action, when to provide context and when to allow the fight itself to tell the story. “I’m definitely becoming more comfortable every time I get behind the microphone,” said Goossen-Brown. “Blow-by-blow is something you have to develop through repetition because there is a rhythm to calling a fight. You have to see what is happening, process it immediately and communicate it to the audience without getting in the way of the action.
“The more fights I call, the more I understand how important timing is, just like in boxing. You don't have to describe every single movement. You want to identify the punches that matter, recognize momentum changes and give the audience the information they need to understand what is developing in front of them.
“I study fighters before a broadcast because I want to understand their tendencies, their backgrounds and the styles they bring into the ring. But once the bell rings, you have to react to what is actually happening. Boxing can change in one punch, so as a blow-by-blow announcer you have to stay locked in every second. I’m still learning, and that’s something I really enjoy about it. Every broadcast gives me another opportunity to get better.”
Goossen-Brown also understands that his surname carries considerable history within boxing. Uncles Dan and Joe Goossen built distinguished careers in the sport, while his dad Tom Brown has been associated with major boxing events and fighters for over 30 years. Justin embraces that history while recognizing that earning credibility behind the microphone requires preparation, knowledge and a style that is authentically his own. “Boxing has been part of my family for as long as I can remember, so I have a tremendous amount of respect for the people in my family who came before me and what they accomplished in this sport,” continued Goossen-Brown. “I’ve been fortunate to grow up around boxing and hear conversations about fighters, styles, matchmaking, training and all of the details that go into this business.”
“When you grow up around people like that, you learn there are layers to boxing that the casual observer might not always notice. Why a fighter is positioning his lead foot a certain way, why someone is attacking the body early, how a corner makes adjustments or how the pace of a fight can change from one round to the next, those are things I’ve always found fascinating. At the same time, I understand that I have to earn my own place in boxing. I can't rely on my last name. Broadcasting gives me an opportunity to take everything I've learned from being around the sport and apply it in my own way. I want people watching the broadcast to know that I've done my homework and that I respect the fighters and the sport enough to be prepared every time I sit down at that microphone.”
Beyond the headline fight, Goossen-Brown believes the atmosphere of the 2300 Arena and the depth of the card will give viewers plenty to watch throughout the night. “I think this is going to be a really good show for boxing fans because there are interesting stories and competitive fights throughout the card. The main event alone gives you a lot to talk about. Kyrone Davis is coming in with something to prove, and Jeison Rosario has already competed and won at the championship level. Rosario coming back to Philadelphia adds another layer because of what this city represents in his career. Philadelphia also has a different energy when it comes to boxing. The fans understand the sport. They appreciate skill, but they also appreciate fighters who are willing to compete. When you combine that type of audience with the atmosphere inside the 2300 Arena, it creates the kind of environment that comes through on a broadcast.”
“As an announcer, those are the nights you want to call. My job is to help bring the audience inside the arena , whether they're watching from Philadelphia or somewhere on the other side of the world. I want them to understand what they're seeing, recognize the adjustments the fighters are making and feel the momentum of the fight as it changes. If we can accomplish that, we've done our job.”
The Goossen name has long been heard throughout boxing gyms, corners, promotional offices and television broadcasts. Now, a new generation is taking his place behind the microphone. And Justin Goossen-Brown is determined to make sure his voice earns its place there.
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Weigh-in report from Houston |
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Here are the boxers' weights from BiYu Arena in Houston for the show on Friday, September 25th:
Roy Knight, 167.4 pounds -vs.- Phillip Rhome Jr., 173.4 (super middleweight, six rounds);
Emmanuel Chance, 121.3 -vs.- Manuel De Jesus, 121.7 (bantamweight, four rounds); Miqal Dolphus, 153.8 -vs.- DePriest Johnson, 153.9 (junior middleweight, four rounds); Jordy Suarez Gonzalez, 139.4 -vs.- Aiden Anderson, 138.8 (junior welterweight, six rounds); John Luis Lara, 144.8 -vs.- Treverrious Zeno, 137.8 (welterweight, four rounds); Levar Adams Jr., 122.8 -vs.- Diego Omar Acosta, 122 (super bantamweight, four rounds); and
Zachary Spiller, 259.6 -vs.- Brandon Guillory, 288 (heavyweight, four rounds).
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Weigh-in report from Houston
Here are the boxers' weights from BiYu Arena in Houston for the show on Friday, September 25th:
Roy Knight, 167.4 pounds -vs.- Phillip Rhome Jr., 173.4 (super middleweight, six rounds);
Emmanuel Chance, 121.3 -vs.- Manuel De Jesus, 121.7 (bantamweight, four rounds); Miqal Dolphus, 153.8 -vs.- DePriest Johnson, 153.9 (junior middleweight, four rounds); Jordy Suarez Gonzalez, 139.4 -vs.- Aiden Anderson, 138.8 (junior welterweight, six rounds); John Luis Lara, 144.8 -vs.- Treverrious Zeno, 137.8 (welterweight, four rounds); Levar Adams Jr., 122.8 -vs.- Diego Omar Acosta, 122 (super bantamweight, four rounds); and
Zachary Spiller, 259.6 -vs.- Brandon Guillory, 288 (heavyweight, four rounds).
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Late news: NYC Attitude wins Team Boxing League's third season |
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Team Boxing League's MegaBrawl Finals saw the Season 1 champion NYC Attitude (6-5) pull off an upset, come from behind victory in defeating the Season 2 champion Philly Smoke (9-2) by a score of 227-226 in Glendale, Arizona. Round 9 saw Angelyris Lopez Mendez defeat Shera Mae Patricio after the duo exchanged blistering combinations. That was Round of the Night. Stars of the night were NYC's Pryce Taylor (1st Star) for his all-or-nothing Round 24 tie breaking split-decision win over Philly's Joey Dawejko and Ryan Pino (2nd Star) for his flashy victories over Quadrir Albright in both the Launch and Money Rounds. Philly standout Rasheen Brown (3rd Star) was honored for his win over Ariel Perez De La Torre in the Launch Rounds followed by his knockdown of De La Torre in the Money Rounds. NYC's Stacia "the Natural" Suttles was named MVP of the Playoffs for her integral part in the Attitude's ascent from lowest seed to two-time TCL MegaBrawl champions.
TBL honored the following for their individual accomplishments over the course of the now-concluded season:
Coach of the Year: David Hayes (Las Vegas Hustle)
Rookie of the Year (Male): Rahman Muhammed (Phoenix Fury)
Rookie of the Year (Female): Jewry Rodriguez (San Antonio Snipers)
Most Resilient Fighter: Charles Pugh (Phoenix Fury)
Most Improved Fighter: Lasha Gurguliani (NYC Attitude)
Community Service Award: Victor Darocha (Miami Assassins)
Most Entertaining Fighter: Joseph Rivas (Phoenix Fury)
Most Valuable Fighter: Raiko Santana (Phoenix Fury)
Fight of the Year: Joseph Rivas (Phoenix) vs Osvel Caballero (Las Vegas): May 10, 2025 - Round 25
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Late news: NYC Attitude wins Team Boxing League's third season
Team Boxing League's MegaBrawl Finals saw the Season 1 champion NYC Attitude (6-5) pull off an upset, come from behind victory in defeating the Season 2 champion Philly Smoke (9-2) by a score of 227-226 in Glendale, Arizona. Round 9 saw Angelyris Lopez Mendez defeat Shera Mae Patricio after the duo exchanged blistering combinations. That was Round of the Night. Stars of the night were NYC's Pryce Taylor (1st Star) for his all-or-nothing Round 24 tie breaking split-decision win over Philly's Joey Dawejko and Ryan Pino (2nd Star) for his flashy victories over Quadrir Albright in both the Launch and Money Rounds. Philly standout Rasheen Brown (3rd Star) was honored for his win over Ariel Perez De La Torre in the Launch Rounds followed by his knockdown of De La Torre in the Money Rounds. NYC's Stacia "the Natural" Suttles was named MVP of the Playoffs for her integral part in the Attitude's ascent from lowest seed to two-time TCL MegaBrawl champions.
TBL honored the following for their individual accomplishments over the course of the now-concluded season:
Coach of the Year: David Hayes (Las Vegas Hustle)
Rookie of the Year (Male): Rahman Muhammed (Phoenix Fury)
Rookie of the Year (Female): Jewry Rodriguez (San Antonio Snipers)
Most Resilient Fighter: Charles Pugh (Phoenix Fury)
Most Improved Fighter: Lasha Gurguliani (NYC Attitude)
Community Service Award: Victor Darocha (Miami Assassins)
Most Entertaining Fighter: Joseph Rivas (Phoenix Fury)
Most Valuable Fighter: Raiko Santana (Phoenix Fury)
Fight of the Year: Joseph Rivas (Phoenix) vs Osvel Caballero (Las Vegas): May 10, 2025 - Round 25
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Ex-champ Rosario faces Davis on Saturday |
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Rising Star Promotions presents “South Philly Showdown: Round 2”, live from the legendary 2300 Arena in Philadelphia on Saturday, September 26th. The event will stream liive and free worldwide on the Rising Star Promotions YouTube channel. In the ten-round main event, Kyrone “Shut It Down” Davis (20-4-1, 6 KOs) looks to defend hometown honors against former WBA / IBF unified champion Jeison “Banana” Rosario (24-5-2, 18 KOs) of the Dominican Republic. Rosario (pictured) returns to Philadelphia, the city where he became a unified world champion. Rosario is 0-1-1 in his last two fights, with the draw coming against another ex-champ, Jarett Hurd. Davis lost to Yoenli Hernandez last year but had a bounce back win three months ago.
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Ex-champ Rosario faces Davis on Saturday
Rising Star Promotions presents “South Philly Showdown: Round 2”, live from the legendary 2300 Arena in Philadelphia on Saturday, September 26th. The event will stream liive and free worldwide on the Rising Star Promotions YouTube channel. In the ten-round main event, Kyrone “Shut It Down” Davis (20-4-1, 6 KOs) looks to defend hometown honors against former WBA / IBF unified champion Jeison “Banana” Rosario (24-5-2, 18 KOs) of the Dominican Republic. Rosario (pictured) returns to Philadelphia, the city where he became a unified world champion. Rosario is 0-1-1 in his last two fights, with the draw coming against another ex-champ, Jarett Hurd. Davis lost to Yoenli Hernandez last year but had a bounce back win three months ago.
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Freudis Rojas lands main event slot |
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Freudis Rojas steps in to face Kevin Anton in battle of towering junior-middleweight southpaws, live on ProBoxTV, October 16th in Phoenix, Arizona. With an injury in training sidelining original foe Yan Marcos, 6' 3" southpaw Anton (14-0 with 12 KOs), a Guatemalan-American from Palmdale, California, will now face 6' 2" southpaw Rojas (15-1 with 11 KOs), of Houston via Las Vegas. The show will also feature Justin Pauldo (20-2, 10 KOs), facing Rene Tellez Giron (23-5, 14 KOs), in a ten-round lightweight contest. Tickets to attend live at the Rawhide Western Town & Event Center are on sale now and available through thundertix.com.
A 2017 World Championships bronze medalist and 2021 Olympic alternate as an amateur, Rojas, age 28, turned professional in 2021 and stopped his first eleven professional opponents. Rojas has since gone the distance in his last five, going 4-1. Against Anton, Rojas will be looking to get back into the win column after losing his last fight, a DAZN-televised ten-round unanimous decision to spoiler Damian Sosa in April of this year. Fighting for just the second time in two years, and the first time in over a year, an increasingly fatigued Rojas had no answers for Sosa’s relentless pressure and was knocked down in round six.
A rangy, long-armed boxer with good footwork and an excellent jab, Rojas is co-trained by his father, Freudis Rojas Sr., and Kay Koroma at the O to 100 Boxing Club in Houston. A barber when not throwing leather in the ring, Anton’s family has roots in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. Proud of his heritage, the 28-year-old southpaw frequently walks to the ring for his fights waving the Guatemalan flag and calls himself "Americo-Chapin".
In 2026, the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala officially honored him with the Condecoración Soberano Congreso Nacional for representing the country with distinction. Reminiscent of WBC 154-pound champion Sebastian Fundora with his 6' 3" stature and destructive, long-armed punching, Anton will be making his fourth consecutive appearance on ProBoxTV and fighting in his first main event against Rojas. Anton was last seen handily defeating capable veteran Vladimir Hernandez by near-shutout scores in July.
ProBoxTV will be announcing more October 16th matchups shortly.
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Freudis Rojas lands main event slot
Freudis Rojas steps in to face Kevin Anton in battle of towering junior-middleweight southpaws, live on ProBoxTV, October 16th in Phoenix, Arizona. With an injury in training sidelining original foe Yan Marcos, 6' 3" southpaw Anton (14-0 with 12 KOs), a Guatemalan-American from Palmdale, California, will now face 6' 2" southpaw Rojas (15-1 with 11 KOs), of Houston via Las Vegas. The show will also feature Justin Pauldo (20-2, 10 KOs), facing Rene Tellez Giron (23-5, 14 KOs), in a ten-round lightweight contest. Tickets to attend live at the Rawhide Western Town & Event Center are on sale now and available through thundertix.com.
A 2017 World Championships bronze medalist and 2021 Olympic alternate as an amateur, Rojas, age 28, turned professional in 2021 and stopped his first eleven professional opponents. Rojas has since gone the distance in his last five, going 4-1. Against Anton, Rojas will be looking to get back into the win column after losing his last fight, a DAZN-televised ten-round unanimous decision to spoiler Damian Sosa in April of this year. Fighting for just the second time in two years, and the first time in over a year, an increasingly fatigued Rojas had no answers for Sosa’s relentless pressure and was knocked down in round six.
A rangy, long-armed boxer with good footwork and an excellent jab, Rojas is co-trained by his father, Freudis Rojas Sr., and Kay Koroma at the O to 100 Boxing Club in Houston. A barber when not throwing leather in the ring, Anton’s family has roots in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. Proud of his heritage, the 28-year-old southpaw frequently walks to the ring for his fights waving the Guatemalan flag and calls himself "Americo-Chapin".
In 2026, the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala officially honored him with the Condecoración Soberano Congreso Nacional for representing the country with distinction. Reminiscent of WBC 154-pound champion Sebastian Fundora with his 6' 3" stature and destructive, long-armed punching, Anton will be making his fourth consecutive appearance on ProBoxTV and fighting in his first main event against Rojas. Anton was last seen handily defeating capable veteran Vladimir Hernandez by near-shutout scores in July.
ProBoxTV will be announcing more October 16th matchups shortly.
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Gustavo Trujilo books Florida fight for Oct. 18th |
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Continuing to switch between traditional boxing and bare knucke fighting, undefeated Cuban heavyweight Gustavo “The Cuban Assassin” Trujillo (12-0, 11 KOs in traditional boxing) will return to the ring on Sunday, October 18th when he faces Donald Haynesworth (19-10-1) in a scheduled ten-round boxing match at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The heavyweight showdown will be featured on a Heavyweight Factory show. The matchup continues an active year for Trujillo, who has already earned three victories in 2026 and carries an impressive 91-percent knockout rate into the contest. “I’m grateful to be returning to the boxing ring and fighting close to home at the Seminole Hard Rock,” said Trujillo. “I’ve worked extremely hard to stay active and continue developing as a complete heavyweight. Haynesworth is experienced, has faced several good fighters and knows how to compete at this level. My goal is to make another strong statement by ending the fight early.”
Standing 6-foot-4 and fighting out of Miami, the Cuban-born Trujillo is a promotional free agent in boxing, but is also the reigning BKB heavyweight champion, strengthening his reputation as one of the most destructive punchers in combat sports. He recently defended that championship by stopping former BKFC and BKB titleholder Mick Terrill on August 29th. “I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, but I know there is much more ahead of me,” Trujillo continued. “I want to keep testing myself, climbing the heavyweight rankings and continue showing that I belong with the best fighters in the division. On October 18th, the fans can expect another explosive performance.”
Haynesworth, a 44-year-old veteran from New Rochelle, New York, has shared the ring with several respected heavyweights, including Zhilei Zhang, Richard Torrez Jr. and Dainier Pero. “This is another important step toward the bigger fights I’ve been working for,” Trujillo concluded. “I’m focused, hungry and ready to give the fans a great show. I appreciate everyone who continues to believe in me, and I plan to reward that support with another victory.”
“Gustavo continues to show that he has the talent, power and discipline to become a major force in the heavyweight division,” said Abe Swidan of Visionary Sports Group, Trujillo’s manager. “He has remained active, improved with every fight and taken care of business each time he has stepped into the ring. Donald Haynesworth is a tough, experienced opponent who will provide another important test, but we believe Gustavo is ready to make a statement and move one step closer to the biggest fights in the division.”
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Gustavo Trujilo books Florida fight for Oct. 18th
Continuing to switch between traditional boxing and bare knucke fighting, undefeated Cuban heavyweight Gustavo “The Cuban Assassin” Trujillo (12-0, 11 KOs in traditional boxing) will return to the ring on Sunday, October 18th when he faces Donald Haynesworth (19-10-1) in a scheduled ten-round boxing match at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The heavyweight showdown will be featured on a Heavyweight Factory show. The matchup continues an active year for Trujillo, who has already earned three victories in 2026 and carries an impressive 91-percent knockout rate into the contest. “I’m grateful to be returning to the boxing ring and fighting close to home at the Seminole Hard Rock,” said Trujillo. “I’ve worked extremely hard to stay active and continue developing as a complete heavyweight. Haynesworth is experienced, has faced several good fighters and knows how to compete at this level. My goal is to make another strong statement by ending the fight early.”
Standing 6-foot-4 and fighting out of Miami, the Cuban-born Trujillo is a promotional free agent in boxing, but is also the reigning BKB heavyweight champion, strengthening his reputation as one of the most destructive punchers in combat sports. He recently defended that championship by stopping former BKFC and BKB titleholder Mick Terrill on August 29th. “I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, but I know there is much more ahead of me,” Trujillo continued. “I want to keep testing myself, climbing the heavyweight rankings and continue showing that I belong with the best fighters in the division. On October 18th, the fans can expect another explosive performance.”
Haynesworth, a 44-year-old veteran from New Rochelle, New York, has shared the ring with several respected heavyweights, including Zhilei Zhang, Richard Torrez Jr. and Dainier Pero. “This is another important step toward the bigger fights I’ve been working for,” Trujillo concluded. “I’m focused, hungry and ready to give the fans a great show. I appreciate everyone who continues to believe in me, and I plan to reward that support with another victory.”
“Gustavo continues to show that he has the talent, power and discipline to become a major force in the heavyweight division,” said Abe Swidan of Visionary Sports Group, Trujillo’s manager. “He has remained active, improved with every fight and taken care of business each time he has stepped into the ring. Donald Haynesworth is a tough, experienced opponent who will provide another important test, but we believe Gustavo is ready to make a statement and move one step closer to the biggest fights in the division.”
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Heavyweight action comes to Serbia this weekend |
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Heavyweight Ahmed Krnjić (8-1) Ali Kiydin of Germany on September 26th in Novi Pazar, Serbia. The Bosnian Krnjić reached the finals of the WBC Boxing Grand Prix after a series of strong performances but lost the trophy to Argentina’s Kevin Ramírez in a competitive contest. Krnjić returned to winning ways in his next fight. Traveling to Germany to face Bojan Cestic, he secured a second-round knockout. Keydin is 16-6 but has lost five straight, with his last win coming in 2022.
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Heavyweight action comes to Serbia this weekend
Heavyweight Ahmed Krnjić (8-1) Ali Kiydin of Germany on September 26th in Novi Pazar, Serbia. The Bosnian Krnjić reached the finals of the WBC Boxing Grand Prix after a series of strong performances but lost the trophy to Argentina’s Kevin Ramírez in a competitive contest. Krnjić returned to winning ways in his next fight. Traveling to Germany to face Bojan Cestic, he secured a second-round knockout. Keydin is 16-6 but has lost five straight, with his last win coming in 2022.
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Big BKFC show in Manchester this weekend |
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BKFC 94 takes place Saturday at the AO Arena in Manchester, UK, to be streamed live worldwide on DAZN. Here are the top three storylines for the event: Darren “Gorilla” Till and Yoel “Soldier of God” Romero have been potential rivals for nearly a decade but a fight between them never materialized during their MMA careers. On Saturday the two fight game icons will finally collide in the BKFC squared circle. Till and the Olympic medalist Romero both boast exceptional resumes in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA). Both men fought for a UFC world title and, combined, they fought 26 times with the promotion. They’re both coming off stoppage victories in their BKFC premieres, and both are beyond hungry to climb to 2-0 at the other's expense.
David “Redneck” Mundell will defend his BKFC middleweight title for the fifth time on Saturday against unbeaten challenger Jack “Little Lever’s Meat Clever” Cullen, a noted traditional boxer. Mundell is eager to punch his way back into the win column after falling short against Lorenzo Hunt in their non-title matchup earlier this year. Mundell racked up eight straight wins before that loss, so fans are eager to see how he’ll respond this time around. Regardless, a win won’t come easily against Cullen, who is 2-0 on the strength of back-to-back stoppages in the Squared Circle. Cullen also boasts an impressive body of work in professional gloved boxing, having complied a record of 22-6.
Four United Kingdom bare knuckle fighters will have the opportunity to leave the famed AO Arena with a BKFC UK title belt around their waist. Unbeatens Gaz “The Crusher” Corran and Mac “The Attack” Bygraves will throw hands for the vacant BKFC UK middleweight title, and Karl “The Wasp” Thompson is set to defend his BKFC UK Cruiserweight Title against unbeaten Andy Thornton.
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Big BKFC show in Manchester this weekend
BKFC 94 takes place Saturday at the AO Arena in Manchester, UK, to be streamed live worldwide on DAZN. Here are the top three storylines for the event: Darren “Gorilla” Till and Yoel “Soldier of God” Romero have been potential rivals for nearly a decade but a fight between them never materialized during their MMA careers. On Saturday the two fight game icons will finally collide in the BKFC squared circle. Till and the Olympic medalist Romero both boast exceptional resumes in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA). Both men fought for a UFC world title and, combined, they fought 26 times with the promotion. They’re both coming off stoppage victories in their BKFC premieres, and both are beyond hungry to climb to 2-0 at the other's expense.
David “Redneck” Mundell will defend his BKFC middleweight title for the fifth time on Saturday against unbeaten challenger Jack “Little Lever’s Meat Clever” Cullen, a noted traditional boxer. Mundell is eager to punch his way back into the win column after falling short against Lorenzo Hunt in their non-title matchup earlier this year. Mundell racked up eight straight wins before that loss, so fans are eager to see how he’ll respond this time around. Regardless, a win won’t come easily against Cullen, who is 2-0 on the strength of back-to-back stoppages in the Squared Circle. Cullen also boasts an impressive body of work in professional gloved boxing, having complied a record of 22-6.
Four United Kingdom bare knuckle fighters will have the opportunity to leave the famed AO Arena with a BKFC UK title belt around their waist. Unbeatens Gaz “The Crusher” Corran and Mac “The Attack” Bygraves will throw hands for the vacant BKFC UK middleweight title, and Karl “The Wasp” Thompson is set to defend his BKFC UK Cruiserweight Title against unbeaten Andy Thornton.
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Jacob Bank to fight Zhanibek Alimkhanuly for vacant title |
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In the wake of Hamzah Sheeraz's decision to vacate the WBO super middleweight championship rather than defend against drug cheat Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, the WBO has ordered Alimkhanuly and Jacob Bank to fight for the vacated title. The opportunity fell to the WBO #3-ranked Banks when WBO #2 ranked Diego Pacheco effectively ducked the opportunity by signing for another fight just as it became clear the title would become vacant. The WBO gave the parties fifteen days to negotiate a deal, with the possibility of a purse bid if no agreement is reached. Bank, from Denmark, is 20-0. The combined record of Bank's last six opponents is 120-4-1. In August, Bank petitioned the WBO to be named the mandatory contender, but the WBO angered many by selecting Alimkhanuly, a former middleweight champion, over Bank despite the fact that Alimkhnauly had recently tested positive for meldonium, a banned performance enhancing substance. Bentley went through the purse bid process but ultimately turned down an offer of $750,000 to face Alimkhanuly. That decision cost Sheeraz the title, and when the dust settled, Alimkhanuly is left to fight Bank.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
SEPT. 19, 2026: The WBO is now paying the price for designating disgraced Zhanibek Alimkhanuly as the mandatory challenger for its 168-pound title. The WBO rewarded the former middleweight champion with the mandatory position despite his recent suspension for a doping violation. Rather than fight Alimkhanuly, Hamzah Sheeraz has voluntarily relinquished the WBO super middleweight championship instead of proceeding with the mandatory defense. It's not a great look for Sheeraz either, as he went through the purse bid process and saw his own promoter win the bid before deciding he didn't want to face Alimkhanuly. According to the WBO, Queensberry Promotions formally notified the organization in writing that Sheeraz made the decision after considering the terms resulting from the purse bid. "I think it's a joke. I think what the WBO has done here is disgraceful to the sport of boxing as well," Sheeraz told The Ariel Helwani Show in August.
The WBO said it respects Sheeraz's decision and a fighter's right to make career decisions in his own best interests, adding that its “doors...will always remain open to Hamzah.” The WBO World Championship Committee said it will issue a ruling on Monday, September 21st determining the status of the now-vacant super middleweight championship and how the division will proceed.
Meanwhile, Alimkhanuly remains willing to fight for the title. His promoter, Top Rank, confirmed in writing to the WBO that he is ready, willing, and able to proceed with the mandatory championship contest against Sheeraz, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the purse bid held on September 16th.
SEPT 17, 2026: The WBO announced the results of its purse bid for a super middleweight title fight. The oranization wrote: "Congratulations to Queensberry Promotions on successfully winning today’s WBO purse bid for the mandatory super middleweight championship contest between WBO champion Hamzah Sheeraz and [former middleweight champion] Zhanibek Alimkhanuly" Queensberry submitted a winning bid of $1,001,809. Under the WBO's 75/25 purse split, Sheeraz is entitled to a purse of $751,356.75 while Alimkhanuly will earn $250,452.25. The disgraced Alimkhanuly was designated the mandatory challenger for WBO despite a recent suspension for a doping violation. The positive doping test effectively cost Alimkhanuly the IBF and WBO middleweight championships, although the WBO has been very tolerant and protective of Alimkhanuly despite the doping.
SEPT. 11, 2026: Disgraced ex-champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly is moving closer to a world title opportunity despite a recent anti-doping violation. Alimkhanuly is the mandatory challenger to Hamzah Sheeraz for Sheeraz's WBO super middleweight title. WBO president Gustavo Olivieri reported that the WBO has received official confirmation from Queensberry Promotions and Top Rank that the parties have been unable to reach an agreement for Sheeraz-Alimkhanuly within the WBO's prescribed negotiation period.Therefore, the WBO has ordered a purse bid auction for Wednesday, September 16th at the WBO Main Offices in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
AUG. 14, 2026: Former unified middleweight champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly has been designated the mandatory challenger for WBO super middleweight champion Hamzah Sheeraz, less than a month after the WBO terminated Alimkhanuly's suspension stemming from an anti-doping violation. In an August 7th resolution, the WBO selected Alimkhanuly as the mandatory over Jacob Bank and ordered the Alimkhanuly and Sheeraz camps to begin negotiations for a mandatory title fight. The parties were given twenty days to reach an agreement, after which the WBO will order a purse bid. The decision is notable because Alimkhanuly's recent PED violation figured prominently in the WBO's analysis. The organization acknowledged that Alimkhanuly committed an anti-doping violation and had been suspended, while noting that he was a first-time offender who cooperated with the WBO investigation, submitted medical documentation in his defense and complied with the conditions imposed upon him. His suspension was terminated effective July 10th.
The ruling means that Alimkhanuly will now have an opportunity to become a two-division world champion against Sheeraz. However, the WBO expressly stated that ending the suspension did not erase the underlying disciplinary matter or amount to a finding that the violation had not occurred. Instead, the organization concluded that Alimkhanuly had completed the disciplinary consequences imposed upon him and was therefore once again eligible to compete in WBO-sanctioned activity.
The WBO then considered whether the PED violation and suspension should count against Alimkhanuly in determining the mandatory challenger. It declined to do so, reasoning that his suspension had already "served its disciplinary purpose" and that reducing his championship opportunities after he had completed the suspension would effectively amount to an additional competitive sanction.
That cleared the way for Alimkhanuly's championship résumé to carry the day over Bank. Alimkhanuly previously held the WBO middleweight world title, made five successful defenses and unified the WBO and IBF titles by defeating Vincenzo Gualtieri. The WBO also relied heavily on its history of giving established world champions special consideration when moving into an adjacent weight division.
Bank's petition to become mandatory challenger was denied despite the WBO recognizing his activity and victories over former IBF champion William Scull and also Tyron Zeuge. The Committee ultimately concluded that Alimkhanuly's championship experience and accomplishments presented the stronger claim.
The WBO returned to the PED issue in its conclusion, stating that it "does not minimize" Alimkhanuly's anti-doping violation, but emphasizing his cooperation, first-offender status and completion of the terms of his suspension. The Committee concluded that the prior suspension no longer presented an impediment to his eligibility and that it could not impose an additional competitive penalty after the disciplinary conditions had been satisfied.
JULY 25, 2026: Heavily favored Hamzah Sheeraz stumbled and barely defeated Simon Zachenhuber by majority decision to retain the WBO super middleweight title. The scores of 114-114, 115-113 and 116-112 reflect Sheeraz' showing, and it was not the performance many were expecting from Sheeraz. He was expected to finish Zachenhuber early and with ease. Instead, Sheeraz fought down to the level of his competition.
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Jacob Bank to fight Zhanibek Alimkhanuly for vacant title
In the wake of Hamzah Sheeraz's decision to vacate the WBO super middleweight championship rather than defend against drug cheat Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, the WBO has ordered Alimkhanuly and Jacob Bank to fight for the vacated title. The opportunity fell to the WBO #3-ranked Banks when WBO #2 ranked Diego Pacheco effectively ducked the opportunity by signing for another fight just as it became clear the title would become vacant. The WBO gave the parties fifteen days to negotiate a deal, with the possibility of a purse bid if no agreement is reached. Bank, from Denmark, is 20-0. The combined record of Bank's last six opponents is 120-4-1. In August, Bank petitioned the WBO to be named the mandatory contender, but the WBO angered many by selecting Alimkhanuly, a former middleweight champion, over Bank despite the fact that Alimkhnauly had recently tested positive for meldonium, a banned performance enhancing substance. Bentley went through the purse bid process but ultimately turned down an offer of $750,000 to face Alimkhanuly. That decision cost Sheeraz the title, and when the dust settled, Alimkhanuly is left to fight Bank.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
SEPT. 19, 2026: The WBO is now paying the price for designating disgraced Zhanibek Alimkhanuly as the mandatory challenger for its 168-pound title. The WBO rewarded the former middleweight champion with the mandatory position despite his recent suspension for a doping violation. Rather than fight Alimkhanuly, Hamzah Sheeraz has voluntarily relinquished the WBO super middleweight championship instead of proceeding with the mandatory defense. It's not a great look for Sheeraz either, as he went through the purse bid process and saw his own promoter win the bid before deciding he didn't want to face Alimkhanuly. According to the WBO, Queensberry Promotions formally notified the organization in writing that Sheeraz made the decision after considering the terms resulting from the purse bid. "I think it's a joke. I think what the WBO has done here is disgraceful to the sport of boxing as well," Sheeraz told The Ariel Helwani Show in August.
The WBO said it respects Sheeraz's decision and a fighter's right to make career decisions in his own best interests, adding that its “doors...will always remain open to Hamzah.” The WBO World Championship Committee said it will issue a ruling on Monday, September 21st determining the status of the now-vacant super middleweight championship and how the division will proceed.
Meanwhile, Alimkhanuly remains willing to fight for the title. His promoter, Top Rank, confirmed in writing to the WBO that he is ready, willing, and able to proceed with the mandatory championship contest against Sheeraz, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the purse bid held on September 16th.
SEPT 17, 2026: The WBO announced the results of its purse bid for a super middleweight title fight. The oranization wrote: "Congratulations to Queensberry Promotions on successfully winning today’s WBO purse bid for the mandatory super middleweight championship contest between WBO champion Hamzah Sheeraz and [former middleweight champion] Zhanibek Alimkhanuly" Queensberry submitted a winning bid of $1,001,809. Under the WBO's 75/25 purse split, Sheeraz is entitled to a purse of $751,356.75 while Alimkhanuly will earn $250,452.25. The disgraced Alimkhanuly was designated the mandatory challenger for WBO despite a recent suspension for a doping violation. The positive doping test effectively cost Alimkhanuly the IBF and WBO middleweight championships, although the WBO has been very tolerant and protective of Alimkhanuly despite the doping.
SEPT. 11, 2026: Disgraced ex-champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly is moving closer to a world title opportunity despite a recent anti-doping violation. Alimkhanuly is the mandatory challenger to Hamzah Sheeraz for Sheeraz's WBO super middleweight title. WBO president Gustavo Olivieri reported that the WBO has received official confirmation from Queensberry Promotions and Top Rank that the parties have been unable to reach an agreement for Sheeraz-Alimkhanuly within the WBO's prescribed negotiation period.Therefore, the WBO has ordered a purse bid auction for Wednesday, September 16th at the WBO Main Offices in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
AUG. 14, 2026: Former unified middleweight champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly has been designated the mandatory challenger for WBO super middleweight champion Hamzah Sheeraz, less than a month after the WBO terminated Alimkhanuly's suspension stemming from an anti-doping violation. In an August 7th resolution, the WBO selected Alimkhanuly as the mandatory over Jacob Bank and ordered the Alimkhanuly and Sheeraz camps to begin negotiations for a mandatory title fight. The parties were given twenty days to reach an agreement, after which the WBO will order a purse bid. The decision is notable because Alimkhanuly's recent PED violation figured prominently in the WBO's analysis. The organization acknowledged that Alimkhanuly committed an anti-doping violation and had been suspended, while noting that he was a first-time offender who cooperated with the WBO investigation, submitted medical documentation in his defense and complied with the conditions imposed upon him. His suspension was terminated effective July 10th.
The ruling means that Alimkhanuly will now have an opportunity to become a two-division world champion against Sheeraz. However, the WBO expressly stated that ending the suspension did not erase the underlying disciplinary matter or amount to a finding that the violation had not occurred. Instead, the organization concluded that Alimkhanuly had completed the disciplinary consequences imposed upon him and was therefore once again eligible to compete in WBO-sanctioned activity.
The WBO then considered whether the PED violation and suspension should count against Alimkhanuly in determining the mandatory challenger. It declined to do so, reasoning that his suspension had already "served its disciplinary purpose" and that reducing his championship opportunities after he had completed the suspension would effectively amount to an additional competitive sanction.
That cleared the way for Alimkhanuly's championship résumé to carry the day over Bank. Alimkhanuly previously held the WBO middleweight world title, made five successful defenses and unified the WBO and IBF titles by defeating Vincenzo Gualtieri. The WBO also relied heavily on its history of giving established world champions special consideration when moving into an adjacent weight division.
Bank's petition to become mandatory challenger was denied despite the WBO recognizing his activity and victories over former IBF champion William Scull and also Tyron Zeuge. The Committee ultimately concluded that Alimkhanuly's championship experience and accomplishments presented the stronger claim.
The WBO returned to the PED issue in its conclusion, stating that it "does not minimize" Alimkhanuly's anti-doping violation, but emphasizing his cooperation, first-offender status and completion of the terms of his suspension. The Committee concluded that the prior suspension no longer presented an impediment to his eligibility and that it could not impose an additional competitive penalty after the disciplinary conditions had been satisfied.
JULY 25, 2026: Heavily favored Hamzah Sheeraz stumbled and barely defeated Simon Zachenhuber by majority decision to retain the WBO super middleweight title. The scores of 114-114, 115-113 and 116-112 reflect Sheeraz' showing, and it was not the performance many were expecting from Sheeraz. He was expected to finish Zachenhuber early and with ease. Instead, Sheeraz fought down to the level of his competition.
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WBO orders purse bid for Bentley vs. Hernandez |
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The WBO World Championship Committee has scheduled a purse bid for the WBO middleweight champion Denzel Bentley to make a mandatory defense againsy Yoenli Hernandez. The purse bid is scheduled for September 29th, with the parties free to reach a deal before then. However, it was not clear whether Bentley would take the fight, as he was believed to be in negotiations for a unification fight with Aaron McKenna, the IBF champion. If Bentley refuses to fight Hernandez, he would be stripped by the WBO but could still pursue an IBF challenge vs. McKenna. PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
SEPT. 5, 2026: The WBO has ordered negotiations for a world title fight between its middleweight title holder, Denzel Bentley, and mandatory contender Yoenlis Hernandez. The news is a blow to 160-pound unification, as Bentley was in discussions to unify with IBF champion Aaron McKenna by year's end. The WBO's decision means that Bentley would likely be stripped if he elected to fight McKenna over Hernandez. The news broke through a September 2nd letter to representatives of both fighters from the WBO World Championship Committee. The letter ordered the parties to begin negotiations for the mandatory championship contest and gave them 20 days to reach an agreement. But the WBO also directed both sides to confirm in writing within the first ten days that they are ready, willing and available to proceed with the bout. If Bentley and Hernandez (should Bentley agree to make the mandatory) are unable to reach an agreement, the fight can proceed to a purse bid. The WBO established a minimum bid of $200,000 and said either party may request the commencement of purse-bid proceedings at any time during the negotiation period. Bentley is represented by manager Martin Bowers, while Hernandez is represented by promoter Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing.
SEPT. 3, 2026: According to WBO president Gustavo Olivieri, the WBO received a formal communication from Team Yoenli Hernandez requesting enforcement of the mandatory title defense rule against WBO middleweight Champion Denzel Bentley. Olivieri stated, "the WBO World Championship Committee will convene immediately to review the matter and issue its determination in accordance with the applicable WBO Regulations. Bentley was elevated to WBO middleweight champion after Zhanibek Alimkhanuly’s voluntary relinquishment of the title. Bentley, from the United Kingdom, has a pro record of 22-3-1. He won the vacant WBO interim belt by stopping little-known Endry Saavedra in April. Alimkhanuly, who also held the IBF title, tested positive for banned, performance enhancing substances, but unlike the IBF, the WBO did not immediately strip Alimkhanuly. Hernandez is a Cuban middleweight who last week secured a majority decision victory over Francisco Daniel Veron. Hernandez's offensive bursts proved to be the difference in that bout. While one judge scored it a 95-95 draw, the remaining two widely favored Hernandez with lopsided tallies of 99-91 and 98-92. With the win, Hernandez improved to 11-0 with 9 KOs.
JULY 22, 2026: [Cynics will say this is an "e-mail championship" but] the WBO World Championship Committee has officially elevated Denzel Bentley to WBO world middleweight champion following Zhanibek Alimkhanuly’s voluntary relinquishment of the title. Bentley, from the United Kingdom, has a pro record of 22-3-1. He won the vacant WBO interim belt by stopping little-known Endry Saavedra in April. Alimkhanuly, who also held the IBF title, tested positive for banned, performance enhancing substances, but unlike the IBF, the WBO did not immediately strip Alimkhanuly. The IBF title remains vacant, with a new champion expected to be crowned on August 8th at the 3Arena in a bout between Ireland's Aaron McKenna and Italy's Etinosa Oliha.
FEB. 23, 2026: In a very disappointing ruling for those who want to punish drug cheats in boxing, the WBO has ruled that its middleweight champion, Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, can keep his title despite testing positive for the banned substance meldonium. Instead of striping the boxer, as was expected, the WBO imposed a one-year suspension and a series of conditions that stop short of stripping Alimkhnauly of the championship. The decision follows positive “A” and “B” sample tests collected by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) in November 2025, which forced Alimkhanuly out of a scheduled unification bout against Erislandy Lara in December. Although not a party to this ruling, the IBF is just as culpable, as it also continues to recognize Alimhanuly as its world middleweight champion. A WBO interim title fight between Denzel Bentley and Endry Saavedra was ordered to keep the division active during his suspension.
In a lengthy written decision issued by its World Championship Committee, the WBO confirmed that the tests were conducted by recognized anti-doping authorities and verified by a WADA-accredited laboratory, leaving no dispute about the presence of the prohibited substance. Under the organization’s rules, the case fell under a “strict liability” standard, meaning intent or explanation was irrelevant once a positive test was confirmed. Despite that framework, the WBO declined to impose its most severe sanction — vacating Alimkhanuly's title — and instead opted for what it described as a “proportionate” response.
The ruling suspends Alimkhanuly for one year, retroactive to December 2nd, the date of official notification of the adverse test. He is also required to submit to year-round random drug testing under a WADA-certified program at his own expense, complete an anti-doping education course, and provide certified test results directly to the WBO. When the suspension ends, he will not be allowed a tune-up fight; his first bout must be against either the WBO interim champion or the organization’s mandatory challenger.
The WBO framed the outcome as balanced and fair. Others will see it differently — as a decision that does not meaningfully penalize a fighter who failed a drug test, and does little to deter future violations at the highest level of the sport.
So what is the end result? Alimkhanuly remains recognized as a two-belt champion, retains his title status, and faces no financial penalty. The suspension is time-limited, a year in name but effectively only ten months, and the conditions imposed largely amount to monitoring and compliance requirements rather than punitive measures. For a confirmed doping violation that canceled a major unification bout and disrupted the middleweight division, the consequences are relatively light.
The committee justified its approach by citing Alimkhanuly’s status as a first-time offender and the absence of prior anti-doping violations. It emphasized proportionality and the legal and commercial interests tied to championship recognition. In effect, the WBO treated the case as a regulatory issue to be managed rather than a breach warranting the strongest available punishment. For critics, that distinction matters. A positive test for a banned substance typically carries the expectation of severe sporting consequences, especially for a reigning world champion. By allowing Alimkhanuly to keep his title and return after a defined suspension, the ruling sends a message that a confirmed drug violation does not necessarily lead to the loss of a championship. It should be noted that Alimkhanuly tested positive for meldonium, which is clearly banned in international competitions but is legally available for purchase in Kazakhstan, Russia and a few other countries.
DEC. 5, 2025: After a positive test for the banned substance meldonium, the WBO World Championship Committee has issued a “show cause notice” to WBO / IBF middleweight champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly. The notice stated, "It has been formally reported that on December 2nd, the WBO received an official communication from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) concerning an alleged anti-doping violation arising from the testing protocol enforced by said agency in preparation for the scheduled WBO/IBF unified middleweight championships contest against [WBA champion] Erislandy Lara to be held in San Antonio, Texas on December 6th.According to the notice, the “A” Sample of [Alimkhanuly's] urine specimen, collected on November 15th, in Porter Ranch, California, allegedly returned an adverse analytical finding for a banned substance at an estimated concentration greater than the minimum reported threshold.
Unlike the WBC, which lately has been giving virtually no penalties to boxers who test positive for banned substances [Conor Benn and Subriel Matias come to mind], WBO policy is that "in the event any WBO champion tests positive for any banned substances, the WBO doesn’t need to demonstrate intent, fault, negligence, or knowing use on the fighter’s part. It is the fighter’s duty to ensure that no prohibited substances enter their body. Fighters are fully responsible for any prohibited substances found to be present in their body."
Alimkhanuly was directed by the WBO to show cause within ten days of issuance of this notice, stating why disciplinary action should not be imposed pursuant to the applicable sections in the governing WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests and all relevant WBO policies; including but not limited to: a) declaring the WBO middleweight championship “vacant”; b) withdrawing WBO world champion status from Alimkhanuly; c) banning him from all WBO world and/or regional championship contests; d) suspending him sion from al WBO world and/or regional championship contests; and e) issuing any other rulings necessary, helpful or convenient to accomplish the purposes, policies and intent of the WBO.
Alimkhanuly's response may include supporting documentation, statements, legal submissions, or any other relevant materials he wishes the WBO to consider. Failure to respond within the prescribed period may result in disciplinary action being taken without further notice and/or hearing, including but not limited to the vacating of your WBO Championship title, effective immediately.
DEC. 3, 2025: WBA middleweight champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara will defend his title against hard-hitting challenger Johan Gonzalez as part of a four-fight PBC pay-per-view event on Prime Video this Saturday, December 6th from Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. Lara was originally scheduled to face unified champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, who was pulled from the fight after failing a VADA anti-doping test. The Lara vs. Gonzalez fight will follow the pay-per-view opener between Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. and Shane Mosley Jr. for the WBC interim middleweight title beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The pay-per-view is headlined by former 140-pound title holder Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz taking on reigning WBA 130-pound champion Lamont Roach for the WBC interim title at 140 pounds. The showdown between two-division champion Stephen Fulton Jr. and WBC 130-pound champion O’Shaquie Foster will now serve as the co-feature. Tickets for the live event are on sale now through Ticketmaster.com.
DEC. 2, 2025: Janibek Alimkhanuly, the two-belt middleweight champion, has tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance just days before a scheduled unification fight against WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Journalist Dan Rafael reported that the substance was meldonium, which is commonly used in Russia. Alimkhanuly, from Kazakhstan, holds the WBO and IBF titles. He reacted to this development by tweeting, "I have always supported clean sport you know this well. I was surprised when I read the news. VADA took the first test and said everything was clean. I have not made any changes to my vitamins. I don’t know what happened with the second test, so I requested a retest." Alimkhanuly vs. Lara, which was scheduled for this Saturday, December 6th in San Antonio, Texas. The WBO acknowledged the positive test as follows: "The WBO has confirmed an adverse analytical finding for WBO middleweight champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly from VADA testing ahead of his scheduled bout vs. Erislandy Lara. An internal investigation is now underway, and a show cause notice will be issued. No further comments will be made until the process is complete.
OCT. 16, 2025: The WBO has ordered a purse bid for a WBO middleweight elimination bout between Denzel Bentley and Endry Saavedra. Bentley is from England and holds the British and European titles. At 21-3, he's won three straight since a 2023 loss to Nathan Heaney. Bentley also has a loss against reigning WBO / IBF champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly. The little-known Saveedra is from Venezuela and boasts a 17-1-1 pro record that includes wins over Isaac Hardman and Mikkel Nielsen and a draw with unbeaten Cesar Mateo Tapia.
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WBO orders purse bid for Bentley vs. Hernandez
The WBO World Championship Committee has scheduled a purse bid for the WBO middleweight champion Denzel Bentley to make a mandatory defense againsy Yoenli Hernandez. The purse bid is scheduled for September 29th, with the parties free to reach a deal before then. However, it was not clear whether Bentley would take the fight, as he was believed to be in negotiations for a unification fight with Aaron McKenna, the IBF champion. If Bentley refuses to fight Hernandez, he would be stripped by the WBO but could still pursue an IBF challenge vs. McKenna. PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
SEPT. 5, 2026: The WBO has ordered negotiations for a world title fight between its middleweight title holder, Denzel Bentley, and mandatory contender Yoenlis Hernandez. The news is a blow to 160-pound unification, as Bentley was in discussions to unify with IBF champion Aaron McKenna by year's end. The WBO's decision means that Bentley would likely be stripped if he elected to fight McKenna over Hernandez. The news broke through a September 2nd letter to representatives of both fighters from the WBO World Championship Committee. The letter ordered the parties to begin negotiations for the mandatory championship contest and gave them 20 days to reach an agreement. But the WBO also directed both sides to confirm in writing within the first ten days that they are ready, willing and available to proceed with the bout. If Bentley and Hernandez (should Bentley agree to make the mandatory) are unable to reach an agreement, the fight can proceed to a purse bid. The WBO established a minimum bid of $200,000 and said either party may request the commencement of purse-bid proceedings at any time during the negotiation period. Bentley is represented by manager Martin Bowers, while Hernandez is represented by promoter Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing.
SEPT. 3, 2026: According to WBO president Gustavo Olivieri, the WBO received a formal communication from Team Yoenli Hernandez requesting enforcement of the mandatory title defense rule against WBO middleweight Champion Denzel Bentley. Olivieri stated, "the WBO World Championship Committee will convene immediately to review the matter and issue its determination in accordance with the applicable WBO Regulations. Bentley was elevated to WBO middleweight champion after Zhanibek Alimkhanuly’s voluntary relinquishment of the title. Bentley, from the United Kingdom, has a pro record of 22-3-1. He won the vacant WBO interim belt by stopping little-known Endry Saavedra in April. Alimkhanuly, who also held the IBF title, tested positive for banned, performance enhancing substances, but unlike the IBF, the WBO did not immediately strip Alimkhanuly. Hernandez is a Cuban middleweight who last week secured a majority decision victory over Francisco Daniel Veron. Hernandez's offensive bursts proved to be the difference in that bout. While one judge scored it a 95-95 draw, the remaining two widely favored Hernandez with lopsided tallies of 99-91 and 98-92. With the win, Hernandez improved to 11-0 with 9 KOs.
JULY 22, 2026: [Cynics will say this is an "e-mail championship" but] the WBO World Championship Committee has officially elevated Denzel Bentley to WBO world middleweight champion following Zhanibek Alimkhanuly’s voluntary relinquishment of the title. Bentley, from the United Kingdom, has a pro record of 22-3-1. He won the vacant WBO interim belt by stopping little-known Endry Saavedra in April. Alimkhanuly, who also held the IBF title, tested positive for banned, performance enhancing substances, but unlike the IBF, the WBO did not immediately strip Alimkhanuly. The IBF title remains vacant, with a new champion expected to be crowned on August 8th at the 3Arena in a bout between Ireland's Aaron McKenna and Italy's Etinosa Oliha.
FEB. 23, 2026: In a very disappointing ruling for those who want to punish drug cheats in boxing, the WBO has ruled that its middleweight champion, Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, can keep his title despite testing positive for the banned substance meldonium. Instead of striping the boxer, as was expected, the WBO imposed a one-year suspension and a series of conditions that stop short of stripping Alimkhnauly of the championship. The decision follows positive “A” and “B” sample tests collected by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) in November 2025, which forced Alimkhanuly out of a scheduled unification bout against Erislandy Lara in December. Although not a party to this ruling, the IBF is just as culpable, as it also continues to recognize Alimhanuly as its world middleweight champion. A WBO interim title fight between Denzel Bentley and Endry Saavedra was ordered to keep the division active during his suspension.
In a lengthy written decision issued by its World Championship Committee, the WBO confirmed that the tests were conducted by recognized anti-doping authorities and verified by a WADA-accredited laboratory, leaving no dispute about the presence of the prohibited substance. Under the organization’s rules, the case fell under a “strict liability” standard, meaning intent or explanation was irrelevant once a positive test was confirmed. Despite that framework, the WBO declined to impose its most severe sanction — vacating Alimkhanuly's title — and instead opted for what it described as a “proportionate” response.
The ruling suspends Alimkhanuly for one year, retroactive to December 2nd, the date of official notification of the adverse test. He is also required to submit to year-round random drug testing under a WADA-certified program at his own expense, complete an anti-doping education course, and provide certified test results directly to the WBO. When the suspension ends, he will not be allowed a tune-up fight; his first bout must be against either the WBO interim champion or the organization’s mandatory challenger.
The WBO framed the outcome as balanced and fair. Others will see it differently — as a decision that does not meaningfully penalize a fighter who failed a drug test, and does little to deter future violations at the highest level of the sport.
So what is the end result? Alimkhanuly remains recognized as a two-belt champion, retains his title status, and faces no financial penalty. The suspension is time-limited, a year in name but effectively only ten months, and the conditions imposed largely amount to monitoring and compliance requirements rather than punitive measures. For a confirmed doping violation that canceled a major unification bout and disrupted the middleweight division, the consequences are relatively light.
The committee justified its approach by citing Alimkhanuly’s status as a first-time offender and the absence of prior anti-doping violations. It emphasized proportionality and the legal and commercial interests tied to championship recognition. In effect, the WBO treated the case as a regulatory issue to be managed rather than a breach warranting the strongest available punishment. For critics, that distinction matters. A positive test for a banned substance typically carries the expectation of severe sporting consequences, especially for a reigning world champion. By allowing Alimkhanuly to keep his title and return after a defined suspension, the ruling sends a message that a confirmed drug violation does not necessarily lead to the loss of a championship. It should be noted that Alimkhanuly tested positive for meldonium, which is clearly banned in international competitions but is legally available for purchase in Kazakhstan, Russia and a few other countries.
DEC. 5, 2025: After a positive test for the banned substance meldonium, the WBO World Championship Committee has issued a “show cause notice” to WBO / IBF middleweight champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly. The notice stated, "It has been formally reported that on December 2nd, the WBO received an official communication from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) concerning an alleged anti-doping violation arising from the testing protocol enforced by said agency in preparation for the scheduled WBO/IBF unified middleweight championships contest against [WBA champion] Erislandy Lara to be held in San Antonio, Texas on December 6th.According to the notice, the “A” Sample of [Alimkhanuly's] urine specimen, collected on November 15th, in Porter Ranch, California, allegedly returned an adverse analytical finding for a banned substance at an estimated concentration greater than the minimum reported threshold.
Unlike the WBC, which lately has been giving virtually no penalties to boxers who test positive for banned substances [Conor Benn and Subriel Matias come to mind], WBO policy is that "in the event any WBO champion tests positive for any banned substances, the WBO doesn’t need to demonstrate intent, fault, negligence, or knowing use on the fighter’s part. It is the fighter’s duty to ensure that no prohibited substances enter their body. Fighters are fully responsible for any prohibited substances found to be present in their body."
Alimkhanuly was directed by the WBO to show cause within ten days of issuance of this notice, stating why disciplinary action should not be imposed pursuant to the applicable sections in the governing WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests and all relevant WBO policies; including but not limited to: a) declaring the WBO middleweight championship “vacant”; b) withdrawing WBO world champion status from Alimkhanuly; c) banning him from all WBO world and/or regional championship contests; d) suspending him sion from al WBO world and/or regional championship contests; and e) issuing any other rulings necessary, helpful or convenient to accomplish the purposes, policies and intent of the WBO.
Alimkhanuly's response may include supporting documentation, statements, legal submissions, or any other relevant materials he wishes the WBO to consider. Failure to respond within the prescribed period may result in disciplinary action being taken without further notice and/or hearing, including but not limited to the vacating of your WBO Championship title, effective immediately.
DEC. 3, 2025: WBA middleweight champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara will defend his title against hard-hitting challenger Johan Gonzalez as part of a four-fight PBC pay-per-view event on Prime Video this Saturday, December 6th from Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. Lara was originally scheduled to face unified champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, who was pulled from the fight after failing a VADA anti-doping test. The Lara vs. Gonzalez fight will follow the pay-per-view opener between Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. and Shane Mosley Jr. for the WBC interim middleweight title beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The pay-per-view is headlined by former 140-pound title holder Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz taking on reigning WBA 130-pound champion Lamont Roach for the WBC interim title at 140 pounds. The showdown between two-division champion Stephen Fulton Jr. and WBC 130-pound champion O’Shaquie Foster will now serve as the co-feature. Tickets for the live event are on sale now through Ticketmaster.com.
DEC. 2, 2025: Janibek Alimkhanuly, the two-belt middleweight champion, has tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance just days before a scheduled unification fight against WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Journalist Dan Rafael reported that the substance was meldonium, which is commonly used in Russia. Alimkhanuly, from Kazakhstan, holds the WBO and IBF titles. He reacted to this development by tweeting, "I have always supported clean sport you know this well. I was surprised when I read the news. VADA took the first test and said everything was clean. I have not made any changes to my vitamins. I don’t know what happened with the second test, so I requested a retest." Alimkhanuly vs. Lara, which was scheduled for this Saturday, December 6th in San Antonio, Texas. The WBO acknowledged the positive test as follows: "The WBO has confirmed an adverse analytical finding for WBO middleweight champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly from VADA testing ahead of his scheduled bout vs. Erislandy Lara. An internal investigation is now underway, and a show cause notice will be issued. No further comments will be made until the process is complete.
OCT. 16, 2025: The WBO has ordered a purse bid for a WBO middleweight elimination bout between Denzel Bentley and Endry Saavedra. Bentley is from England and holds the British and European titles. At 21-3, he's won three straight since a 2023 loss to Nathan Heaney. Bentley also has a loss against reigning WBO / IBF champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly. The little-known Saveedra is from Venezuela and boasts a 17-1-1 pro record that includes wins over Isaac Hardman and Mikkel Nielsen and a draw with unbeaten Cesar Mateo Tapia.
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Lopez ordered to defend title vs. Catterall |
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The WBA Championship Committee has ordered a mandatory bout between WBA welterweight super champion Teófimo López (pictured) and Jack Catterall, the WBA regular welterweight champion.[Editor's note: Lopez has been rumored to be negotiating a unification fight vs. his WBC counterpart, Ryan Garcia. Lopez remains free to vacate the WBA title and challenge Garcia for the WBC version].The WBA decision stems from the conditions established by the WBA Championship Committee when Rolando “Rolly” Romero was elevated to WBA super champion. At that time, it was determined that the winner of the WBA regular title bout between Shakhram Giyasov and Jack Catterall would subsequently face Romero, who would be permitted to make one optional defense during that period. On August 22nd, Teófimo López defeated Romero by majority decision to become the WBA super champion (and a three-division champion as well). The WBA has now confirmed that López has assumed the champion's obligations previously established by the Championship Committee. As a result, the WBA has ordered the bout between López and Catterall.
The WBA has established a thirty-day negotiation period, beginning on September 22nd and concluding at the close of business, Eastern Time, on October 22nd. If the parties fail to reach an agreement within the established period, or if either party notifies the WBA of its decision to discontinue negotiations, the Championship Committee may, with the approval of the WBA President, order a purse bid in accordance with the organization’s rules and regulations.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
SEPT. 22, 2026: Jack Catterall wants to face Teofimo Lopez next, and he saved a receipt to prove his entitlement to do so. Catterall (pictured) became the WBA interim welterweight champion in May when he defeated Shakhram Giyasov in Egypt. In July, as then-WBA welterweight champion Rolly Romero was preparing to defend against Teofimo Lopez, WBA president Gilberto Mendoza tweeted that Caterall was in line for the next title shot: "@RollyRomeroRblx v. @TeofimoLopez winner must box @jack_catt93 in their next fight." Lopez went on to defeat Romero, but is now talking about unifying vs. WBC champion Ryan Garcia. Catterall is doing everything he can to block Lopez-Garcia until he gets his shot at the full title. This weekend Catterall reposted the July Mendoza tweet, adding, "I expect the WBA and Gilberto Mendoza to stand on business,keep their word and honor what was agreed. Like I say, I don’t ask for favors, just what was agreed and what I deserve"
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Lopez ordered to defend title vs. Catterall
The WBA Championship Committee has ordered a mandatory bout between WBA welterweight super champion Teófimo López (pictured) and Jack Catterall, the WBA regular welterweight champion.[Editor's note: Lopez has been rumored to be negotiating a unification fight vs. his WBC counterpart, Ryan Garcia. Lopez remains free to vacate the WBA title and challenge Garcia for the WBC version].The WBA decision stems from the conditions established by the WBA Championship Committee when Rolando “Rolly” Romero was elevated to WBA super champion. At that time, it was determined that the winner of the WBA regular title bout between Shakhram Giyasov and Jack Catterall would subsequently face Romero, who would be permitted to make one optional defense during that period. On August 22nd, Teófimo López defeated Romero by majority decision to become the WBA super champion (and a three-division champion as well). The WBA has now confirmed that López has assumed the champion's obligations previously established by the Championship Committee. As a result, the WBA has ordered the bout between López and Catterall.
The WBA has established a thirty-day negotiation period, beginning on September 22nd and concluding at the close of business, Eastern Time, on October 22nd. If the parties fail to reach an agreement within the established period, or if either party notifies the WBA of its decision to discontinue negotiations, the Championship Committee may, with the approval of the WBA President, order a purse bid in accordance with the organization’s rules and regulations.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
SEPT. 22, 2026: Jack Catterall wants to face Teofimo Lopez next, and he saved a receipt to prove his entitlement to do so. Catterall (pictured) became the WBA interim welterweight champion in May when he defeated Shakhram Giyasov in Egypt. In July, as then-WBA welterweight champion Rolly Romero was preparing to defend against Teofimo Lopez, WBA president Gilberto Mendoza tweeted that Caterall was in line for the next title shot: "@RollyRomeroRblx v. @TeofimoLopez winner must box @jack_catt93 in their next fight." Lopez went on to defeat Romero, but is now talking about unifying vs. WBC champion Ryan Garcia. Catterall is doing everything he can to block Lopez-Garcia until he gets his shot at the full title. This weekend Catterall reposted the July Mendoza tweet, adding, "I expect the WBA and Gilberto Mendoza to stand on business,keep their word and honor what was agreed. Like I say, I don’t ask for favors, just what was agreed and what I deserve"
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Hutchinson confident he'll turn the table on Buatsi |
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Willy Hutchinson dismissed the threat presented by Joshua Buatsi ahead of their rematch scheduled forl the AO Arena in Manchester on November 7th. The original encounter back in 2024 at Wembley Stadium went the way of Buatsi, who felled his opponent twice on his way to a decision victory. Hutchinson hints that all was not right for him under the Wembley arch and that he will be a different and far more menacing animal this time around with the WBC interim light heavyweight title belt on the line. Hutchinson gets the opportunity to exorcise the demons of a damaging defeat, plus further his career prospects with a world title belt at the same time.
“It is a big fight and I have been looking for this rematch for two years, so it is big for me,” considered the 28-year-old. “I am looking forward to it and looking forward to getting the job done. It is like buy one, get one free! I am very happy how it has all worked out and I need to put that wrong right.”
Hutchinson is pretty damning in his assessment of the 2016 Olympian, suggesting that his fighting fortunes have entered into a downward spiral and is a declining force. The intervening years, according to Hutchinson, have not been kind to Buatsi, who has lost to Callum Smith and beaten Zach Parker in this time. “No, not better at all. He is just the same person I thought he was back then, so it was just one of those things. We could get into it, but we won’t. All I am interested in is the second fight. I haven’t got to do much differently, to be honest, just be right on the night and that’s it. If I am right I will smash him to pieces. One hundred per cent he is not on my level at all and I am going to show the world how good I am.”
Hutchinson is always happy to talk the talk, but he claims ramping up the rhetoric does not place any additional burden on himself. “Not really because I should be able to deliver. It is not a maybe or if, it is something that should be done. So it is not really pressure. I am know how good I am so really and truly it should be a steady night’s work. He is worse than when he fought me. I am basing this on his last two fights and he is shot to bits, ever since the fight with me. He is not on my level and I am going to show it.”
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Hutchinson confident he'll turn the table on Buatsi
Willy Hutchinson dismissed the threat presented by Joshua Buatsi ahead of their rematch scheduled forl the AO Arena in Manchester on November 7th. The original encounter back in 2024 at Wembley Stadium went the way of Buatsi, who felled his opponent twice on his way to a decision victory. Hutchinson hints that all was not right for him under the Wembley arch and that he will be a different and far more menacing animal this time around with the WBC interim light heavyweight title belt on the line. Hutchinson gets the opportunity to exorcise the demons of a damaging defeat, plus further his career prospects with a world title belt at the same time.
“It is a big fight and I have been looking for this rematch for two years, so it is big for me,” considered the 28-year-old. “I am looking forward to it and looking forward to getting the job done. It is like buy one, get one free! I am very happy how it has all worked out and I need to put that wrong right.”
Hutchinson is pretty damning in his assessment of the 2016 Olympian, suggesting that his fighting fortunes have entered into a downward spiral and is a declining force. The intervening years, according to Hutchinson, have not been kind to Buatsi, who has lost to Callum Smith and beaten Zach Parker in this time. “No, not better at all. He is just the same person I thought he was back then, so it was just one of those things. We could get into it, but we won’t. All I am interested in is the second fight. I haven’t got to do much differently, to be honest, just be right on the night and that’s it. If I am right I will smash him to pieces. One hundred per cent he is not on my level at all and I am going to show the world how good I am.”
Hutchinson is always happy to talk the talk, but he claims ramping up the rhetoric does not place any additional burden on himself. “Not really because I should be able to deliver. It is not a maybe or if, it is something that should be done. So it is not really pressure. I am know how good I am so really and truly it should be a steady night’s work. He is worse than when he fought me. I am basing this on his last two fights and he is shot to bits, ever since the fight with me. He is not on my level and I am going to show it.”
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Gotti makes Augure a rematch offer he can't refuse |
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John Gotti III and Daniel Augare are ready to run it back. The rivals meet in a six-round light heavyweight rematch of their October 2025 slugfest, won by Augure, with the CES Boxing-promoted rematch booked for Saturday, October 3rd at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, CT. Purchase your tickets now at CESFights.com.
Montana's Augare and new York's Gotti produced fireworks from the opening bell of their first encounter, engaging in a back-and-forth battle that Augare won via third round stoppage. Gotti III now looks to turn the tables on "Eagle Boy" over six rounds in Hartford. "John Gotti III and Daniel Augare gave the fans an unforgettable fight when they shared the ring last October, and now they are ready to do it all over again," said CES Boxing founder Jimmy Burchfield Sr. "This card represents everything CES Boxing stands for: exciting main events, competitive matchmaking and opportunities for the best young fighters in Connecticut to prove themselves. We are also proud to make this event a Pink Out and use our platform to raise money for the JoAnne M. Sullivan Memorial Fund in support of breast cancer research. It is going to be a special night in Hartford."
Stamford middleweight Douglas Marroquin (11-0, 6 KOs) hopes to continues his rise against rugged New Yorker Lasha Gurguliani (20-6, 9 KOs) in a six-round bout. Marroquin is emerging as one of the region’s promising young fighters, but Gurguliani represents the most experienced opponent of his professional career.
Twenty-year old Joseph "J-Elite" Chisholm (8-1, 7 KOs) brings his explosive power to Hartford when he battles Texan Dominique Griffin (7-14-2, 2 KOs) in a six-round featherweight shootout. With seven knockouts in eight victories, Chisholm will look to deliver another early ending against the more experienced Griffin.
Popular Hamden super welterweight Anthony "The Enforcer" Nieves (3-0, 2 KOs) returns for the second time in three months when he collides with St. Louis’ Jaylon Green (4-3, 2 KOs) in a four-round battle.
Marroquin’s stablemate, Victor Guerra Vargas (3-0, 2 KOs), will compete against Las Vegas-based Cuban Darian Castro (4-0, 1 KO) in a six-round battle of unbeaten welterweights. This is the second unbeaten fighter that the Norwalk-based Venezuelan has faced in as many fights.
Rounding out the card are a pair of junior welterweights in separate bouts as New Haven's Jeffrey Torres (15-2, 8 KOs) returns in an eight-round contest and Waterbury's Kevante Wineglass (5-0, 3 KOs) competes in a six-round matchup. Opponents for Torres and Wineglass will be announced shortly.
The event will be a "Pink Out" in support of the fight against breast cancer. A special fundraiser will be held throughout the evening to benefit the JoAnne M. Sullivan Memorial Fund and its efforts to support breast cancer research. Fans are encouraged to wear pink and join CES Boxing in raising awareness and funds for this important cause.
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Gotti makes Augure a rematch offer he can't refuse
John Gotti III and Daniel Augare are ready to run it back. The rivals meet in a six-round light heavyweight rematch of their October 2025 slugfest, won by Augure, with the CES Boxing-promoted rematch booked for Saturday, October 3rd at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, CT. Purchase your tickets now at CESFights.com.
Montana's Augare and new York's Gotti produced fireworks from the opening bell of their first encounter, engaging in a back-and-forth battle that Augare won via third round stoppage. Gotti III now looks to turn the tables on "Eagle Boy" over six rounds in Hartford. "John Gotti III and Daniel Augare gave the fans an unforgettable fight when they shared the ring last October, and now they are ready to do it all over again," said CES Boxing founder Jimmy Burchfield Sr. "This card represents everything CES Boxing stands for: exciting main events, competitive matchmaking and opportunities for the best young fighters in Connecticut to prove themselves. We are also proud to make this event a Pink Out and use our platform to raise money for the JoAnne M. Sullivan Memorial Fund in support of breast cancer research. It is going to be a special night in Hartford."
Stamford middleweight Douglas Marroquin (11-0, 6 KOs) hopes to continues his rise against rugged New Yorker Lasha Gurguliani (20-6, 9 KOs) in a six-round bout. Marroquin is emerging as one of the region’s promising young fighters, but Gurguliani represents the most experienced opponent of his professional career.
Twenty-year old Joseph "J-Elite" Chisholm (8-1, 7 KOs) brings his explosive power to Hartford when he battles Texan Dominique Griffin (7-14-2, 2 KOs) in a six-round featherweight shootout. With seven knockouts in eight victories, Chisholm will look to deliver another early ending against the more experienced Griffin.
Popular Hamden super welterweight Anthony "The Enforcer" Nieves (3-0, 2 KOs) returns for the second time in three months when he collides with St. Louis’ Jaylon Green (4-3, 2 KOs) in a four-round battle.
Marroquin’s stablemate, Victor Guerra Vargas (3-0, 2 KOs), will compete against Las Vegas-based Cuban Darian Castro (4-0, 1 KO) in a six-round battle of unbeaten welterweights. This is the second unbeaten fighter that the Norwalk-based Venezuelan has faced in as many fights.
Rounding out the card are a pair of junior welterweights in separate bouts as New Haven's Jeffrey Torres (15-2, 8 KOs) returns in an eight-round contest and Waterbury's Kevante Wineglass (5-0, 3 KOs) competes in a six-round matchup. Opponents for Torres and Wineglass will be announced shortly.
The event will be a "Pink Out" in support of the fight against breast cancer. A special fundraiser will be held throughout the evening to benefit the JoAnne M. Sullivan Memorial Fund and its efforts to support breast cancer research. Fans are encouraged to wear pink and join CES Boxing in raising awareness and funds for this important cause.
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IBF orders Righi vs. Gentzen for interim title at 130 |
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On August 18, 2026, the IBF ordered Martina Righi and Taylah Gentzen to begin negotiations for the IBF interim junior lightweight title. An agreement was not be reached within the timeframe set forth by the IBF, so the IBF has scheduled a purse bid for October 1st. Righi, from Italy is 8-3-1 and the reigning European champion. Gentzen, from Australia is 9-2, and earlier this year lost a lightweight world title challenge to Elif Nur Turhan by split decision. She's had one win since then. The IBF has set up the interim title fight because Alycia Baumgardner will test the waters at lightweight by challenging Nur Turhan in November.
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IBF orders Righi vs. Gentzen for interim title at 130
On August 18, 2026, the IBF ordered Martina Righi and Taylah Gentzen to begin negotiations for the IBF interim junior lightweight title. An agreement was not be reached within the timeframe set forth by the IBF, so the IBF has scheduled a purse bid for October 1st. Righi, from Italy is 8-3-1 and the reigning European champion. Gentzen, from Australia is 9-2, and earlier this year lost a lightweight world title challenge to Elif Nur Turhan by split decision. She's had one win since then. The IBF has set up the interim title fight because Alycia Baumgardner will test the waters at lightweight by challenging Nur Turhan in November.
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Featherweight Shabaz Masoud remains unbeaten |
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Shabaz Masoud W10 Ckari Cani Mansilla... Over the weekend, British stylist Shabaz Masoud’s remained undefetaed with a dominant performance against Argentina’s Ckari Cani Mansilla (19-5). Masoud controlled the action from start to finish, earning a unanimous decision victory in the featherweight bout. All three judges scored the bout 100-90, giving the Stoke-on-Trent native a clean sweep for his highly polished boxing. From the opening bell, Masoud (16-0) dictated the terms with a sharp, accurate jab and exceptional fluidity at mid-range. His well-timed pivots and precise movement repeatedly left Mansilla’s attacks falling short. Mansilla tried to cut off the ring, but he consistently ran into Masoud’s disciplined defense and quick two- and three-punch counters. Masoud maintained the same pace throughout the second half of the fight, mixing attacks to the body with sharp hooks upstairs to keep Mansilla from mounting any sustained rally. Mansilla showed tremendous toughness and battled through to the final bell, but the night belonged entirely to Masoud.
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Featherweight Shabaz Masoud remains unbeaten
Shabaz Masoud W10 Ckari Cani Mansilla... Over the weekend, British stylist Shabaz Masoud’s remained undefetaed with a dominant performance against Argentina’s Ckari Cani Mansilla (19-5). Masoud controlled the action from start to finish, earning a unanimous decision victory in the featherweight bout. All three judges scored the bout 100-90, giving the Stoke-on-Trent native a clean sweep for his highly polished boxing. From the opening bell, Masoud (16-0) dictated the terms with a sharp, accurate jab and exceptional fluidity at mid-range. His well-timed pivots and precise movement repeatedly left Mansilla’s attacks falling short. Mansilla tried to cut off the ring, but he consistently ran into Masoud’s disciplined defense and quick two- and three-punch counters. Masoud maintained the same pace throughout the second half of the fight, mixing attacks to the body with sharp hooks upstairs to keep Mansilla from mounting any sustained rally. Mansilla showed tremendous toughness and battled through to the final bell, but the night belonged entirely to Masoud.
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Introducing lightweight Ibran “El Asesino” Retamozo |
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Golden Boy announced the signing of undefeated lightweight Ibran “El Asesino” Retamozo of Barranquilla, Colombia. “I would like to thank Oscar De La Hoya, Eric Gomez, and my manager Michael Miller for giving me this grand opportunity to join Golden Boy’s stable of fighters,” said Ibran. “It has been a dream of mine ever since I started boxing to be with Golden Boy Promotions, 'The Creme de la Creme,' or the best of the best when it comes to boxing promoters. Oscar is the ambassador to the Latin community in boxing and I watched him ever since I was a little kid win many World Championships. I am just elated to join Golden Boy and have a long and prosperous career with them. All I asked for was an opportunity and I’ll do the rest.”
Retamozo is looking to take the next step in his career and make his U.S. debut soon under the Golden Boy Promotions banner. Nicknamed “El Asesino,” or “The Killer,” because of his power, Retamozo has lived up to the moniker with a 19-0 record, including 14 victories by knockout.
“Ibran is an undefeated, dangerous lightweight who has already shown tremendous power,” said Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya.
While he proudly represents his Colombian roots, León, Mexico, has also become home for Retamozo, where he now lives, trains and fights. A Mexican citizen, Retamozo has built his life in the country and considers Mexico home. Under the guidance of Coach James Gogue and managed by Michael Miller, Retamozo continues to sharpen an aggressive, pressure-heavy style built around constantly moving forward and forcing opponents to fight at his pace. Combined with his knockout power, that relentless approach has made “El Asesino” an exciting prospect to watch.
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Introducing lightweight Ibran “El Asesino” Retamozo
Golden Boy announced the signing of undefeated lightweight Ibran “El Asesino” Retamozo of Barranquilla, Colombia. “I would like to thank Oscar De La Hoya, Eric Gomez, and my manager Michael Miller for giving me this grand opportunity to join Golden Boy’s stable of fighters,” said Ibran. “It has been a dream of mine ever since I started boxing to be with Golden Boy Promotions, 'The Creme de la Creme,' or the best of the best when it comes to boxing promoters. Oscar is the ambassador to the Latin community in boxing and I watched him ever since I was a little kid win many World Championships. I am just elated to join Golden Boy and have a long and prosperous career with them. All I asked for was an opportunity and I’ll do the rest.”
Retamozo is looking to take the next step in his career and make his U.S. debut soon under the Golden Boy Promotions banner. Nicknamed “El Asesino,” or “The Killer,” because of his power, Retamozo has lived up to the moniker with a 19-0 record, including 14 victories by knockout.
“Ibran is an undefeated, dangerous lightweight who has already shown tremendous power,” said Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya.
While he proudly represents his Colombian roots, León, Mexico, has also become home for Retamozo, where he now lives, trains and fights. A Mexican citizen, Retamozo has built his life in the country and considers Mexico home. Under the guidance of Coach James Gogue and managed by Michael Miller, Retamozo continues to sharpen an aggressive, pressure-heavy style built around constantly moving forward and forcing opponents to fight at his pace. Combined with his knockout power, that relentless approach has made “El Asesino” an exciting prospect to watch.
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USA Boxing goes 5-1 vs. Canada |
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USA Boxing traveled to Winnipeg, Canada for Melee Gala XI, where the United States faced Canada in a six-bout international duel. The Stars and Stripes went 5-1 behind victories by Noelle Haro, Lorenzo Patricio, Alisha Crockett, Marcus Luther, and Naomi Graham on Saturday, September 19th. Patricio kicked things off for the United States on Saturday, earning a unanimous decision victory over Canada’s Max Tomines in the 55-kilogram (121.3-pound) division. The Hawaii native improves his international record to 11-2 in 2026, while adding a gold medal from the World Boxing Cup: China 2026, and a silver medal from the 77th International Strandja Boxing Tournament.
Following Patricio, Graham and Crockett carried Team USA's momentum. Graham secured a split decision victory over Canada’s Viktoria Penney in the 75-kilogram (165.3-pound) division. The 2021 Olympian secured her second international victory of 2026. She also earned a bronze medal at the 77th International Strandja Boxing Tournament earlier this year. As for Crockett, she defeated Canada’s Florence Belle Germain by a unanimous decision in the 60-kilogram (132.3-pound) division. Saturday’s win marked Crockett’s first international win of her career.
Luther and Haro continued the USA's winning streak, as Luther defeated Yacine Benaoudia by unanimous decision in the 65-kilogram (143.3-pound) division. Saturday’s win marked the Washington, D.C., native’s fifth international unanimous-decision victory in 2026 and improved his international record to 7-3. Luther recently won silver at the World Boxing Cup: China 2026.
Rounding out the day for the USA was Haro, who earned a split-decision win over Mckenzie Wright in the 51-kilogram (112.4-pound) division. The Texas native improves to 4-2 on the international stage, including a bronze medal at the World Boxing Cup: Brazil 2026.
Also entering the ring on Saturday in Winnipeg was Tyric Trapp. After three rounds of Olympic style boxing, the New Jersey native fell short to Umar Carcamo by a split decision. Trapp has a 5-4 international record in 2026, including a bronze medal at the 2026 Copa America. Team USA will now return to Colorado Springs, where the team will begin camp ahead of the 2026 Pan American Championships. The 2026 Pan American Championships will take place in Puebla, Mexico, from October 17-25.
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USA Boxing goes 5-1 vs. Canada
USA Boxing traveled to Winnipeg, Canada for Melee Gala XI, where the United States faced Canada in a six-bout international duel. The Stars and Stripes went 5-1 behind victories by Noelle Haro, Lorenzo Patricio, Alisha Crockett, Marcus Luther, and Naomi Graham on Saturday, September 19th. Patricio kicked things off for the United States on Saturday, earning a unanimous decision victory over Canada’s Max Tomines in the 55-kilogram (121.3-pound) division. The Hawaii native improves his international record to 11-2 in 2026, while adding a gold medal from the World Boxing Cup: China 2026, and a silver medal from the 77th International Strandja Boxing Tournament.
Following Patricio, Graham and Crockett carried Team USA's momentum. Graham secured a split decision victory over Canada’s Viktoria Penney in the 75-kilogram (165.3-pound) division. The 2021 Olympian secured her second international victory of 2026. She also earned a bronze medal at the 77th International Strandja Boxing Tournament earlier this year. As for Crockett, she defeated Canada’s Florence Belle Germain by a unanimous decision in the 60-kilogram (132.3-pound) division. Saturday’s win marked Crockett’s first international win of her career.
Luther and Haro continued the USA's winning streak, as Luther defeated Yacine Benaoudia by unanimous decision in the 65-kilogram (143.3-pound) division. Saturday’s win marked the Washington, D.C., native’s fifth international unanimous-decision victory in 2026 and improved his international record to 7-3. Luther recently won silver at the World Boxing Cup: China 2026.
Rounding out the day for the USA was Haro, who earned a split-decision win over Mckenzie Wright in the 51-kilogram (112.4-pound) division. The Texas native improves to 4-2 on the international stage, including a bronze medal at the World Boxing Cup: Brazil 2026.
Also entering the ring on Saturday in Winnipeg was Tyric Trapp. After three rounds of Olympic style boxing, the New Jersey native fell short to Umar Carcamo by a split decision. Trapp has a 5-4 international record in 2026, including a bronze medal at the 2026 Copa America. Team USA will now return to Colorado Springs, where the team will begin camp ahead of the 2026 Pan American Championships. The 2026 Pan American Championships will take place in Puebla, Mexico, from October 17-25.
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Munguia ordered to defend title vs. Melikuziev |
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The WBA Championship Committee has ordered a mandatory title defense between WBA super middleweight champion Jaime Munguía (pictured) of Mexico and mandatory challenger Bektemir Melikuziev. The official resolution was issued and sent to both fighters’ teams, who will enter a thirty-day negotiation period to reach an agreement for the bout. The negotiation period will run through October 21st. Munguía defend against Melikuziev in accordance with Rule C.10 of the WBA Championship Rules. Munguía captured the WBA 168-pound title on May 2nd when he defeated José Armando Reséndiz by unanimous decision at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. His 120-day mandatory defense period expired on August 30th, and he is therefore required to face the division’s leading mandatory challenger. If the parties fail to reach an agreement during the stipulated negotiation period, or if either party refuses to negotiate, the Championship Committee may call for a purse bid in accordance with the WBA rules.
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Munguia ordered to defend title vs. Melikuziev
The WBA Championship Committee has ordered a mandatory title defense between WBA super middleweight champion Jaime Munguía (pictured) of Mexico and mandatory challenger Bektemir Melikuziev. The official resolution was issued and sent to both fighters’ teams, who will enter a thirty-day negotiation period to reach an agreement for the bout. The negotiation period will run through October 21st. Munguía defend against Melikuziev in accordance with Rule C.10 of the WBA Championship Rules. Munguía captured the WBA 168-pound title on May 2nd when he defeated José Armando Reséndiz by unanimous decision at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. His 120-day mandatory defense period expired on August 30th, and he is therefore required to face the division’s leading mandatory challenger. If the parties fail to reach an agreement during the stipulated negotiation period, or if either party refuses to negotiate, the Championship Committee may call for a purse bid in accordance with the WBA rules.
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Catterall demands Lopez next; posts receipt |
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Jack Catterall wants to face Teofimo Lopez next, and he saved a receipt to prove his entitlement to do so. Catterall (pictured) became the WBA interim welterweight champion in May when he defeated Shakhram Giyasov in Egypt. In July, as then-WBA welterweight champion Rolly Romero was preparing to defend against Teofimo Lopez, WBA president Gilberto Mendoza tweeted that Caterall was in line for the next title shot: "@RollyRomeroRblx v. @TeofimoLopez winner must box @jack_catt93 in their next fight." Lopez went on to defeat Romero, but is now talking about unifying vs. WBC champion Ryan Garcia. Catterall is doing everything he can to block Lopez-Garcia until he gets his shot at the full title. This weekend Catterall reposted the July Mendoza tweet, adding, "I expect the WBA and Gilberto Mendoza to stand on business,keep their word and honor what was agreed. Like I say, I don’t ask for favors, just what was agreed and what I deserve"
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Catterall demands Lopez next; posts receipt
Jack Catterall wants to face Teofimo Lopez next, and he saved a receipt to prove his entitlement to do so. Catterall (pictured) became the WBA interim welterweight champion in May when he defeated Shakhram Giyasov in Egypt. In July, as then-WBA welterweight champion Rolly Romero was preparing to defend against Teofimo Lopez, WBA president Gilberto Mendoza tweeted that Caterall was in line for the next title shot: "@RollyRomeroRblx v. @TeofimoLopez winner must box @jack_catt93 in their next fight." Lopez went on to defeat Romero, but is now talking about unifying vs. WBC champion Ryan Garcia. Catterall is doing everything he can to block Lopez-Garcia until he gets his shot at the full title. This weekend Catterall reposted the July Mendoza tweet, adding, "I expect the WBA and Gilberto Mendoza to stand on business,keep their word and honor what was agreed. Like I say, I don’t ask for favors, just what was agreed and what I deserve"
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Welcome to championship week in Tokyo |
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Tokyo is gearing up for a championship doubleheader on September 27th at the Toyota Arena. One bout will see Takuma Inoue vs. Tenshin Nasukawa in a rematch for the WBC bantamweight crown. Their rivalry runs deep: in their first meeting on November 24, 2025, Inoue earned a twelve-round unanimous decision victory to hand Nasukawa his first career defeat (not counting an exhibition loss to Floyd Mayweather). Since then, the champion reinforced his dominance by dropping legendary Kazuto Ioka twice en route to another unanimous decision win. Meanwhile, Nasukawa earned his mandatory challenger status by stopping former champion Juan Francisco “Gallo” Estrada. With both fighters at the absolute peak of their abilities, this sequel will settle the score once and for all on who reigns over Japanese boxing and leads the global bantamweight elite.
The other world title bout will see Ricardo Malajica vs. Tomoya Tsuboi for the vacant WBC super flyweight crown. Tsuboi, backed by an illustrious amateur career, has made a seamless transition to the pros, holding a pristine 3-0 record with one no contest. Known for his technical finesse, footwork, and exceptional ring control, the Japanese stylist aims to cap his meteoric rise in front of his home fans. However, standing in his way is the experienced Ricardo Malajica (17-2, 12 KOs), a proven fighter in high-pressure environments who boasts dangerous knockout power. Malajica travels into hostile territory determined to utilize his reach and punch power to the title belt back to South Africa.
Fightnews, through the great Joe Koizumi, filled out the other two title bouts on the show: Ryosuke Nishida (11-1, 2 KOs) will face Australia's Sam Goodman (22-1, 8 KOs) for the IBF interim title at super bantamweight and Ryusei Matsumoto (8-0, 4 KOs) battles Russell Acosta (17-0, 6 KOs) of Mexico with the interim WBO minimumweight belt at stake.
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Welcome to championship week in Tokyo
Tokyo is gearing up for a championship doubleheader on September 27th at the Toyota Arena. One bout will see Takuma Inoue vs. Tenshin Nasukawa in a rematch for the WBC bantamweight crown. Their rivalry runs deep: in their first meeting on November 24, 2025, Inoue earned a twelve-round unanimous decision victory to hand Nasukawa his first career defeat (not counting an exhibition loss to Floyd Mayweather). Since then, the champion reinforced his dominance by dropping legendary Kazuto Ioka twice en route to another unanimous decision win. Meanwhile, Nasukawa earned his mandatory challenger status by stopping former champion Juan Francisco “Gallo” Estrada. With both fighters at the absolute peak of their abilities, this sequel will settle the score once and for all on who reigns over Japanese boxing and leads the global bantamweight elite.
The other world title bout will see Ricardo Malajica vs. Tomoya Tsuboi for the vacant WBC super flyweight crown. Tsuboi, backed by an illustrious amateur career, has made a seamless transition to the pros, holding a pristine 3-0 record with one no contest. Known for his technical finesse, footwork, and exceptional ring control, the Japanese stylist aims to cap his meteoric rise in front of his home fans. However, standing in his way is the experienced Ricardo Malajica (17-2, 12 KOs), a proven fighter in high-pressure environments who boasts dangerous knockout power. Malajica travels into hostile territory determined to utilize his reach and punch power to the title belt back to South Africa.
Fightnews, through the great Joe Koizumi, filled out the other two title bouts on the show: Ryosuke Nishida (11-1, 2 KOs) will face Australia's Sam Goodman (22-1, 8 KOs) for the IBF interim title at super bantamweight and Ryusei Matsumoto (8-0, 4 KOs) battles Russell Acosta (17-0, 6 KOs) of Mexico with the interim WBO minimumweight belt at stake.
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Bridgerweight update: wins for Kogasso and Pavcec |
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Jonathan Kogasso W10 Kevin C. Ramírez... Jonathan Kogasso secured the biggest victory of his career with a unanimous decision victory over Argentina’s Kevin Christopher Ramírez at the Piazza Addis in Sardinia, Italy. The battle of unbeaten bridgerweights, scheduled for ten rounds, exceeded expectations. Right from the opening round, Kogasso utilized his ring generalship, reach, and firepower to dismantle his South American opponent’s style and control the rhythm of the bout. Throughout the distance, Kogasso displayed flawless technique against a gritty opponent, dominating the action cleanly on the judges’ scorecards, who awarded him a unanimous verdict with scores of 96-94, 98-92, and 97-93. With this victory, the Italy-based fighter extended his flawless record to 20 wins without a loss, including 11 knockouts. Ramírez (12-1-2) showed heart and courage in the ring, selling his defeat dearly in his first professional loss and leaving a strong impression on the Italian crowd.
Lovro Pavčec TKO5 Javier Contreras ... Twenty year old Croatian Lovro Pavčec stopped previously unbeaten Venezuelan Javier Contreras via fifth-round technical knockout at Pavilion 10a of the Zagreb Fair, in front of a passionate home crowd that rallied behind their local hero. From the opening bell, Pavčec established his range and took complete control of the action in the ring. The European fighter’s superiority became increasingly clear as he outmaneuvered Contreras round after round. The turning point came in the fourth when the Venezuelan was sent to the canvas following a sustained, punishing barrage of body-head combinations. Although Contreras showed great bravery, the Croatian’s relentless attack carried into the fifth round forced the referee to step in and halt the contest. Pavčec improves to 10-0 with 8 knockouts. Meanwhile, Contreras suffers the first setback of his career, dropping to 12-1 with 12 KOs.
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Bridgerweight update: wins for Kogasso and Pavcec
Jonathan Kogasso W10 Kevin C. Ramírez... Jonathan Kogasso secured the biggest victory of his career with a unanimous decision victory over Argentina’s Kevin Christopher Ramírez at the Piazza Addis in Sardinia, Italy. The battle of unbeaten bridgerweights, scheduled for ten rounds, exceeded expectations. Right from the opening round, Kogasso utilized his ring generalship, reach, and firepower to dismantle his South American opponent’s style and control the rhythm of the bout. Throughout the distance, Kogasso displayed flawless technique against a gritty opponent, dominating the action cleanly on the judges’ scorecards, who awarded him a unanimous verdict with scores of 96-94, 98-92, and 97-93. With this victory, the Italy-based fighter extended his flawless record to 20 wins without a loss, including 11 knockouts. Ramírez (12-1-2) showed heart and courage in the ring, selling his defeat dearly in his first professional loss and leaving a strong impression on the Italian crowd.
Lovro Pavčec TKO5 Javier Contreras ... Twenty year old Croatian Lovro Pavčec stopped previously unbeaten Venezuelan Javier Contreras via fifth-round technical knockout at Pavilion 10a of the Zagreb Fair, in front of a passionate home crowd that rallied behind their local hero. From the opening bell, Pavčec established his range and took complete control of the action in the ring. The European fighter’s superiority became increasingly clear as he outmaneuvered Contreras round after round. The turning point came in the fourth when the Venezuelan was sent to the canvas following a sustained, punishing barrage of body-head combinations. Although Contreras showed great bravery, the Croatian’s relentless attack carried into the fifth round forced the referee to step in and halt the contest. Pavčec improves to 10-0 with 8 knockouts. Meanwhile, Contreras suffers the first setback of his career, dropping to 12-1 with 12 KOs.
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