Final presser quotes for Wednesday's Australian show |
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Teremoana Teremoana told American rival DeAndre Savage to let “his fists do the talking” when the two heavyweights collide on the Gold Coast in Australia this Wednesday – live on DAZN’s Kayo Sports. The undefeated Olympian Teremoana (11-0, 11 KOs) faces his toughest test to date when he collides with the Michigan knockout artist Savage (11-1, 11 KOs) at The Star Gold Coast. And speaking at a lively press conference earlier today, Teremoana – who spoke of his intentions to one day become a world champion – warned his opponent that he expects to do what he has done to every fighter he has fought so far in his professional career and stop him inside the distance. The ‘bad guy’ of Australia boxing Michael Zerafa is back, meanwhile, as he looks ahead to facing dangerous South American Alejandro Ortiz. But the Middleweight came under fire from Savage’s trainer Tony Harrison, a former WBC Super Welterweight Champion, who called him out for a fight. Here is a selection of the best quotes from the final press conference:
EDDIE HEARN, MATCHROOM SPORT CHAIRMAN
The man to my right [Teremoana Teremoana]. I don’t think you guys have seen anything like this before in Australia. I think there is legitimately a chance for you to have a long reign as a Heavyweight World Champion. He has got the size, got the power, got the personality. And this is the first big step up really on Wednesday night against DeAndre Savage a very, very good American Heavyweight with a very good brain in the corner in Tony Harrison, that you guys know.
The guy just further down on the right, Michael Zerafa, have I’ve known a long long time that was a massive signing for Matchroom Boxing. And I love it because some hate him, some love him. I don’t care. Everyone’s calling him out, Tony (Harrison) even down there, Chris Eubank Jr. But he’s got a big, big fight against Ortiz, who’s a huge, huge puncher. Jazzy [Jasmine Parr] against Jemma [Peart]. Two best friends will be best of enemies on Wednesday night, punching lumps out of each other in what I think will be a thriller. Jack Bowen a great young fighter as well, and Omar [El-Abdallah].
For Teremoana, the journey is for us to map out and for him to stay focused. When you step up and fight guys like the DeAndre, both guys have got huge knockout percentages. I mean, this guy never been past the second round. Most of his wins have come in the first round. So these guys over there want to take him into deep waters. It’s very difficult to do when you got someone with a power and the speed of Teremoana. But you know, the plan is to continue to box him around the world. He’s boxed at Madison Square Garden, he’s boxed in Monaco, he’s boxed all over the world. But this is the place with Kayo Sports and Fox that we can really build him. And like I said, you know, you’ve got some great Heavyweights. Justis Huni, I think can go on and fight for the World Championship as well.
But you know in this guy I see something different. I see an opportunity to bring Heavyweight World Championships to Australia. And if we do that, the sport will change you forever. But first things first, a big old lump down there in the DeAndre who can really fight.
On Michael, the good news is, is that everybody calls out Michael Zerafa, What I like about this fight is after the disappointment of the fight, which is with history. Michael came back and said, I want a real fight.
Actually, this fight was supposed to be a bit of a gimme fight for him to come back to. And he said, no, you know, I want to prove to people that I’m for real and to prove to people that I want to try and position myself to fight for the World Championship. Ortiz is dangerous, dangerous fight. And you know, the kind of names that are calling Michael out. I know that he’s going to do numbers. I know that he’s going to put bums on seats. Like I said, some tune in to watch him get beat, some tune in to watch him win. I don’t care. They’re going to be tuning in. And that was a big signing. But he’s got a real fight on Wednesday.
MICHAEL ZERAFA
I mean 35 have tried and 35 fell short.I mean they had the same mindset he did and come up too short. So good luck to him. Like I said, we chose him for a reason. And you know, he’s got 25 knockouts, but he hasn’t fought anyone like me. He’s confident though. I mean, of course I showed my respect, but he’ll find that pretty quick. You know, there’s levels to this game and he’s not at my level.
Of course it’s it’s been a big year, a difficult year for you at times,it was tough. But like I said, in the gym, surrounded myself around the right people. I’m super grateful, obviously, with Eddie Hearn and the team, and I really want to go out there and make a statement. This is a clean slate, and I want to prove why I’m one of the best in the world.
My dream is to be a World Champion, you know, and I’ve fallen short, you know, I’ve got a great team now. And anyone that’s going to move me in that direction to getting a World Title, if it’s if it’s [Tony] Harrison, it’s Harrison. If it’s whoever they put in front of me. And like I said, it gets me to the to that world total. That’s the goal.
I’ve got an opponent in front of me. I’ll never look past that. And then after that we can do what we’ve got to do. I said, I want to be a World Champion. If he [Harrison] can bring that, I’ll fight him next.
ALEJANDRO ORTIZ (via translator)
He [Michael Zerafa] has 25 knockouts from 26 wins. He’s coming here to finish this early knockout. He’s going to do the best and the best that he that is knockout in the fight.
TONY HARRISON (Trainer of DeAndre Savage)
Hey. Mike [Zerafa]. You had countless of conversations. You get up here in front of the camera, and I just want you to say with your chest, please get chest out when you’re talking. Say what we’ve been talking about. You said you’re fighting me. I said I’ll fight you. It’s sometimes you for you. You find two guys that make it easy to make a fight. Me and Mike has made it easy to make a fight. We shook hands. We’ve crossed the T’s. All Eddie gotta do is I. And hopefully he’s victorious because I love us. This is my second home, mate.
My guy Dre [Savage] took a defeat within one of his last fights. But for me, I think that’s kind of a good thing and a bad thing. He’s not fighting to impress him or he already has a loss, and now he can just go out there and fight freely. He knows what I expect from him. He know what I demand from him. He know what Flint demand from him. He knows super bad academy demand from him. And I just think what the guy who hasn’t went past two rounds. I think he got so many questions.
Eddie, I love you know. You know what I love about you, Eddie? This is when your guys get in trouble. Like, you look like you drowning when they get in trouble in the fight I’m talking about. You look like you in deep water and you do not know how to swim. And I think Teremoana is not going past two rounds, not even probably getting hit. I think all the questions are for him. I don’t think the question is are for Dre. I think Dre has everything. Dre is 300 pounds solid, and I mean, if he hits you, it’s not a baby hitting you.
Dre has been around, man. He’s been around for a long time. He’s been in a bunch of camps. And when you come to Superbad, I think the thing that we train is the mind.I think we train the mind to say that if you would take the fight, you’re supposed to win the fight. It’s just not take the fight to to get a cheque. I think we take the fights to win them. And I think with Heavyweights, man, you want fight away from being top dog. You want to fight away from being a millionaire. You want to find a way from from life changing money.
And I think Termoana sitting in the driver’s seat, he’s comfortable. He’s very comfortable. Eddie need to know what he got on his hands. I think Eddie needs to know what’s going to happen when it’s in the front. I think Eddie. Is going to see it.
DEANDRE SAVAGE
I’m going to lay him [Teremoana] down. Well, first of all, I want to say, you know, thanks to Eddie Hearn and Matchroom, my manager, Eugene and Tony for training me, you know, getting me here to this, to this point. You know, I’m here to take care of business, man. Come a long way from Flint, Michigan, and you know it. Don’t stop here. You know I’m here to compete. I’m here to do what I do. And that’s what I knock out. You know what I’m saying? I’m here to tell him.. You haven’t been passed the second round. You know, he got experience, but we got we got ten ounce gloves on. You know, it’s a different ballgame. And I’m going to touch him. I’m here to touch his chin, man. I’m going to go test him. Down goes Frazier. This this fight is not going to distance, man. Flint, Michigan.
TEREMOANA TEREMOANA
Look at that. Pretty far over there. Like.Looks pretty good, pretty sharp. And, yeah, I just come here to do a job. I trained six days a week, twice a day to fight. So when we come to like this, I’m ready to go. Ready to rumble. And Savage is going to find out this Wednesday.
They said I haven’t gone past two rounds. Actually I have, I would say anyone who’s come to fight me hasn’t made it out of two rounds. And the only person that’s went three rounds as ran away like a cat who’s the gold medalist?
As everyone knows, he ran away, ran from me, and he’s the only one that’s gone through round. So that’s all I can say about the two rounds. The fact that he says he’s coming here to knock you out. I think there’s a bit more energy
coming from his coach. I don’t know if it’s the Americans, I think they really like their voice.. They just talk too much, to be honest. Let your fists do the talking.
I think it’s going to go in between one and 10 rounds because it’s scheduled for ten rounds. You know, I’ve seen this ten round fight against Brendan Moore, and I’ve got to give him respect. He’s got good movement. I like the way he paces himself for pro Heavyweight fighter. Like, I’m not taking this guy easy either. I think 300 pounds. He said he’s a big fella. I don’t know if he’s pretty solid like Tony was saying. I think I’m pretty solid. I think I’m about 260 pounds. Pure muscle. Pure prettiness. But yeah, I’m just here to do a job basically. And yeah, I’m just so proud and so happy for everyone to be here today.
Like without Eddie being by my side I wouldn’t be able to have this platform position where I want to get I want to be a World Champion. And I’m going to get to Savage this Wednesday because he’s my next step.
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Final presser quotes for Wednesday's Australian show
Teremoana Teremoana told American rival DeAndre Savage to let “his fists do the talking” when the two heavyweights collide on the Gold Coast in Australia this Wednesday – live on DAZN’s Kayo Sports. The undefeated Olympian Teremoana (11-0, 11 KOs) faces his toughest test to date when he collides with the Michigan knockout artist Savage (11-1, 11 KOs) at The Star Gold Coast. And speaking at a lively press conference earlier today, Teremoana – who spoke of his intentions to one day become a world champion – warned his opponent that he expects to do what he has done to every fighter he has fought so far in his professional career and stop him inside the distance. The ‘bad guy’ of Australia boxing Michael Zerafa is back, meanwhile, as he looks ahead to facing dangerous South American Alejandro Ortiz. But the Middleweight came under fire from Savage’s trainer Tony Harrison, a former WBC Super Welterweight Champion, who called him out for a fight. Here is a selection of the best quotes from the final press conference:
EDDIE HEARN, MATCHROOM SPORT CHAIRMAN
The man to my right [Teremoana Teremoana]. I don’t think you guys have seen anything like this before in Australia. I think there is legitimately a chance for you to have a long reign as a Heavyweight World Champion. He has got the size, got the power, got the personality. And this is the first big step up really on Wednesday night against DeAndre Savage a very, very good American Heavyweight with a very good brain in the corner in Tony Harrison, that you guys know.
The guy just further down on the right, Michael Zerafa, have I’ve known a long long time that was a massive signing for Matchroom Boxing. And I love it because some hate him, some love him. I don’t care. Everyone’s calling him out, Tony (Harrison) even down there, Chris Eubank Jr. But he’s got a big, big fight against Ortiz, who’s a huge, huge puncher. Jazzy [Jasmine Parr] against Jemma [Peart]. Two best friends will be best of enemies on Wednesday night, punching lumps out of each other in what I think will be a thriller. Jack Bowen a great young fighter as well, and Omar [El-Abdallah].
For Teremoana, the journey is for us to map out and for him to stay focused. When you step up and fight guys like the DeAndre, both guys have got huge knockout percentages. I mean, this guy never been past the second round. Most of his wins have come in the first round. So these guys over there want to take him into deep waters. It’s very difficult to do when you got someone with a power and the speed of Teremoana. But you know, the plan is to continue to box him around the world. He’s boxed at Madison Square Garden, he’s boxed in Monaco, he’s boxed all over the world. But this is the place with Kayo Sports and Fox that we can really build him. And like I said, you know, you’ve got some great Heavyweights. Justis Huni, I think can go on and fight for the World Championship as well.
But you know in this guy I see something different. I see an opportunity to bring Heavyweight World Championships to Australia. And if we do that, the sport will change you forever. But first things first, a big old lump down there in the DeAndre who can really fight.
On Michael, the good news is, is that everybody calls out Michael Zerafa, What I like about this fight is after the disappointment of the fight, which is with history. Michael came back and said, I want a real fight.
Actually, this fight was supposed to be a bit of a gimme fight for him to come back to. And he said, no, you know, I want to prove to people that I’m for real and to prove to people that I want to try and position myself to fight for the World Championship. Ortiz is dangerous, dangerous fight. And you know, the kind of names that are calling Michael out. I know that he’s going to do numbers. I know that he’s going to put bums on seats. Like I said, some tune in to watch him get beat, some tune in to watch him win. I don’t care. They’re going to be tuning in. And that was a big signing. But he’s got a real fight on Wednesday.
MICHAEL ZERAFA
I mean 35 have tried and 35 fell short.I mean they had the same mindset he did and come up too short. So good luck to him. Like I said, we chose him for a reason. And you know, he’s got 25 knockouts, but he hasn’t fought anyone like me. He’s confident though. I mean, of course I showed my respect, but he’ll find that pretty quick. You know, there’s levels to this game and he’s not at my level.
Of course it’s it’s been a big year, a difficult year for you at times,it was tough. But like I said, in the gym, surrounded myself around the right people. I’m super grateful, obviously, with Eddie Hearn and the team, and I really want to go out there and make a statement. This is a clean slate, and I want to prove why I’m one of the best in the world.
My dream is to be a World Champion, you know, and I’ve fallen short, you know, I’ve got a great team now. And anyone that’s going to move me in that direction to getting a World Title, if it’s if it’s [Tony] Harrison, it’s Harrison. If it’s whoever they put in front of me. And like I said, it gets me to the to that world total. That’s the goal.
I’ve got an opponent in front of me. I’ll never look past that. And then after that we can do what we’ve got to do. I said, I want to be a World Champion. If he [Harrison] can bring that, I’ll fight him next.
ALEJANDRO ORTIZ (via translator)
He [Michael Zerafa] has 25 knockouts from 26 wins. He’s coming here to finish this early knockout. He’s going to do the best and the best that he that is knockout in the fight.
TONY HARRISON (Trainer of DeAndre Savage)
Hey. Mike [Zerafa]. You had countless of conversations. You get up here in front of the camera, and I just want you to say with your chest, please get chest out when you’re talking. Say what we’ve been talking about. You said you’re fighting me. I said I’ll fight you. It’s sometimes you for you. You find two guys that make it easy to make a fight. Me and Mike has made it easy to make a fight. We shook hands. We’ve crossed the T’s. All Eddie gotta do is I. And hopefully he’s victorious because I love us. This is my second home, mate.
My guy Dre [Savage] took a defeat within one of his last fights. But for me, I think that’s kind of a good thing and a bad thing. He’s not fighting to impress him or he already has a loss, and now he can just go out there and fight freely. He knows what I expect from him. He know what I demand from him. He know what Flint demand from him. He knows super bad academy demand from him. And I just think what the guy who hasn’t went past two rounds. I think he got so many questions.
Eddie, I love you know. You know what I love about you, Eddie? This is when your guys get in trouble. Like, you look like you drowning when they get in trouble in the fight I’m talking about. You look like you in deep water and you do not know how to swim. And I think Teremoana is not going past two rounds, not even probably getting hit. I think all the questions are for him. I don’t think the question is are for Dre. I think Dre has everything. Dre is 300 pounds solid, and I mean, if he hits you, it’s not a baby hitting you.
Dre has been around, man. He’s been around for a long time. He’s been in a bunch of camps. And when you come to Superbad, I think the thing that we train is the mind.I think we train the mind to say that if you would take the fight, you’re supposed to win the fight. It’s just not take the fight to to get a cheque. I think we take the fights to win them. And I think with Heavyweights, man, you want fight away from being top dog. You want to fight away from being a millionaire. You want to find a way from from life changing money.
And I think Termoana sitting in the driver’s seat, he’s comfortable. He’s very comfortable. Eddie need to know what he got on his hands. I think Eddie needs to know what’s going to happen when it’s in the front. I think Eddie. Is going to see it.
DEANDRE SAVAGE
I’m going to lay him [Teremoana] down. Well, first of all, I want to say, you know, thanks to Eddie Hearn and Matchroom, my manager, Eugene and Tony for training me, you know, getting me here to this, to this point. You know, I’m here to take care of business, man. Come a long way from Flint, Michigan, and you know it. Don’t stop here. You know I’m here to compete. I’m here to do what I do. And that’s what I knock out. You know what I’m saying? I’m here to tell him.. You haven’t been passed the second round. You know, he got experience, but we got we got ten ounce gloves on. You know, it’s a different ballgame. And I’m going to touch him. I’m here to touch his chin, man. I’m going to go test him. Down goes Frazier. This this fight is not going to distance, man. Flint, Michigan.
TEREMOANA TEREMOANA
Look at that. Pretty far over there. Like.Looks pretty good, pretty sharp. And, yeah, I just come here to do a job. I trained six days a week, twice a day to fight. So when we come to like this, I’m ready to go. Ready to rumble. And Savage is going to find out this Wednesday.
They said I haven’t gone past two rounds. Actually I have, I would say anyone who’s come to fight me hasn’t made it out of two rounds. And the only person that’s went three rounds as ran away like a cat who’s the gold medalist?
As everyone knows, he ran away, ran from me, and he’s the only one that’s gone through round. So that’s all I can say about the two rounds. The fact that he says he’s coming here to knock you out. I think there’s a bit more energy
coming from his coach. I don’t know if it’s the Americans, I think they really like their voice.. They just talk too much, to be honest. Let your fists do the talking.
I think it’s going to go in between one and 10 rounds because it’s scheduled for ten rounds. You know, I’ve seen this ten round fight against Brendan Moore, and I’ve got to give him respect. He’s got good movement. I like the way he paces himself for pro Heavyweight fighter. Like, I’m not taking this guy easy either. I think 300 pounds. He said he’s a big fella. I don’t know if he’s pretty solid like Tony was saying. I think I’m pretty solid. I think I’m about 260 pounds. Pure muscle. Pure prettiness. But yeah, I’m just here to do a job basically. And yeah, I’m just so proud and so happy for everyone to be here today.
Like without Eddie being by my side I wouldn’t be able to have this platform position where I want to get I want to be a World Champion. And I’m going to get to Savage this Wednesday because he’s my next step.
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Dina Thorslund wins world bantamweight championship |
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Dina Thourslund W10 Cherneka Johnson ... In Orlando, Florida, Dina Thourslund shut out Cherneka Johnson over ten rounds to become the undisputed world bantamweight champion. It was a tremendous accomplishment for the Danish Thorslund, who was scheduled to fight Johnson in July 2025, but withdrew due to pregnancy that would end in a tragic miscarriage. She returned to the ring in January, scoring a decision win over Almudena Alvarez to become interim WBC featherweight champion. Johnson (19-3) was the undisputed female bantamweight champion from July 2025 to August 2026 and previously held the IBF super bantamweight title.
Thorslund, also a former super bantamweight champion, brought the pressure from the first bell and simply outworked the champion for ten straight rounds, stringing together combinations while Johnson fought in single and double shots. A flush right hand in the fourth and another that snapped Johnson’s head back in the fifth marked the turn, and by the ninth Johnson was bloodied and still being beaten to the punch. All three judges scored it 100-90. Thorslund moves to 25-0 and completes the run she was set to make a year ago before pregnancy forced her out of the original fight with Johnson.
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Dina Thorslund wins world bantamweight championship
Dina Thourslund W10 Cherneka Johnson ... In Orlando, Florida, Dina Thourslund shut out Cherneka Johnson over ten rounds to become the undisputed world bantamweight champion. It was a tremendous accomplishment for the Danish Thorslund, who was scheduled to fight Johnson in July 2025, but withdrew due to pregnancy that would end in a tragic miscarriage. She returned to the ring in January, scoring a decision win over Almudena Alvarez to become interim WBC featherweight champion. Johnson (19-3) was the undisputed female bantamweight champion from July 2025 to August 2026 and previously held the IBF super bantamweight title.
Thorslund, also a former super bantamweight champion, brought the pressure from the first bell and simply outworked the champion for ten straight rounds, stringing together combinations while Johnson fought in single and double shots. A flush right hand in the fourth and another that snapped Johnson’s head back in the fifth marked the turn, and by the ninth Johnson was bloodied and still being beaten to the punch. All three judges scored it 100-90. Thorslund moves to 25-0 and completes the run she was set to make a year ago before pregnancy forced her out of the original fight with Johnson.
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New champion alert: Tammara Thibeault |
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Tammara Thibeault W10 Desley Robinson... Quebec's Tammara Thibeault (5-0, 2 KOs) defeated Australia's Desley Robinson (21-4, 4 KOs) by unanimous decision to win the IBF and WBO middleweight championships. All three judges scored the bout 100-90. Thibeault took control from the opening round, using her reach and left hand to repeatedly force Robinson to the ropes. Robinson was hurt in the second, third and fifth rounds, while Thibeault consistently landed the cleaner punches and built an early lead. Robinson found some success in the sixth round, landing several right hands as she came forward, but Thibeault regained control with her jab and left hand. An accidental clash of heads in the seventh left Thibeault with a bloody nose, but the bout resumed after a brief timeout. Robinson continued pressing the action during the closing rounds, but Thibeault maintained her advantage with accurate straight punches and combinations to secure a unanimous decision. The victory made Thibeault a unified world champion in her fifth professional bout.
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New champion alert: Tammara Thibeault
Tammara Thibeault W10 Desley Robinson... Quebec's Tammara Thibeault (5-0, 2 KOs) defeated Australia's Desley Robinson (21-4, 4 KOs) by unanimous decision to win the IBF and WBO middleweight championships. All three judges scored the bout 100-90. Thibeault took control from the opening round, using her reach and left hand to repeatedly force Robinson to the ropes. Robinson was hurt in the second, third and fifth rounds, while Thibeault consistently landed the cleaner punches and built an early lead. Robinson found some success in the sixth round, landing several right hands as she came forward, but Thibeault regained control with her jab and left hand. An accidental clash of heads in the seventh left Thibeault with a bloody nose, but the bout resumed after a brief timeout. Robinson continued pressing the action during the closing rounds, but Thibeault maintained her advantage with accurate straight punches and combinations to secure a unanimous decision. The victory made Thibeault a unified world champion in her fifth professional bout.
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Wach pummeled by six men: Shame on Polish promoter |
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Shame on PrimeMMA, a promoter of freak show combat events. Just two weeks after heavyweight boxer Mariusz Wach was stopped by Tyson Fury, Prime MMA put the 46 year-old Wach in a six-against-one cage fight. Predictably, the middle-aged Wach got destroyed. The contest was stopped after three rounds of punishment left Wachdazed and bloody. Simply disgraceful conduct by the promoter and any regulators who approved this garbage.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE -- JULY 25, 2026: In Pattaya, Thailand, former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury defeated Poland's Marius Wach when the 46-year old quit on his stool after the seventh round. The result means that a British super fight between Fury and another British former world champion, Anthony Joshua, is now one step closer. Joshua fights on Saturday in Saudi Arabia vs. another soft touch, Kristian Prenga. Fury, age 37, is now 36-2-1 with two wins this year after two straight losses in world championship fights vs. Oleksandr Usyk. The WBC wrote: "From the opening bell, the former heavyweight world champion dictated the pace with his trademark footwork, speed precision and high IQ ring generalship. Wach displayed the teak toughness that has defined his career, but gradually buckled under Fury’s relentless attack.Fury landed powerful combinations throughout the contest, punishing both the body and head of his opponent until Wach’s corner decided to stop the fight at the end of the seventh round, giving the British star a technical knockout victory."
JULY 1, 2026: The BBC and other outlets are reporting that former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will fight 46 year-old Mariusz Wach of Poland on July 24th in Thailand. The bout, which is not expected to be competitive, will serve as Fury's tune-up for a British super fight vs. Anthony Joshua, also a former heavyweight champion. In fact, Joshua has a fight scheduled for the following day (July 25th) vs. Kristian Prenga, who like Wach, is based in New Jersey. Wach is 39-13 and was a respectable fighter in his prime and shared the ring with many big names, including ex-champ Wladimir Klitschko. But lately, he has descended to the point where he took part in a farcical MMA match where he fought three social media influencers at the same time. Fury is 35-2-1 and last fought in April, a twelve-round win over fringe contender Arslanbek Makhmudov.
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Wach pummeled by six men: Shame on Polish promoter
Shame on PrimeMMA, a promoter of freak show combat events. Just two weeks after heavyweight boxer Mariusz Wach was stopped by Tyson Fury, Prime MMA put the 46 year-old Wach in a six-against-one cage fight. Predictably, the middle-aged Wach got destroyed. The contest was stopped after three rounds of punishment left Wachdazed and bloody. Simply disgraceful conduct by the promoter and any regulators who approved this garbage.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE -- JULY 25, 2026: In Pattaya, Thailand, former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury defeated Poland's Marius Wach when the 46-year old quit on his stool after the seventh round. The result means that a British super fight between Fury and another British former world champion, Anthony Joshua, is now one step closer. Joshua fights on Saturday in Saudi Arabia vs. another soft touch, Kristian Prenga. Fury, age 37, is now 36-2-1 with two wins this year after two straight losses in world championship fights vs. Oleksandr Usyk. The WBC wrote: "From the opening bell, the former heavyweight world champion dictated the pace with his trademark footwork, speed precision and high IQ ring generalship. Wach displayed the teak toughness that has defined his career, but gradually buckled under Fury’s relentless attack.Fury landed powerful combinations throughout the contest, punishing both the body and head of his opponent until Wach’s corner decided to stop the fight at the end of the seventh round, giving the British star a technical knockout victory."
JULY 1, 2026: The BBC and other outlets are reporting that former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will fight 46 year-old Mariusz Wach of Poland on July 24th in Thailand. The bout, which is not expected to be competitive, will serve as Fury's tune-up for a British super fight vs. Anthony Joshua, also a former heavyweight champion. In fact, Joshua has a fight scheduled for the following day (July 25th) vs. Kristian Prenga, who like Wach, is based in New Jersey. Wach is 39-13 and was a respectable fighter in his prime and shared the ring with many big names, including ex-champ Wladimir Klitschko. But lately, he has descended to the point where he took part in a farcical MMA match where he fought three social media influencers at the same time. Fury is 35-2-1 and last fought in April, a twelve-round win over fringe contender Arslanbek Makhmudov.
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MVP undercard results from Orlando, Florida |
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Dainier Pero TKO3 Aleem Whitfield... Cuba's Dainier Pero (14-0, 11 KOs) stopped Aleem Whitfield at 2:20 of round three in their heavyweight bout. Pero controlled the action from the opening bell, backing Whitfield (10-2) up behind sustained pressure and body punching. Whitfield was repeatedly forced into the corners during the third round before the referee stopped the contest.
Amanda Galle W8 Shurretta Metcalf... Amanda Galle (13-1-1, 1 KO) defeated former bantamweight champion Shurretta Metcalf (15-6-1) by unanimous decision in an eight-round super flyweight bout. The judges scored the fight 78-74 and 80-72 (twice). Giving up a significant reach disadvantage, Galle consistently closed the distance and had success fighting on the inside. She took control beginning in the fourth round and backed Metcalf up with combinations before hurting her with a right hand in the fifth. Galle won the final rounds to earn the unanimous decision.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
Krystal Rosado (10-1) defeated Alondra Hernandez (11-3) by unanimous decision in an eight-round bantamweight bout. All three judges scored the fight 80-72. Rosado controlled the distance with her footwork and straight punches while Hernandez pressed forward looking to work the body. Rosado landed the cleaner counters throughout the contest and finished strongly behind uppercuts and right hands to secure a unanimous decision.
Jan Paul Rivera (16-0) defeated Ruben Garcia (25-8-2) by unanimous decision in an eight-round junior lightweight bout. The judges scored the fight 80-72 and 79-73 (twice). Rivera established his jab early and controlled the pace with straight punches and steady body work. Garcia had success to the body during the middle rounds, but Rivera maintained his output and earned the unanimous decision.
Sa'rai Brown-El (2-0) defeated Sheyla Moreno by unanimous decision in a six-round light flyweight bout. The judges scored the fight 59-54, 60-53 and 58-55. Brown-El used her speed and reach to counter Moreno with right hands while mixing in body punches. The bout became physical during the middle rounds, with both fighters warned for leading with their heads. Moreno (5-1) was deducted one point in the fifth round for the same infraction. Brown-El maintained control to earn the unanimous decision.
Angelo Hernandez (2-0) defeated Jose Fernandez by unanimous decision in a four-round featherweight bout. The judges scored the fight 40-36, 39-37 and 39-37. The rivalry between the fighters produced an early head clash and repeated warnings from the referee. Hernandez landed the cleaner combinations to the head and body throughout the contest. Fernandez had success late in the third round, but Hernandez recovered and finished the fight to earn the decision.
Sebastian Juarez (12-0, 4 KOs) defeated Rance Ward by unanimous decision in a six-round middleweight bout. All three judges scored the fight 60-54. Much of the contest was fought at close range. Ward had success behind his jab and landed an uppercut in the fifth round, but Juarez consistently worked the body, controlled the exchanges on the inside and closed each round strongly to earn a shutout decision.
Jadden Addison stopped Dionne Ruvalcaba at 2:27 of round one in their lightweight bout. Addison scored an early knockdown with a right hand before hurting Ruvalcaba again with a left. As Ruvalcaba retreated into the ropes under sustained pressure, the referee stopped the contest.
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MVP undercard results from Orlando, Florida
Dainier Pero TKO3 Aleem Whitfield... Cuba's Dainier Pero (14-0, 11 KOs) stopped Aleem Whitfield at 2:20 of round three in their heavyweight bout. Pero controlled the action from the opening bell, backing Whitfield (10-2) up behind sustained pressure and body punching. Whitfield was repeatedly forced into the corners during the third round before the referee stopped the contest.
Amanda Galle W8 Shurretta Metcalf... Amanda Galle (13-1-1, 1 KO) defeated former bantamweight champion Shurretta Metcalf (15-6-1) by unanimous decision in an eight-round super flyweight bout. The judges scored the fight 78-74 and 80-72 (twice). Giving up a significant reach disadvantage, Galle consistently closed the distance and had success fighting on the inside. She took control beginning in the fourth round and backed Metcalf up with combinations before hurting her with a right hand in the fifth. Galle won the final rounds to earn the unanimous decision.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
Krystal Rosado (10-1) defeated Alondra Hernandez (11-3) by unanimous decision in an eight-round bantamweight bout. All three judges scored the fight 80-72. Rosado controlled the distance with her footwork and straight punches while Hernandez pressed forward looking to work the body. Rosado landed the cleaner counters throughout the contest and finished strongly behind uppercuts and right hands to secure a unanimous decision.
Jan Paul Rivera (16-0) defeated Ruben Garcia (25-8-2) by unanimous decision in an eight-round junior lightweight bout. The judges scored the fight 80-72 and 79-73 (twice). Rivera established his jab early and controlled the pace with straight punches and steady body work. Garcia had success to the body during the middle rounds, but Rivera maintained his output and earned the unanimous decision.
Sa'rai Brown-El (2-0) defeated Sheyla Moreno by unanimous decision in a six-round light flyweight bout. The judges scored the fight 59-54, 60-53 and 58-55. Brown-El used her speed and reach to counter Moreno with right hands while mixing in body punches. The bout became physical during the middle rounds, with both fighters warned for leading with their heads. Moreno (5-1) was deducted one point in the fifth round for the same infraction. Brown-El maintained control to earn the unanimous decision.
Angelo Hernandez (2-0) defeated Jose Fernandez by unanimous decision in a four-round featherweight bout. The judges scored the fight 40-36, 39-37 and 39-37. The rivalry between the fighters produced an early head clash and repeated warnings from the referee. Hernandez landed the cleaner combinations to the head and body throughout the contest. Fernandez had success late in the third round, but Hernandez recovered and finished the fight to earn the decision.
Sebastian Juarez (12-0, 4 KOs) defeated Rance Ward by unanimous decision in a six-round middleweight bout. All three judges scored the fight 60-54. Much of the contest was fought at close range. Ward had success behind his jab and landed an uppercut in the fifth round, but Juarez consistently worked the body, controlled the exchanges on the inside and closed each round strongly to earn a shutout decision.
Jadden Addison stopped Dionne Ruvalcaba at 2:27 of round one in their lightweight bout. Addison scored an early knockdown with a right hand before hurting Ruvalcaba again with a left. As Ruvalcaba retreated into the ropes under sustained pressure, the referee stopped the contest.
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New champion alert: Aaron McKenna wins the vacant IBF middleweight title |
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Aaron McKenna W12 Etinosa Oliha ... Ireland’s Aaron McKenna captured the vacant IBF middleweight title by outclassing previously unbeaten Italian Etinosa Oliha over twelve rounds at Dublin's 3Arena. As the pair battled it out, McKenna comprehensively outboxed Oliha to earn scores of 118-110, 117-111, 116-112 on the judges’ scorecards. The action started out pretty evenly, with McKenna working well behind the jab, while Oliha looked to land on the inside when the action got close. But as the action progressed through the rounds, McKenna started to separate himself on the scorecard as he consistently worked behind the jab from range, then tied up Oliha up close, preventing the Italian from landing big shots from short range.
The longer the fight went on, the more McKenna was able to make Oliha miss, as he used his smart footwork and movement to frustrate the Italian while still scoring consistently with shots of his own. A clash of heads in the eleventh round opened up a cut on McKenna’s hairline, but it didn’t affect him in the slightest as he continued to pull clear with another strong round. And with the Dublin crowd on their feet cheering and singing, McKenna outboxed Oliha through the final round to close out the fight and capture the world title with a landslide decision victory. The scorecards reflected McKenna’s dominance throughout the fight, with the Monaghan native taking the unanimous decision win to take his career to 21-0 (10 KOs) and hand Oliha the first defeat of his professional career.
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New champion alert: Aaron McKenna wins the vacant IBF middleweight title
Aaron McKenna W12 Etinosa Oliha ... Ireland’s Aaron McKenna captured the vacant IBF middleweight title by outclassing previously unbeaten Italian Etinosa Oliha over twelve rounds at Dublin's 3Arena. As the pair battled it out, McKenna comprehensively outboxed Oliha to earn scores of 118-110, 117-111, 116-112 on the judges’ scorecards. The action started out pretty evenly, with McKenna working well behind the jab, while Oliha looked to land on the inside when the action got close. But as the action progressed through the rounds, McKenna started to separate himself on the scorecard as he consistently worked behind the jab from range, then tied up Oliha up close, preventing the Italian from landing big shots from short range.
The longer the fight went on, the more McKenna was able to make Oliha miss, as he used his smart footwork and movement to frustrate the Italian while still scoring consistently with shots of his own. A clash of heads in the eleventh round opened up a cut on McKenna’s hairline, but it didn’t affect him in the slightest as he continued to pull clear with another strong round. And with the Dublin crowd on their feet cheering and singing, McKenna outboxed Oliha through the final round to close out the fight and capture the world title with a landslide decision victory. The scorecards reflected McKenna’s dominance throughout the fight, with the Monaghan native taking the unanimous decision win to take his career to 21-0 (10 KOs) and hand Oliha the first defeat of his professional career.
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Teremoana talking like a contender |
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Teremoana Teremoana sized up American rival DeAndre Savage for the first time in-person last week – before he warned every top heavyweight that he is ready to beat them. Teremoana, the Brisbane-based Paris Olympian (11-0, 11 KOs), has bulldozed his through his opponents since turning professional in December 2024, reeling off seven straight stoppages. On Wednesday, August 12th at The Star Gold Coast – live on DAZN and Fox Sports – the Aussie aims to make a big statement performance when he collides with Savage, the. 35-year-old American (11-1, 11 KOs), who has been just as ruthless in the ring, with his only career blemish a points loss to Brandon Moore.
And after standing toe-to-toe with Savage, Teremoana was boldly quick to turn his attention to a host of huge names in the sport’s marquee division – with his sights set on landing a major domestic showdown with fellow countryman, Justis Huni, along the way.
“Every single heavyweight in the world is on my radar,” said Teremoana, speaking to DAZN News. “It’s whether they are close to me or not. And, at the moment, the closest to me is Savage. So he is my priority on August 12th. When people ask if I want to fight Justis [Huni], yeah I want to fight Justis. I want to fight [Moses] Itauma. I want to fight [Filip] Hrgovic. I want to fight [Daniel] Dubois. I want to fight [Oleksandr] Usyk, [Agit] Kabayel. I want to fight all of these people. But obviously I’ve got to earn my way there. Touching on Justis again, because I just want to make it clear that I don’t care too much for the politics. I only want to prove that I am the best fighter in the world. When it comes to that fight, I do think it would fill a stadium. Some people say he’s the best Australian fighter [at heavyweight]. And some people say that I am. I myself say that I am the best Australian fighter that’s ever been in Australia.”
Teremoana headlines a show that also features Matchroom’s latest signing, ‘Pretty Boy’ Michael Zerafa (34-5-0, 22 KOs), returning to the ring against Alejandro Ortiz, an opponent who comes with an intimidating knockout record, having stopped 25 of his 25 victories.
Plus fans will be treated to a quality undercard featuring super middleweight Jack Bowen (13-1, 10 KOs); a 50/50 flyweight bout between Jasmine Parr (8-2, 3 KOs) and Jemma Peart (9-1, 3 KOs). Also, Toowoomba;s Lekesha Woodbridge (4-0, 3 KOs) is matched against Thailand’s Sothita Sitthical (13-5, 4 KOs).
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Teremoana talking like a contender
Teremoana Teremoana sized up American rival DeAndre Savage for the first time in-person last week – before he warned every top heavyweight that he is ready to beat them. Teremoana, the Brisbane-based Paris Olympian (11-0, 11 KOs), has bulldozed his through his opponents since turning professional in December 2024, reeling off seven straight stoppages. On Wednesday, August 12th at The Star Gold Coast – live on DAZN and Fox Sports – the Aussie aims to make a big statement performance when he collides with Savage, the. 35-year-old American (11-1, 11 KOs), who has been just as ruthless in the ring, with his only career blemish a points loss to Brandon Moore.
And after standing toe-to-toe with Savage, Teremoana was boldly quick to turn his attention to a host of huge names in the sport’s marquee division – with his sights set on landing a major domestic showdown with fellow countryman, Justis Huni, along the way.
“Every single heavyweight in the world is on my radar,” said Teremoana, speaking to DAZN News. “It’s whether they are close to me or not. And, at the moment, the closest to me is Savage. So he is my priority on August 12th. When people ask if I want to fight Justis [Huni], yeah I want to fight Justis. I want to fight [Moses] Itauma. I want to fight [Filip] Hrgovic. I want to fight [Daniel] Dubois. I want to fight [Oleksandr] Usyk, [Agit] Kabayel. I want to fight all of these people. But obviously I’ve got to earn my way there. Touching on Justis again, because I just want to make it clear that I don’t care too much for the politics. I only want to prove that I am the best fighter in the world. When it comes to that fight, I do think it would fill a stadium. Some people say he’s the best Australian fighter [at heavyweight]. And some people say that I am. I myself say that I am the best Australian fighter that’s ever been in Australia.”
Teremoana headlines a show that also features Matchroom’s latest signing, ‘Pretty Boy’ Michael Zerafa (34-5-0, 22 KOs), returning to the ring against Alejandro Ortiz, an opponent who comes with an intimidating knockout record, having stopped 25 of his 25 victories.
Plus fans will be treated to a quality undercard featuring super middleweight Jack Bowen (13-1, 10 KOs); a 50/50 flyweight bout between Jasmine Parr (8-2, 3 KOs) and Jemma Peart (9-1, 3 KOs). Also, Toowoomba;s Lekesha Woodbridge (4-0, 3 KOs) is matched against Thailand’s Sothita Sitthical (13-5, 4 KOs).
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Walsh gets off floor to defeat Denny |
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Callum Walsh W10 Tyler Denny... Fighting in his native Ireland, Callum Walsh overcame a first-round knockdown to earn a unanimous decision over Tyler Denny (21-5-3) in their ten-round middleweight bout. The judges scored the fight 98-91 (twice) and 96-90. Walsh (17-0) started quickly before Denny responded with a combination that forced Walsh to cover up and eventually take a knee, which the referee ruled a knockdown. In the second round, Walsh appeared to touch the canvas following another Denny attack, but the referee did not administer a count. Walsh then dropped Denny with a left hook later in the round. Both fighters had a point deducted in the eighth round, Walsh for holding and Denny for hitting behind the head. An accidental clash of heads also left Walsh with a cut above his left eye. Denny increased his work rate in the ninth, but neither fighter was able to produce a stoppage in the final round.
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Walsh gets off floor to defeat Denny
Callum Walsh W10 Tyler Denny... Fighting in his native Ireland, Callum Walsh overcame a first-round knockdown to earn a unanimous decision over Tyler Denny (21-5-3) in their ten-round middleweight bout. The judges scored the fight 98-91 (twice) and 96-90. Walsh (17-0) started quickly before Denny responded with a combination that forced Walsh to cover up and eventually take a knee, which the referee ruled a knockdown. In the second round, Walsh appeared to touch the canvas following another Denny attack, but the referee did not administer a count. Walsh then dropped Denny with a left hook later in the round. Both fighters had a point deducted in the eighth round, Walsh for holding and Denny for hitting behind the head. An accidental clash of heads also left Walsh with a cut above his left eye. Denny increased his work rate in the ninth, but neither fighter was able to produce a stoppage in the final round.
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Zuffa undercard results |
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Joe Ward W10 Artjom Kasparian... On the Zuffa boxing show in Dublin, Joe Ward (13-1, 8 KOs) rallied from a difficult start to earn a unanimous decision over Artjom Kasparian in their ten-round light heavyweight bout. The judges scored the fight 97-93 (twice) and 96-94. Returning after 659 days out of the ring, Ward fell behind early as Kasparian controlled the distance and timing during the opening rounds. Ward began to find success as the fight progressed, landing a straight left followed by a left uppercut in the sixth round. Kasparian went to the canvas late in the round, but the referee ruled that he had been pushed. Ward continued to come on in the second half of the fight and pressured Kasparian in the eighth, when Kasparian went through the ropes without a knockdown being called. Ward got the better of the exchanges down the stretch before earning the decision.
Connor Coyle W10 Mark Beuke... At middleweight, Connor Coyle (23-0, 10 KOs) earned a unanimous decision over Mark Beuke (13-4, 7 KOs) in a ten-round bout. The judges scored the fight 98-93, 98-92 and 97-93. Coyle had the better of the opening rounds before Beuke increased his pressure in the third. The fighters contested a series of close rounds, with Coyle's cleaner punches ultimately earning him the decision.
Louis Greene W6 Daniel Buciuc... Louis Greene (19-4, 12 KOs) earned a six-round decision over Daniel Buciuc (16-3, 6 KOs) in a middleweight bout. The referee scored the fight 59-55. Buciuc worked effectively behind his jab in the opening round before Greene began applying pressure. Greene increasingly attacked the body and appeared to hurt Buciuc with a body shot followed by a hook to the head in the fourth round. Greene continued pressing for a stoppage, but Buciuc made it to the final bell.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
Sam Hickey (6-0, 3 KOs) knocked out Brad Axe with a right hand 27 seconds into the seventh round. Axe had success during the opening two rounds before Hickey began finding his range in the third. A five-punch combination that included four right hands dropped Axe at the end of the round. Hickey increasingly took control and nearly stopped Axe with a barrage at the end of the sixth. In the seventh round, Hickey landed a straight right that knocked Axe unconscious. Hickey immediately motioned for the crowd to stop celebrating while medical personnel attended to Axe and then checked on his opponent after Axe regained consciousness.
At middleweight, Stevie McKenna stopped Owen O'Neill 1:05 into the first round.vMcKenna attacked from the opening bell and hurt O'Neill with a pair of left hooks. He then landed a right hand that sent O'Neill to the canvas. O'Neill's corner instructed the referee to stop the contest. The victory was McKenna's second consecutive Zuffa Boxing stoppage in 65 seconds or less.
Patrick O'Connor (4-0, 4 KOs) stopped Juan Manuel Moriel at the end of the first round of their cruiserweight bout. O'Connor attacked the head and body throughout the opening round, with a body shot visibly troubling Moriel. O'Connor continued landing through the remainder of the round, and Moriel did not come out of his corner for the start of round two.
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Zuffa undercard results
Joe Ward W10 Artjom Kasparian... On the Zuffa boxing show in Dublin, Joe Ward (13-1, 8 KOs) rallied from a difficult start to earn a unanimous decision over Artjom Kasparian in their ten-round light heavyweight bout. The judges scored the fight 97-93 (twice) and 96-94. Returning after 659 days out of the ring, Ward fell behind early as Kasparian controlled the distance and timing during the opening rounds. Ward began to find success as the fight progressed, landing a straight left followed by a left uppercut in the sixth round. Kasparian went to the canvas late in the round, but the referee ruled that he had been pushed. Ward continued to come on in the second half of the fight and pressured Kasparian in the eighth, when Kasparian went through the ropes without a knockdown being called. Ward got the better of the exchanges down the stretch before earning the decision.
Connor Coyle W10 Mark Beuke... At middleweight, Connor Coyle (23-0, 10 KOs) earned a unanimous decision over Mark Beuke (13-4, 7 KOs) in a ten-round bout. The judges scored the fight 98-93, 98-92 and 97-93. Coyle had the better of the opening rounds before Beuke increased his pressure in the third. The fighters contested a series of close rounds, with Coyle's cleaner punches ultimately earning him the decision.
Louis Greene W6 Daniel Buciuc... Louis Greene (19-4, 12 KOs) earned a six-round decision over Daniel Buciuc (16-3, 6 KOs) in a middleweight bout. The referee scored the fight 59-55. Buciuc worked effectively behind his jab in the opening round before Greene began applying pressure. Greene increasingly attacked the body and appeared to hurt Buciuc with a body shot followed by a hook to the head in the fourth round. Greene continued pressing for a stoppage, but Buciuc made it to the final bell.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
Sam Hickey (6-0, 3 KOs) knocked out Brad Axe with a right hand 27 seconds into the seventh round. Axe had success during the opening two rounds before Hickey began finding his range in the third. A five-punch combination that included four right hands dropped Axe at the end of the round. Hickey increasingly took control and nearly stopped Axe with a barrage at the end of the sixth. In the seventh round, Hickey landed a straight right that knocked Axe unconscious. Hickey immediately motioned for the crowd to stop celebrating while medical personnel attended to Axe and then checked on his opponent after Axe regained consciousness.
At middleweight, Stevie McKenna stopped Owen O'Neill 1:05 into the first round.vMcKenna attacked from the opening bell and hurt O'Neill with a pair of left hooks. He then landed a right hand that sent O'Neill to the canvas. O'Neill's corner instructed the referee to stop the contest. The victory was McKenna's second consecutive Zuffa Boxing stoppage in 65 seconds or less.
Patrick O'Connor (4-0, 4 KOs) stopped Juan Manuel Moriel at the end of the first round of their cruiserweight bout. O'Connor attacked the head and body throughout the opening round, with a body shot visibly troubling Moriel. O'Connor continued landing through the remainder of the round, and Moriel did not come out of his corner for the start of round two.
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Red Owl Boxing tonight on DAZN |
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Red Owl Boxing has a show tonight (August 7th) at El Paso Coliseum in El Paso, Texas. In the main event, Emmanuel "El Chingón" Carrillo Jr. (6-0, 3 KOs) will face Kenneth "The Problem Child" Taylor (15-6-2, 6 KOs) at featherweight.The main card will stream on DAZN beginning at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT, following preliminary bouts on Red Owl Boxing's YouTube channel. Additional bouts: Christina "The Hell's Kitchen Kid" Cruz (6-1) will appear in a super flyweight bout... Ariana Carrasco (1-0, 1 KO) of Las Cruces, New Mexico, takes on Chanisse "The Lioness" Jenner (0-0) of Ashford, England, in a junior middleweight bout... Devon "El Perro Negro" Garcia (4-0, 4 KOs), also of Las Cruces, meets Patrick Harris (1-6, 1 KO) of Killeen, Texas, in a welterweight bout and... Cahir "The Gale" Gormley (3-0, 2 KOs), of Scranton, Pennsylvania, via Derry, Ireland, faces Jerome Lloyd (0-1), of Waco, Texas, via Trenton, New Jersey, in a middleweight bout.
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Red Owl Boxing tonight on DAZN
Red Owl Boxing has a show tonight (August 7th) at El Paso Coliseum in El Paso, Texas. In the main event, Emmanuel "El Chingón" Carrillo Jr. (6-0, 3 KOs) will face Kenneth "The Problem Child" Taylor (15-6-2, 6 KOs) at featherweight.The main card will stream on DAZN beginning at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT, following preliminary bouts on Red Owl Boxing's YouTube channel. Additional bouts: Christina "The Hell's Kitchen Kid" Cruz (6-1) will appear in a super flyweight bout... Ariana Carrasco (1-0, 1 KO) of Las Cruces, New Mexico, takes on Chanisse "The Lioness" Jenner (0-0) of Ashford, England, in a junior middleweight bout... Devon "El Perro Negro" Garcia (4-0, 4 KOs), also of Las Cruces, meets Patrick Harris (1-6, 1 KO) of Killeen, Texas, in a welterweight bout and... Cahir "The Gale" Gormley (3-0, 2 KOs), of Scranton, Pennsylvania, via Derry, Ireland, faces Jerome Lloyd (0-1), of Waco, Texas, via Trenton, New Jersey, in a middleweight bout.
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Last-round penalty gives Nesbitt hometown win |
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Emma Nesbitt W10 Madoka Wada... New Zealand minimumweight Emma Nesbitt (13-1-1) earned the biggest victory of her career, grinding out a hard-fought split decision over Japan’s Madoka Wada. A razor-close battle and clash of styles kept the crowd on edge throughout all ten rounds, ultimately leading to a split verdict for the hometown boxer. Two scorecards favored Nesbitt’s sharp, accurate boxing by margins of 96-93 and 95-94, while the third official awarded Wada a narrow 96-93 decision. [According to Boxrec, a point deduction against the visiting Wada changed the result of the bout from a draw to a Nesbitt win] From the opening bell, the pace was relentless. Wada (6-1) stayed true to the trademark Japanese pressure-fighting style, constantly working her way inside and targeting the body with heavy hooks. Nesbitt, however, answered with outstanding ring IQ, using a crisp jab, disciplined footwork, and effective movement off the back foot to create angles before firing precise right hooks upstairs whenever Wada closed the distance. Although Wada landed several powerful combinations during the middle rounds that slowed Nesbitt’s movement, the New Zealander’s composure, mental toughness, and timely counterpunching during the championship rounds proved to be the deciding factors, allowing her to edge one of the most competitive bouts of the evening,
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Last-round penalty gives Nesbitt hometown win
Emma Nesbitt W10 Madoka Wada... New Zealand minimumweight Emma Nesbitt (13-1-1) earned the biggest victory of her career, grinding out a hard-fought split decision over Japan’s Madoka Wada. A razor-close battle and clash of styles kept the crowd on edge throughout all ten rounds, ultimately leading to a split verdict for the hometown boxer. Two scorecards favored Nesbitt’s sharp, accurate boxing by margins of 96-93 and 95-94, while the third official awarded Wada a narrow 96-93 decision. [According to Boxrec, a point deduction against the visiting Wada changed the result of the bout from a draw to a Nesbitt win] From the opening bell, the pace was relentless. Wada (6-1) stayed true to the trademark Japanese pressure-fighting style, constantly working her way inside and targeting the body with heavy hooks. Nesbitt, however, answered with outstanding ring IQ, using a crisp jab, disciplined footwork, and effective movement off the back foot to create angles before firing precise right hooks upstairs whenever Wada closed the distance. Although Wada landed several powerful combinations during the middle rounds that slowed Nesbitt’s movement, the New Zealander’s composure, mental toughness, and timely counterpunching during the championship rounds proved to be the deciding factors, allowing her to edge one of the most competitive bouts of the evening,
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Bare knuckle action comes to South Dakota on Saturday |
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BKFC is putting the "pedal to the metal" with a full slate of bare knuckle fighting action this Saturday from the legendary Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, live worldwide on The BKFC App. Major title implications are on the line in the stacked BKFC cruiserweight division when two of the weight class’ most dangerous contenders — Bryant “Defiant” Acheson and Mike Jones — collide in the main event... Heavyweights Bear “The Last Barbarian” Hill and Brady “Big Beard” Meister throw hands in the co-feature, while Alonzo “The Mexican-American Rhino” Martinez and Zeb “CWB” Vincent meet in middleweight action.
Saturday’s event from the iconic Sturgis Motorcycle Rally will also feature Shyanna Bintliff, Traevon “Kid Cobra” Kroger, Bryan “Iceman” McDowell and Crystal “The Rugged Beauty” Pittman, among others, all live worldwide on The BKFC App.
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Bare knuckle action comes to South Dakota on Saturday
BKFC is putting the "pedal to the metal" with a full slate of bare knuckle fighting action this Saturday from the legendary Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, live worldwide on The BKFC App. Major title implications are on the line in the stacked BKFC cruiserweight division when two of the weight class’ most dangerous contenders — Bryant “Defiant” Acheson and Mike Jones — collide in the main event... Heavyweights Bear “The Last Barbarian” Hill and Brady “Big Beard” Meister throw hands in the co-feature, while Alonzo “The Mexican-American Rhino” Martinez and Zeb “CWB” Vincent meet in middleweight action.
Saturday’s event from the iconic Sturgis Motorcycle Rally will also feature Shyanna Bintliff, Traevon “Kid Cobra” Kroger, Bryan “Iceman” McDowell and Crystal “The Rugged Beauty” Pittman, among others, all live worldwide on The BKFC App.
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Cuba's Yoenli Hernandez says he's the boss at middleweight |
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Yoenli "El Diablo" Hernandez (10-0, 9 KOs) had strong words for the rest of the 160-pound division this week. The Cuban middleweight faces Francisco Daniel Verón (17-1-1, 10 KOs) on the PBC pay-per-view card on Saturday, August 22nd, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. "I'm the best middleweight in the world right now," said Hernandez. "My hunger for glory, my desire to be champion and win every title—that's something I don't see in the rest of the division. Everyone seems to arrive, get the title, and settle. Not me. I'm coming to get the title, keep it, and fight the best. Lately, nobody in my weight class wants to face the best."
Hernandez, the No. 1-ranked contender by the WBA and WBO and No. 2 by the WBC, won a gold medal at the 2021 AIBA World Boxing Championships before turning professional. He is coming off a fourth-round stoppage of Terrell Gausha in March and has trained in Orlando for the upcoming bout, including sparring with Yoenis Tellez.
"I've focused on polishing the few mistakes I made against Terrell Gausha and Kyrone Davis," said Hernandez. "We're improving, and that's what we're focusing on in this camp. I'm just working twice as hard as I did before my last fight to reach my goal."
"Verón says that I am still a 'very amateur' boxer," said Hernandez. "He thinks that fighting me is like fighting an amateur. He's talking too much. It's one thing to call the devil, another to see him arrive. I see him saying he'll put me in situations no one has put me in before, and I hope he's not one of those talkers who doesn't back up their words inside the ring.
"I'm going all out, I'm coming to win. And if he says he's going to come forward in the ring, he'll have to have more drive than me. And for him to have more drive than me, we'll have to see it to believe it."
"I'm very grateful to be part of such a prestigious card as Rolly vs. Teofimo on August 22," said Hernandez. "I'm going to steal the show by giving the Argentine the beating of the year, and show the fans that I am the most complete fighter at 160 pounds."
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Cuba's Yoenli Hernandez says he's the boss at middleweight
Yoenli "El Diablo" Hernandez (10-0, 9 KOs) had strong words for the rest of the 160-pound division this week. The Cuban middleweight faces Francisco Daniel Verón (17-1-1, 10 KOs) on the PBC pay-per-view card on Saturday, August 22nd, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. "I'm the best middleweight in the world right now," said Hernandez. "My hunger for glory, my desire to be champion and win every title—that's something I don't see in the rest of the division. Everyone seems to arrive, get the title, and settle. Not me. I'm coming to get the title, keep it, and fight the best. Lately, nobody in my weight class wants to face the best."
Hernandez, the No. 1-ranked contender by the WBA and WBO and No. 2 by the WBC, won a gold medal at the 2021 AIBA World Boxing Championships before turning professional. He is coming off a fourth-round stoppage of Terrell Gausha in March and has trained in Orlando for the upcoming bout, including sparring with Yoenis Tellez.
"I've focused on polishing the few mistakes I made against Terrell Gausha and Kyrone Davis," said Hernandez. "We're improving, and that's what we're focusing on in this camp. I'm just working twice as hard as I did before my last fight to reach my goal."
"Verón says that I am still a 'very amateur' boxer," said Hernandez. "He thinks that fighting me is like fighting an amateur. He's talking too much. It's one thing to call the devil, another to see him arrive. I see him saying he'll put me in situations no one has put me in before, and I hope he's not one of those talkers who doesn't back up their words inside the ring.
"I'm going all out, I'm coming to win. And if he says he's going to come forward in the ring, he'll have to have more drive than me. And for him to have more drive than me, we'll have to see it to believe it."
"I'm very grateful to be part of such a prestigious card as Rolly vs. Teofimo on August 22," said Hernandez. "I'm going to steal the show by giving the Argentine the beating of the year, and show the fans that I am the most complete fighter at 160 pounds."
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Pitbull Cruz to battle Nestor Bravo on Sept. 19th |
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Mexico's Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz will defend his WBC interim junior welterweight title against once-beaten Puerto Rican Nestor Bravo in the twelve-round main event streaming live on DAZN and presented by Premier Boxing Champions on Saturday, September 19th from Pechanga Arena in San Diego. In the chief support, Mexico's Jesús “Mono” Ramos Jr. defends the WBC interim middleweight title against mandatory challenger Meiirim Nursultanov of Kazakhstan. Tickets go on sale on Thursday, August 6th at 10 a.m. PT through AXS.com.
One of Mexico’s biggest boxing stars, Cruz will enter the ring for the first time under the guidance of renowned trainer Eddy Reynoso. Cruz will bring his signature all-action style to the ring in San Diego for the first time against the upset-minded Bravo, after drawing huge crowds across fights in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Antonio.
After a hard-fought draw against Lamont Roach Jr. last December, Cruz will look to thrill his fanbase once again against Bravo, the veteran Puerto Rican contender. Buoyed on by his adoring fans, Cruz (28-3-2, 18 KOs) became a world champion in March 2024 as he hurt Rolly Romero badly in round one before eventually ending the fight via TKO to claim the WBA title. Prior to dropping Roach on his way to the draw, Cruz bounced back from a loss to Jose Valenzuela by out-slugging countryman Angel Fierro in February 2025 and then turning away Omar Salcido by unanimous decision in July. A native of Mexico City, Cruz shot up the rankings in 2020 with a first-round knockout over veteran Diego Magdaleno in October before adding dominant decisions over Francisco Vargas and Jose Matias Romero. This rise led to the 28-year-old challenging Gervonta Davis in December 2021, a fight that saw Cruz lose by decision to become just the second fighter at the time to see the final bell against Davis. Cruz also owns stoppage wins over former champion Yuriorkis Gamboa and veteran contender Eduardo Ramirez, in addition to a twelve-round decision over the then-unbeaten Giovanni Cabrera.
“I am extremely motivated to return to the ring on September 19,” said Cruz. “I know that Bravo is very hungry and hoping to pull off the upset, but I also have a very clear goal, to keep proving that I belong among the elite.”
The 32 year-old Bravo (24-1, 17 KOs) showed of his considerable power in his last outing, a one-punch knockout over Pedro Campa in January. The triumph was a bounce back effort for Bravo, who had previously been on the wrong end of a split decision against Xolisani Ndongeni in March 2025. The native of Arecibo, Puerto Rico had racked up an unbeaten record across 23 fights since turning pro in February 2015, with considerable experience on U.S. cards while on the rise. He’s shown his boxing acumen and durability in a pair of ten-round unanimous decision victories over veteran contenders Will Madera and Jose Gallegos. In addition, Bravo was an accomplished Puerto Rican amateur who owns a win over former world champion and Olympic gold medalist Robson Concecaio.
“September 19th is gonna be a classic Puerto Rico vs. Mexico showdown,” said Bravo. “I’m very grateful to my team, and everyone who made this incredible event possible. I’m facing a tough, aggressive fighter who comes forward and likes to engage. But I have all the skills and versatility to win by any means necessary. We’re preparing the right way, and on fight night Puerto Rico will have a new champion.
“Mexican star Isaac ’Pitbull’ Cruz is an established must-see attraction, and combined with the highly-touted phenom Jesús Ramos Jr. competing on the card, Saturday, September 19 shapes up to be a can’t miss fight for San Diego’s passionate Mexican boxing fanbase,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “These bouts on DAZN will feature these two still ascendant stars in highly-competitive matchups as the skilled and determined Bravo and undefeated Nursultanov look to make their own names on the big stage.”
“Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz is one of boxing’s most exciting and recognizable stars, and his all-action style makes every appearance must-see,” said Britton Hardin, Head of Boxing, North America at DAZN. “His title defense against Nestor Bravo promises an action-packed main event, while Jesús Ramos Jr. faces a major test against an unbeaten mandatory challenger in the co-main event. This is exactly the type of competitive, high-stakes card that DAZN and Premier Boxing Champions are committed to delivering to fight fans.”
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Pitbull Cruz to battle Nestor Bravo on Sept. 19th
Mexico's Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz will defend his WBC interim junior welterweight title against once-beaten Puerto Rican Nestor Bravo in the twelve-round main event streaming live on DAZN and presented by Premier Boxing Champions on Saturday, September 19th from Pechanga Arena in San Diego. In the chief support, Mexico's Jesús “Mono” Ramos Jr. defends the WBC interim middleweight title against mandatory challenger Meiirim Nursultanov of Kazakhstan. Tickets go on sale on Thursday, August 6th at 10 a.m. PT through AXS.com.
One of Mexico’s biggest boxing stars, Cruz will enter the ring for the first time under the guidance of renowned trainer Eddy Reynoso. Cruz will bring his signature all-action style to the ring in San Diego for the first time against the upset-minded Bravo, after drawing huge crowds across fights in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Antonio.
After a hard-fought draw against Lamont Roach Jr. last December, Cruz will look to thrill his fanbase once again against Bravo, the veteran Puerto Rican contender. Buoyed on by his adoring fans, Cruz (28-3-2, 18 KOs) became a world champion in March 2024 as he hurt Rolly Romero badly in round one before eventually ending the fight via TKO to claim the WBA title. Prior to dropping Roach on his way to the draw, Cruz bounced back from a loss to Jose Valenzuela by out-slugging countryman Angel Fierro in February 2025 and then turning away Omar Salcido by unanimous decision in July. A native of Mexico City, Cruz shot up the rankings in 2020 with a first-round knockout over veteran Diego Magdaleno in October before adding dominant decisions over Francisco Vargas and Jose Matias Romero. This rise led to the 28-year-old challenging Gervonta Davis in December 2021, a fight that saw Cruz lose by decision to become just the second fighter at the time to see the final bell against Davis. Cruz also owns stoppage wins over former champion Yuriorkis Gamboa and veteran contender Eduardo Ramirez, in addition to a twelve-round decision over the then-unbeaten Giovanni Cabrera.
“I am extremely motivated to return to the ring on September 19,” said Cruz. “I know that Bravo is very hungry and hoping to pull off the upset, but I also have a very clear goal, to keep proving that I belong among the elite.”
The 32 year-old Bravo (24-1, 17 KOs) showed of his considerable power in his last outing, a one-punch knockout over Pedro Campa in January. The triumph was a bounce back effort for Bravo, who had previously been on the wrong end of a split decision against Xolisani Ndongeni in March 2025. The native of Arecibo, Puerto Rico had racked up an unbeaten record across 23 fights since turning pro in February 2015, with considerable experience on U.S. cards while on the rise. He’s shown his boxing acumen and durability in a pair of ten-round unanimous decision victories over veteran contenders Will Madera and Jose Gallegos. In addition, Bravo was an accomplished Puerto Rican amateur who owns a win over former world champion and Olympic gold medalist Robson Concecaio.
“September 19th is gonna be a classic Puerto Rico vs. Mexico showdown,” said Bravo. “I’m very grateful to my team, and everyone who made this incredible event possible. I’m facing a tough, aggressive fighter who comes forward and likes to engage. But I have all the skills and versatility to win by any means necessary. We’re preparing the right way, and on fight night Puerto Rico will have a new champion.
“Mexican star Isaac ’Pitbull’ Cruz is an established must-see attraction, and combined with the highly-touted phenom Jesús Ramos Jr. competing on the card, Saturday, September 19 shapes up to be a can’t miss fight for San Diego’s passionate Mexican boxing fanbase,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “These bouts on DAZN will feature these two still ascendant stars in highly-competitive matchups as the skilled and determined Bravo and undefeated Nursultanov look to make their own names on the big stage.”
“Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz is one of boxing’s most exciting and recognizable stars, and his all-action style makes every appearance must-see,” said Britton Hardin, Head of Boxing, North America at DAZN. “His title defense against Nestor Bravo promises an action-packed main event, while Jesús Ramos Jr. faces a major test against an unbeaten mandatory challenger in the co-main event. This is exactly the type of competitive, high-stakes card that DAZN and Premier Boxing Champions are committed to delivering to fight fans.”
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Raven Simon suffers brain injury in sparring |
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According to a GoFundMe page, On Friday July 24th, British boxer Raven Simon (10-2) collapsed unexpectedly after a sparring session on Denmark. Emergency services were called immediately, and she was airlifted to an overseas hospital. She was diagnosed with a brain hematoma and cerebral edema. Raven underwent emergency surgery right away. The procedure successfully stemmed the bleeding and helped stabilize the swelling. She was kept in a medically induced coma but has now been taken of the sedatives and is currently still receiving treatment. She is awaiting medical supervised repatriation to a hospital in the UK where she her rehabilitation is expected to take some time.
Her promoter, Frank Warren, wrote: "Raven is fully in my thoughts this morning, I’m really hoping she can pull through and get home safely. Everyone at Queensberry is behind you Raven, we’re all hoping you can pull through this." Warren's Queensberry Promotions made a donation of about $27,000 to Simon's GoFundMe page. For those interested in making a donation, here is a link to the GoFundMe page.
Boxingtalk joins Queensberry Promotions and of Simon's friends and family in wishing her a full and speedy recovery.
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Raven Simon suffers brain injury in sparring
According to a GoFundMe page, On Friday July 24th, British boxer Raven Simon (10-2) collapsed unexpectedly after a sparring session on Denmark. Emergency services were called immediately, and she was airlifted to an overseas hospital. She was diagnosed with a brain hematoma and cerebral edema. Raven underwent emergency surgery right away. The procedure successfully stemmed the bleeding and helped stabilize the swelling. She was kept in a medically induced coma but has now been taken of the sedatives and is currently still receiving treatment. She is awaiting medical supervised repatriation to a hospital in the UK where she her rehabilitation is expected to take some time.
Her promoter, Frank Warren, wrote: "Raven is fully in my thoughts this morning, I’m really hoping she can pull through and get home safely. Everyone at Queensberry is behind you Raven, we’re all hoping you can pull through this." Warren's Queensberry Promotions made a donation of about $27,000 to Simon's GoFundMe page. For those interested in making a donation, here is a link to the GoFundMe page.
Boxingtalk joins Queensberry Promotions and of Simon's friends and family in wishing her a full and speedy recovery.
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Skye Nicholson out of August 29th fight |
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WBC super bantamweight champion Skye Nicolson has been ruled out of the event scheduled for August 29th in Birmingham, England, due to an injury sustained during training. The Australian boxer was scheduled to face Japan's Miyo Yoshida to defend her title in one of the main events of the Most Valuable Promotions event. Nicolson issued the following statement: “I’m devastated to announce that, due to sustaining an injury in training last week, I have had to withdraw from my scheduled fight in Birmingham on Saturday, August 29. I’d like to sincerely apologise to Miyo Yoshida and her team for this delay. I have nothing but respect for Miyo and I’m looking forward to finally sharing the ring with her before the end of the year. The positive news is that while I’m recovering, I’ll be heading to Orlando this weekend for MVPW event, where I’m excited to support my fellow Australian world champions and many other incredible athletes. A new date for my fight with Yoshida will be locked in very soon, and I can’t wait to get back in the gym, back to full health, and back doing what I love. Thank you to everyone for your continued support and understanding.”
Nicolson became the WBC super bantamweight world champion in May of this year after the title became vacant. This is her second WBC world title. From 2024 to 2025, she was the featherweight champion of that organization.
Nicolson, age 30, was born and raised in Queensland, Australia to an English mother and Scottish father. She began boxing at age 12, following in the footsteps of her late brother. Her stellar amateur career saw over 150 fights around the world including a Commonwealth Games gold medal, bronze at the amateur world championships, and representing Team Australia in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where she finished as a quarter-finalist. Off the back of the Olympics, she signed a long-term promotional deal with Matchroom and began a very active professional career that took her to her first world title in just her tenth professional fight, defeating Sarah Mahfoud for the WBC featherweight title in 2024. Now 16-1 as a professional, Nicolson rose to WBC interim champion at super bantamweight. Shortly after, the belt was vacated by former undisputed champion Ellie Scotney, and Nicolson was elevated to become a two-division champion in May 2026.
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Skye Nicholson out of August 29th fight
WBC super bantamweight champion Skye Nicolson has been ruled out of the event scheduled for August 29th in Birmingham, England, due to an injury sustained during training. The Australian boxer was scheduled to face Japan's Miyo Yoshida to defend her title in one of the main events of the Most Valuable Promotions event. Nicolson issued the following statement: “I’m devastated to announce that, due to sustaining an injury in training last week, I have had to withdraw from my scheduled fight in Birmingham on Saturday, August 29. I’d like to sincerely apologise to Miyo Yoshida and her team for this delay. I have nothing but respect for Miyo and I’m looking forward to finally sharing the ring with her before the end of the year. The positive news is that while I’m recovering, I’ll be heading to Orlando this weekend for MVPW event, where I’m excited to support my fellow Australian world champions and many other incredible athletes. A new date for my fight with Yoshida will be locked in very soon, and I can’t wait to get back in the gym, back to full health, and back doing what I love. Thank you to everyone for your continued support and understanding.”
Nicolson became the WBC super bantamweight world champion in May of this year after the title became vacant. This is her second WBC world title. From 2024 to 2025, she was the featherweight champion of that organization.
Nicolson, age 30, was born and raised in Queensland, Australia to an English mother and Scottish father. She began boxing at age 12, following in the footsteps of her late brother. Her stellar amateur career saw over 150 fights around the world including a Commonwealth Games gold medal, bronze at the amateur world championships, and representing Team Australia in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where she finished as a quarter-finalist. Off the back of the Olympics, she signed a long-term promotional deal with Matchroom and began a very active professional career that took her to her first world title in just her tenth professional fight, defeating Sarah Mahfoud for the WBC featherweight title in 2024. Now 16-1 as a professional, Nicolson rose to WBC interim champion at super bantamweight. Shortly after, the belt was vacated by former undisputed champion Ellie Scotney, and Nicolson was elevated to become a two-division champion in May 2026.
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Rolly heads back to school for a day |
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WBA welterweight champion and Las Vegas-native Rolly Romero will hold a Back To School Giveaway this Friday at his alma mater ahead of his world title showdown against former two-division champion Teofimo Lopez. The event will be held at John S. Park Elementary School, which Romero attended as a child and will also include Principal Jennifer Benizio. Romero will give away backpacks, signed photos and a limited number of tickets to fight night, as well as pose for photos with the children. Romero will also be available for interviews with media in attendance. The Romero-Lopez fight takes place Saturday, August 22nd headlining a PBC pay-per-view event available on DAZN and Prime Video from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
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Rolly heads back to school for a day
WBA welterweight champion and Las Vegas-native Rolly Romero will hold a Back To School Giveaway this Friday at his alma mater ahead of his world title showdown against former two-division champion Teofimo Lopez. The event will be held at John S. Park Elementary School, which Romero attended as a child and will also include Principal Jennifer Benizio. Romero will give away backpacks, signed photos and a limited number of tickets to fight night, as well as pose for photos with the children. Romero will also be available for interviews with media in attendance. The Romero-Lopez fight takes place Saturday, August 22nd headlining a PBC pay-per-view event available on DAZN and Prime Video from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
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Kaipo Gallegos and Desmond Lyons to clash |
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Lightweight Kaipo Gallegos (12-0-1, 9 KOs) faces Desmond Lyons (11-3, 2 KOs) in a scheduled ten-round lightweight bout on Friday, August 28th, at Caribe Royale Orlando. The event is promoted by Matchroom Boxing and Boxlab Promotions and will stream on DAZN. "I'm blessed to be back in the ring because I know every opportunity in this sport has to be earned," said Gallegos. "I've been putting in the work every day, staying locked in, and making sure I'm improving in every area. I don't take any fight or any opponent lightly. My job is to keep getting better every time I step through those ropes. I just want people to see a fighter who's willing to outwork anyone, stay humble, and let my performances speak for themselves."
"Desmond Lyons is coming to win, I know he'll be motivated, so it's on me to stay disciplined and perform at my highest level," Gallegos continued. "My goal is to show the world that I'm ready for the next level of competition. I want to put on a performance that leaves no doubt that I'm one of the fighters people should be paying attention to in the division."
"A win on August 28th keeps me moving in the right direction, but I know the work doesn't stop there," Gallegos concluded. "My focus is on continuing to climb until I'm in position to fight for a world title. I'm not looking past anybody because every opponent brings something different. If I stay dedicated, keep learning, and keep winning, I believe the opportunities will come when the time is right."
Boxlab Promotions President Amaury Piedra said Gallegos has continued to develop since joining the promotion. "Kaipo has grown tremendously since joining our team," said Piedra. "His maturity inside and outside the ring has been impressive, and he's developed into a complete professional. You can see the confidence growing with each performance. He's earned his place in the WBA's top 10, and we believe he's only beginning to scratch the surface of what he's capable of."
"Desmond Lyons is the type of opponent who will be well prepared and ready to compete. Every fight like this helps him grow as he continues working his way up the lightweight division. We expect Kaipo to deliver another strong performance and keep proving he's one of boxing's top young prospects. We're confident in where he's headed and look forward to supporting him as he pursues his goal of becoming a world champion."
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Kaipo Gallegos and Desmond Lyons to clash
Lightweight Kaipo Gallegos (12-0-1, 9 KOs) faces Desmond Lyons (11-3, 2 KOs) in a scheduled ten-round lightweight bout on Friday, August 28th, at Caribe Royale Orlando. The event is promoted by Matchroom Boxing and Boxlab Promotions and will stream on DAZN. "I'm blessed to be back in the ring because I know every opportunity in this sport has to be earned," said Gallegos. "I've been putting in the work every day, staying locked in, and making sure I'm improving in every area. I don't take any fight or any opponent lightly. My job is to keep getting better every time I step through those ropes. I just want people to see a fighter who's willing to outwork anyone, stay humble, and let my performances speak for themselves."
"Desmond Lyons is coming to win, I know he'll be motivated, so it's on me to stay disciplined and perform at my highest level," Gallegos continued. "My goal is to show the world that I'm ready for the next level of competition. I want to put on a performance that leaves no doubt that I'm one of the fighters people should be paying attention to in the division."
"A win on August 28th keeps me moving in the right direction, but I know the work doesn't stop there," Gallegos concluded. "My focus is on continuing to climb until I'm in position to fight for a world title. I'm not looking past anybody because every opponent brings something different. If I stay dedicated, keep learning, and keep winning, I believe the opportunities will come when the time is right."
Boxlab Promotions President Amaury Piedra said Gallegos has continued to develop since joining the promotion. "Kaipo has grown tremendously since joining our team," said Piedra. "His maturity inside and outside the ring has been impressive, and he's developed into a complete professional. You can see the confidence growing with each performance. He's earned his place in the WBA's top 10, and we believe he's only beginning to scratch the surface of what he's capable of."
"Desmond Lyons is the type of opponent who will be well prepared and ready to compete. Every fight like this helps him grow as he continues working his way up the lightweight division. We expect Kaipo to deliver another strong performance and keep proving he's one of boxing's top young prospects. We're confident in where he's headed and look forward to supporting him as he pursues his goal of becoming a world champion."
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Keyshawn Davis ducks Devin Haney |
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Former lightweight title holder Keyshawn Davis has officially ducked Devin Haney. Days after a WBO purse bid resulted in an offer that would have paid Davis $2,137,500 to challenge for Haney's WBO welterweight title, the WBO announced that Davis had changed his mind. "The WBO received written notice that Keyshawn Davis has declined the purse bid adjudication and will not participate in the ordered championship contest against Devin Haney. The matter will now be referred to the WBO Championship Committee and Ratings Committee for the appropriate ruling under the WBO World Championship Rules and Regulations."
Davis' own promoter, Top Rank submitted the winning bid of $8,550,000 and announced the fight would take place on October 3rd at one of the following three locations: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the State Farm Arena in Atlanta or the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.Under the WBO's 75/25 purse split, Haney was set to receive $6,412,500 with the balance going to Davis.
Bill Haney, father and trainer of Devin tweeted, "I just spoke with WBO president Gustavo Olivieri. He told me Keyshawn Davis and [his manager] J Prince called him and set this whole thing up. So that story about the kid not knowing what he was getting into, or what was going on, is far from the truth."
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Keyshawn Davis ducks Devin Haney
Former lightweight title holder Keyshawn Davis has officially ducked Devin Haney. Days after a WBO purse bid resulted in an offer that would have paid Davis $2,137,500 to challenge for Haney's WBO welterweight title, the WBO announced that Davis had changed his mind. "The WBO received written notice that Keyshawn Davis has declined the purse bid adjudication and will not participate in the ordered championship contest against Devin Haney. The matter will now be referred to the WBO Championship Committee and Ratings Committee for the appropriate ruling under the WBO World Championship Rules and Regulations."
Davis' own promoter, Top Rank submitted the winning bid of $8,550,000 and announced the fight would take place on October 3rd at one of the following three locations: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the State Farm Arena in Atlanta or the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.Under the WBO's 75/25 purse split, Haney was set to receive $6,412,500 with the balance going to Davis.
Bill Haney, father and trainer of Devin tweeted, "I just spoke with WBO president Gustavo Olivieri. He told me Keyshawn Davis and [his manager] J Prince called him and set this whole thing up. So that story about the kid not knowing what he was getting into, or what was going on, is far from the truth."
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Next up for Opetaia will be Mikaelian |
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Zuffa Boxing has announced that WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian will face Jai Opetaia (pictured) on September 12th as the chief supporting bout for the Ryan Garcia vs. Conor WBC welterweight championship main event. The social media post did not state whether Mikaelian's WBC title will be at stake, and Opetaia was recently stripped of his cruiserweight championship by the IBF. Nonetheless, Opetaia-Mikaleian will determine who will be recognized as the world's leading 200-pounder, along with WBO / WBA champion David Benavidez. The September 12th show will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The broadcasters are listed as Paramount+ and DAZN.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
JULY 23, 2026: The world's leading cruiserweight, Jai Opetaia, has filed a federal lawsuit against the IBF over the manner in which the IBF stripped him of the cruiserweight championship. The lawsuit accuses the sanctioning body of orchestrating a coordinated campaign to strip him of his world title after he signed with Zuffa Boxing. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, alleges that the IBF violated the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, breached contractual obligations, committed fraud, interfered with Opetaia's business relationships and participated in an industry-wide conspiracy designed to punish the Australian for aligning himself with the new promotional company. At the center of the dispute is Opetaia's March 8th title defense against Brandon Glanton in Las Vegas. According to the complaint, the IBF approved and sanctioned the bout from the outset despite knowing that the winner would also receive Zuffa Boxing's inaugural cruiserweight belt, which Opetaia characterizes as a promotional trophy rather than a competing world title. The lawsuit alleges that Opetaia paid the IBF's required $73,000 sanctioning fee and proceeded through the promotional process in reliance on the organization's approval.
But less than 48 hours before the fight, the IBF withdrew its sanctioning after determining that the event violated its internal rules. According to the lawsuit, IBF president Daryl Peoples objected to what he perceived as the organization's championship belt being presented as secondary during fight-week promotional activities and instructed the IBF supervisor to leave Las Vegas. The IBF subsequently announced that it would no longer sanction the bout, asserting that the Zuffa Boxing championship belt could not be treated merely as a promotional trophy.
Opetaia contends that explanation was pretext when its real desire was to strike back at Zuffa.
The complaint further alleges that the IBF knowingly accepted sanctioning fees, approved the event, and only reversed course after pressure from other influential figures within professional boxing. Among the most significant allegations is the claim that the IBF acted in concert with the WBC, WBA, WBO and several prominent boxing executives to isolate Opetaia because of his relationship with Zuffa Boxing. The complaint specifically names WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán, WBA president Gilberto Mendoza, WBO president Gustavo Olivieri, Matchroom Boxing chairman Eddie Hearn and others as alleged participants in the conspiracy, asserting that evidence exists in text messages and WhatsApp communications. Those allegations have not been proven.
Despite the withdrawal of IBF sanctioning, Opetaia went ahead with the fight and defeated Glanton by unanimous decision. Days later, however, the IBF formally stripped him of its cruiserweight championship following a vote of its Board of Directors.
The lawsuit claims that losing the IBF title has already caused substantial financial and professional harm. Opetaia alleges that potential high-profile bouts have been jeopardized, including a proposed fight with WBC cruiserweight champion David Benavidez. The complaint also alleges that the WBC threatened to strip Benavidez if he agreed to fight Opetaia rather than pursue other mandated opponents, further restricting Opetaia's opportunities to compete for major championships.
In addition to seeking monetary damages, Opetaia is asking the court to restore his IBF cruiserweight championship and prevent the organization from staging a fight for the vacant title while the litigation is pending. The complaint also seeks declaratory and injunctive relief under the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, alleging that the IBF accepted sanctioning fees before making required statutory disclosures to the Nevada Athletic Commission.
The lawsuit presents nine causes of action, including alleged violations of the Ali Act, fraud, breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, promissory estoppel, intentional interference with contractual and prospective business relationships, aiding and abetting, and civil conspiracy.
The IBF had not filed a response to the complaint at the time of filing, and the allegations remain unproven. The case is expected to test not only the scope of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act but also the relationship between boxing's established sanctioning bodies and emerging promotional organizations such as Zuffa Boxing.
MARCH 7, 2026: Sadly, the IBF will strip cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia of its title over a dispute with Zuffa Boxing, who is planning to offer its own version of boxing championships. Here is the IBF's statement:
"The IBF has withdrawn sanction of the optional defense of the IBF cruiserweight title between champion Jai Opetaia and Brandon Glanton scheduled for March 8, 2026. The initial sanction followed discussions that began on February 11, when IBF president Daryl Peoples, after learning about the contest on social media, reminded Opetaia’s representatives of IBF Rule 5. governing champions and unification bouts. After continued dialogue, on March 3, Opetaia’s team confirmed the fight would not be a unification and that any belt awarded by Zuffa would be 'characterized as a trophy or token of recognition.' The IBF has not had any discussion regarding this bout with any direct representative from Zuffa Boxing. However, the organization received assurances from Opetaia’s representatives that this would be the case. The IBF approved the bout under these conditions as the bout would no longer conflict with IBF Rule 5.E.2 which states in part – 'For the purpose of unification of titles, the preeminent champions of the WBA, WBC and the WBO may be designated as 'elite contenders' and may be permitted to fight for the unified title.'
"The press conference held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on March 6th made it clear that the Zuffa world cruiserweight title would still be contested on March 8th. The IBF reserves the right to sanction title bouts alongside other sanctioning bodies that comply with the same mandated regulations followed by the organization. With sanction withdrawn, the Opetaia vs. Glanton bout is now an Unsanctioned Contest. IBF Rule 5.H. states in part - 'An Unsanctioned Contest is a fight which the IBF has not formally approved for sanction or where sanction has been formally withdrawn. If a Champion participates in an unsanctioned contest within his prescribed weight limit, the title will be declared vacant whether the Champion wins or loses the bout.' The organization’s rules don’t always yield the preferred or popular outcome, but they provide structure and transparency, serving not just the champion but also those waiting for the opportunity to fight for the title. The pursuit of undisputed status – by unifying the IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO titles – represents the highest ambition in the sport. The IBF is committed to providing professional boxers worldwide with meaningful opportunities to advance their careers."
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Next up for Opetaia will be Mikaelian
Zuffa Boxing has announced that WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian will face Jai Opetaia (pictured) on September 12th as the chief supporting bout for the Ryan Garcia vs. Conor WBC welterweight championship main event. The social media post did not state whether Mikaelian's WBC title will be at stake, and Opetaia was recently stripped of his cruiserweight championship by the IBF. Nonetheless, Opetaia-Mikaleian will determine who will be recognized as the world's leading 200-pounder, along with WBO / WBA champion David Benavidez. The September 12th show will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The broadcasters are listed as Paramount+ and DAZN.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
JULY 23, 2026: The world's leading cruiserweight, Jai Opetaia, has filed a federal lawsuit against the IBF over the manner in which the IBF stripped him of the cruiserweight championship. The lawsuit accuses the sanctioning body of orchestrating a coordinated campaign to strip him of his world title after he signed with Zuffa Boxing. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, alleges that the IBF violated the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, breached contractual obligations, committed fraud, interfered with Opetaia's business relationships and participated in an industry-wide conspiracy designed to punish the Australian for aligning himself with the new promotional company. At the center of the dispute is Opetaia's March 8th title defense against Brandon Glanton in Las Vegas. According to the complaint, the IBF approved and sanctioned the bout from the outset despite knowing that the winner would also receive Zuffa Boxing's inaugural cruiserweight belt, which Opetaia characterizes as a promotional trophy rather than a competing world title. The lawsuit alleges that Opetaia paid the IBF's required $73,000 sanctioning fee and proceeded through the promotional process in reliance on the organization's approval.
But less than 48 hours before the fight, the IBF withdrew its sanctioning after determining that the event violated its internal rules. According to the lawsuit, IBF president Daryl Peoples objected to what he perceived as the organization's championship belt being presented as secondary during fight-week promotional activities and instructed the IBF supervisor to leave Las Vegas. The IBF subsequently announced that it would no longer sanction the bout, asserting that the Zuffa Boxing championship belt could not be treated merely as a promotional trophy.
Opetaia contends that explanation was pretext when its real desire was to strike back at Zuffa.
The complaint further alleges that the IBF knowingly accepted sanctioning fees, approved the event, and only reversed course after pressure from other influential figures within professional boxing. Among the most significant allegations is the claim that the IBF acted in concert with the WBC, WBA, WBO and several prominent boxing executives to isolate Opetaia because of his relationship with Zuffa Boxing. The complaint specifically names WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán, WBA president Gilberto Mendoza, WBO president Gustavo Olivieri, Matchroom Boxing chairman Eddie Hearn and others as alleged participants in the conspiracy, asserting that evidence exists in text messages and WhatsApp communications. Those allegations have not been proven.
Despite the withdrawal of IBF sanctioning, Opetaia went ahead with the fight and defeated Glanton by unanimous decision. Days later, however, the IBF formally stripped him of its cruiserweight championship following a vote of its Board of Directors.
The lawsuit claims that losing the IBF title has already caused substantial financial and professional harm. Opetaia alleges that potential high-profile bouts have been jeopardized, including a proposed fight with WBC cruiserweight champion David Benavidez. The complaint also alleges that the WBC threatened to strip Benavidez if he agreed to fight Opetaia rather than pursue other mandated opponents, further restricting Opetaia's opportunities to compete for major championships.
In addition to seeking monetary damages, Opetaia is asking the court to restore his IBF cruiserweight championship and prevent the organization from staging a fight for the vacant title while the litigation is pending. The complaint also seeks declaratory and injunctive relief under the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, alleging that the IBF accepted sanctioning fees before making required statutory disclosures to the Nevada Athletic Commission.
The lawsuit presents nine causes of action, including alleged violations of the Ali Act, fraud, breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, promissory estoppel, intentional interference with contractual and prospective business relationships, aiding and abetting, and civil conspiracy.
The IBF had not filed a response to the complaint at the time of filing, and the allegations remain unproven. The case is expected to test not only the scope of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act but also the relationship between boxing's established sanctioning bodies and emerging promotional organizations such as Zuffa Boxing.
MARCH 7, 2026: Sadly, the IBF will strip cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia of its title over a dispute with Zuffa Boxing, who is planning to offer its own version of boxing championships. Here is the IBF's statement:
"The IBF has withdrawn sanction of the optional defense of the IBF cruiserweight title between champion Jai Opetaia and Brandon Glanton scheduled for March 8, 2026. The initial sanction followed discussions that began on February 11, when IBF president Daryl Peoples, after learning about the contest on social media, reminded Opetaia’s representatives of IBF Rule 5. governing champions and unification bouts. After continued dialogue, on March 3, Opetaia’s team confirmed the fight would not be a unification and that any belt awarded by Zuffa would be 'characterized as a trophy or token of recognition.' The IBF has not had any discussion regarding this bout with any direct representative from Zuffa Boxing. However, the organization received assurances from Opetaia’s representatives that this would be the case. The IBF approved the bout under these conditions as the bout would no longer conflict with IBF Rule 5.E.2 which states in part – 'For the purpose of unification of titles, the preeminent champions of the WBA, WBC and the WBO may be designated as 'elite contenders' and may be permitted to fight for the unified title.'
"The press conference held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on March 6th made it clear that the Zuffa world cruiserweight title would still be contested on March 8th. The IBF reserves the right to sanction title bouts alongside other sanctioning bodies that comply with the same mandated regulations followed by the organization. With sanction withdrawn, the Opetaia vs. Glanton bout is now an Unsanctioned Contest. IBF Rule 5.H. states in part - 'An Unsanctioned Contest is a fight which the IBF has not formally approved for sanction or where sanction has been formally withdrawn. If a Champion participates in an unsanctioned contest within his prescribed weight limit, the title will be declared vacant whether the Champion wins or loses the bout.' The organization’s rules don’t always yield the preferred or popular outcome, but they provide structure and transparency, serving not just the champion but also those waiting for the opportunity to fight for the title. The pursuit of undisputed status – by unifying the IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO titles – represents the highest ambition in the sport. The IBF is committed to providing professional boxers worldwide with meaningful opportunities to advance their careers."
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Ex-champ Lara campaigning at junior lightweight |
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Mauricio Lara continues his road to becoming a two-weight champion when he takes on Carlos Ornelas in an all-Mexico main event at Complejo Deportivo Artes Marciales in Guadalajara on Saturday August 29th, live worldwide on DAZN. Lara (30-3-2, 23 KOs) is ready to step on the gas in his bid to claim a 130-pound title. He became WBA 126-pound champion in 2023 when he knocked out Leigh Wood in Nottingham, England – a second stunning KO win in Britain after he shocked the boxing world with his demolition of Josh Warrington two years earlier. Lara lost the title in a rematch with Wood.
Ornelas (29-5, 16 KOs) is the latest man looking to halt Lara’s train. Ornelas returned to winning ways earlier this year in February with a second-round stoppage in a tune-up bout, bouncing back from a defeat in April last year to Abdullah Mason, who is now a lightweight champion.
“I’m thrilled to come back to a DAZN boxing card,” said Lara, who meets Ornelas over ten rounds. “Like I’ve said before, ‘Bronco’ Lara is back. I will show the world why I once was world champion and that I am ready for any 130lb fighter. It’s been three years since I lost my title, so I am focused in becoming world champion again. Matchroom and BXSTRS have done good in giving me another shot on August 29 in Guadalajara, and I’ll repay them with an exciting performance.”
“Thank you to Matchroom and BXSTRS for the opportunity,” said Ornales. “I’m sending Bronco into retirement.”
“It’s great to be back in Mexico, and to have Bronco headlining live on DAZN once again,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Our Mexico shows always guarantee excitement, and when you put Mauricio on the top of a card, that only adds to the fireworks. The 130lbs division is stacked with great fighters, and you can certainly put Mauricio right in there with the best of them with another win on August 29th.”
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Ex-champ Lara campaigning at junior lightweight
Mauricio Lara continues his road to becoming a two-weight champion when he takes on Carlos Ornelas in an all-Mexico main event at Complejo Deportivo Artes Marciales in Guadalajara on Saturday August 29th, live worldwide on DAZN. Lara (30-3-2, 23 KOs) is ready to step on the gas in his bid to claim a 130-pound title. He became WBA 126-pound champion in 2023 when he knocked out Leigh Wood in Nottingham, England – a second stunning KO win in Britain after he shocked the boxing world with his demolition of Josh Warrington two years earlier. Lara lost the title in a rematch with Wood.
Ornelas (29-5, 16 KOs) is the latest man looking to halt Lara’s train. Ornelas returned to winning ways earlier this year in February with a second-round stoppage in a tune-up bout, bouncing back from a defeat in April last year to Abdullah Mason, who is now a lightweight champion.
“I’m thrilled to come back to a DAZN boxing card,” said Lara, who meets Ornelas over ten rounds. “Like I’ve said before, ‘Bronco’ Lara is back. I will show the world why I once was world champion and that I am ready for any 130lb fighter. It’s been three years since I lost my title, so I am focused in becoming world champion again. Matchroom and BXSTRS have done good in giving me another shot on August 29 in Guadalajara, and I’ll repay them with an exciting performance.”
“Thank you to Matchroom and BXSTRS for the opportunity,” said Ornales. “I’m sending Bronco into retirement.”
“It’s great to be back in Mexico, and to have Bronco headlining live on DAZN once again,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Our Mexico shows always guarantee excitement, and when you put Mauricio on the top of a card, that only adds to the fireworks. The 130lbs division is stacked with great fighters, and you can certainly put Mauricio right in there with the best of them with another win on August 29th.”
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Introducing Olympic hopeful Gilbert Kabamba |
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Olympic hopeful Gilbert “Tonka” Kabamba has traveled a long journey to become the first super heavyweight representative of Massachusetts to go for Olympic gold. The Bay State has had three heavyweight champions in the pros, but neither John L. Sullivan (Roxbury section of Boston), Rocky Marciano (Brockton) nor John Ruiz was a U. S. Olympian. A native of the Democratic Republic of The Congo, Kabamba never boxed until he resettled in the Boston district of Dorchester, and he’s been making up for lost time in the Sweet Science ever since. He is eligible to become a member of the USA Boxing Olympic Team because he became a U.S. citizen in 2023.
“I’m home,” the 6’ 2”, 250-pound Kabamba said. “I’m where I’m supposed to be.”
Kabamba left the Congo during the long running conflict there, his family living seven years in a Uganda refugee camp before moving to Boston in November of 2013. He was a star football player on the two-time Massachusetts, division one championship Everett High team, and when football didn’t work out for him at Merrimack College (North Andover, MA), Kabamba found boxing.
“I went to a boxing gym and just started boxing,” the 25-year-old explained. “I didn’t have football anymore but I was an athlete. It’s been quite a ride with ups and downs, but I stayed with it. I’ll do anything to come back with an Olympic gold medal. I know who I am!”
The boxing world is gradually discovering who Kabamba is and his next goal is to earn a spot on the 2028 USA Boxing Olympic Team to compete in Los Angeles. Massachusetts hasn’t had a male Olympic boxer in nearly a century, since New Bedford lightweight Nathan “Nat” Boor, who captured a bronze medal, ironically, at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. (Lynn’s Rashida Ellis competed in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.)
New England has had a pair of Olympic super heavyweights, Rhode Island’s Jason “Big Six’ Estrada in 2004, and Connecticut’s Lawrence Clay-Bey, who was Captain of the 1996 USA Boxing Olympic Team. “I know that I have big shoes to fill and I’ll do my best to fight in the 2028 Olympics,” Kabamba noted. “It’s a big deal!”
USA Boxing’s prestigious elite teams are precursors in terms of featuring the most hopeful Olympic boxers. Kabamba is a member of the 2026 Men’s Elite High Performance Squad, one of two super heavyweights along with Nnajai Wright; Kelvin Watts is the super heavyweight on the 2026 Men’s Elite High Performance Team. The three aforementioned super heavyweight boxers are favorites to proudly wear the red, white and blue, but only one can qualify.
Because Kabamba started boxing at such a relatively older age, he has been catching up with the other two much more experienced super heavyweights, but he is rapidly closing any gap there may still be.
“It’s me against them but I’m the best, no questions about it,” Kabamba exclaimed. “They’ve all been boxing a lot longer than me, but I’m older and more matured. I also have a fresher body and I’m the most athletic. The key (to being selected as the 2028 USA Boxing Olympic Team’s super heavyweight) is winning matches and our sparring sessions.”
Kabamba reportedly has a 42-6 (8 KOs) amateur boxing record, according to boxrec.com, highlighted by his recent gold-medal winning performance this past May in Colombia at the 2026 Copa America, dominating the action by going 7-0 in his international debut.
A tree-time New England Golden Gloves Champion, Kabamba also won at the 2024 National Golden Gloves Tournament and 2025 International USA Open, to go with his runner-up finish at the 2025 USA Boxing National Championships.
Kabamba, naturally, isn’t the same boxer he was a few years ago when he started boxing. He has been trained in Boston for the past two years by another USA Boxing product, Mark DeLuca, a 3-time Junior Olympics Champion who turned pro after only one year competing in the open division, largely because he kept running into Demetrious Andrade and Edwin Rodriguez in national tournaments. Andrade became a 2008 Olympian and 3-time, 2-division world champion as a professional; Rodriguez was the 2005 USA Boxing Championships and 2006 National Golden Gloves champion, who had a 31-3 (20 KOs) pro record.
DeLuca, known as “The Bazooka”, was a solid pro, registering a 30-4 (18 KOs), and today he is one of the most promising, young trainers in the industry.
“I used to just come forward to take my opponents’ head off like (Mike) Tyson,” Kabamba described his style. “Mark changed my style; I learned how to box. Now, I’m a puncher-boxer. I always liked hitting from my football years and I’ve never been shy of contact. Some football players who tried boxing quit because they didn’t like getting hit. You’re going to get hit in boxing but it comes down to how you hit back. “
DeLuca has been training Kabamba for two years. Whenever Gilbert isn’t at training camp with his USA Boxing teammates in Colorado Springs, he returns home to Dorchester, religiously training twice a day with Deluca at Waymaker Boxing gym.
“Gilbert had raw talent when he first came into our gym,” DeLuca remembered. “He was very athletic and is an exceptional worker. I knew there was a lot to work with. He’s only at 50-percent of what he can become. His ceiling is very high. He’s only 25, a baby, especially because heavyweights don’t peak until their early thirties.
“He absolutely can be an Olympian. It’s good for him to train in Colorado Springs because it’s important that the coaches get to know him. It’s impossible not to love his enthusiasm. He’s a real student of boxing, too. The Olympics are still two years away, but calls (promoters and managers) are already coming. I compare him to Evander Holyfield. Gilbert’s not tall, 6’ 2”, and is a pocket fighter like Holyfield. He has fast hands and is bigger than Holyfield at a solid 250 pounds.”
The best is yet to come for Kabamba. “My goal is to fight in the Olympics and then go pro,” Kabamba concluded. “I want to be world champion and leave a legacy like Ali and Tyson.”
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Introducing Olympic hopeful Gilbert Kabamba
Olympic hopeful Gilbert “Tonka” Kabamba has traveled a long journey to become the first super heavyweight representative of Massachusetts to go for Olympic gold. The Bay State has had three heavyweight champions in the pros, but neither John L. Sullivan (Roxbury section of Boston), Rocky Marciano (Brockton) nor John Ruiz was a U. S. Olympian. A native of the Democratic Republic of The Congo, Kabamba never boxed until he resettled in the Boston district of Dorchester, and he’s been making up for lost time in the Sweet Science ever since. He is eligible to become a member of the USA Boxing Olympic Team because he became a U.S. citizen in 2023.
“I’m home,” the 6’ 2”, 250-pound Kabamba said. “I’m where I’m supposed to be.”
Kabamba left the Congo during the long running conflict there, his family living seven years in a Uganda refugee camp before moving to Boston in November of 2013. He was a star football player on the two-time Massachusetts, division one championship Everett High team, and when football didn’t work out for him at Merrimack College (North Andover, MA), Kabamba found boxing.
“I went to a boxing gym and just started boxing,” the 25-year-old explained. “I didn’t have football anymore but I was an athlete. It’s been quite a ride with ups and downs, but I stayed with it. I’ll do anything to come back with an Olympic gold medal. I know who I am!”
The boxing world is gradually discovering who Kabamba is and his next goal is to earn a spot on the 2028 USA Boxing Olympic Team to compete in Los Angeles. Massachusetts hasn’t had a male Olympic boxer in nearly a century, since New Bedford lightweight Nathan “Nat” Boor, who captured a bronze medal, ironically, at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. (Lynn’s Rashida Ellis competed in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.)
New England has had a pair of Olympic super heavyweights, Rhode Island’s Jason “Big Six’ Estrada in 2004, and Connecticut’s Lawrence Clay-Bey, who was Captain of the 1996 USA Boxing Olympic Team. “I know that I have big shoes to fill and I’ll do my best to fight in the 2028 Olympics,” Kabamba noted. “It’s a big deal!”
USA Boxing’s prestigious elite teams are precursors in terms of featuring the most hopeful Olympic boxers. Kabamba is a member of the 2026 Men’s Elite High Performance Squad, one of two super heavyweights along with Nnajai Wright; Kelvin Watts is the super heavyweight on the 2026 Men’s Elite High Performance Team. The three aforementioned super heavyweight boxers are favorites to proudly wear the red, white and blue, but only one can qualify.
Because Kabamba started boxing at such a relatively older age, he has been catching up with the other two much more experienced super heavyweights, but he is rapidly closing any gap there may still be.
“It’s me against them but I’m the best, no questions about it,” Kabamba exclaimed. “They’ve all been boxing a lot longer than me, but I’m older and more matured. I also have a fresher body and I’m the most athletic. The key (to being selected as the 2028 USA Boxing Olympic Team’s super heavyweight) is winning matches and our sparring sessions.”
Kabamba reportedly has a 42-6 (8 KOs) amateur boxing record, according to boxrec.com, highlighted by his recent gold-medal winning performance this past May in Colombia at the 2026 Copa America, dominating the action by going 7-0 in his international debut.
A tree-time New England Golden Gloves Champion, Kabamba also won at the 2024 National Golden Gloves Tournament and 2025 International USA Open, to go with his runner-up finish at the 2025 USA Boxing National Championships.
Kabamba, naturally, isn’t the same boxer he was a few years ago when he started boxing. He has been trained in Boston for the past two years by another USA Boxing product, Mark DeLuca, a 3-time Junior Olympics Champion who turned pro after only one year competing in the open division, largely because he kept running into Demetrious Andrade and Edwin Rodriguez in national tournaments. Andrade became a 2008 Olympian and 3-time, 2-division world champion as a professional; Rodriguez was the 2005 USA Boxing Championships and 2006 National Golden Gloves champion, who had a 31-3 (20 KOs) pro record.
DeLuca, known as “The Bazooka”, was a solid pro, registering a 30-4 (18 KOs), and today he is one of the most promising, young trainers in the industry.
“I used to just come forward to take my opponents’ head off like (Mike) Tyson,” Kabamba described his style. “Mark changed my style; I learned how to box. Now, I’m a puncher-boxer. I always liked hitting from my football years and I’ve never been shy of contact. Some football players who tried boxing quit because they didn’t like getting hit. You’re going to get hit in boxing but it comes down to how you hit back. “
DeLuca has been training Kabamba for two years. Whenever Gilbert isn’t at training camp with his USA Boxing teammates in Colorado Springs, he returns home to Dorchester, religiously training twice a day with Deluca at Waymaker Boxing gym.
“Gilbert had raw talent when he first came into our gym,” DeLuca remembered. “He was very athletic and is an exceptional worker. I knew there was a lot to work with. He’s only at 50-percent of what he can become. His ceiling is very high. He’s only 25, a baby, especially because heavyweights don’t peak until their early thirties.
“He absolutely can be an Olympian. It’s good for him to train in Colorado Springs because it’s important that the coaches get to know him. It’s impossible not to love his enthusiasm. He’s a real student of boxing, too. The Olympics are still two years away, but calls (promoters and managers) are already coming. I compare him to Evander Holyfield. Gilbert’s not tall, 6’ 2”, and is a pocket fighter like Holyfield. He has fast hands and is bigger than Holyfield at a solid 250 pounds.”
The best is yet to come for Kabamba. “My goal is to fight in the Olympics and then go pro,” Kabamba concluded. “I want to be world champion and leave a legacy like Ali and Tyson.”
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Horiike wins by TKO in Tokyo |
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Hiroki Horiike TKO7 Yoon Tak... On Saturday at Tokyo’s iconic Korakuen Hall, junior welterweight Hiroki Horiike retained his OPBF regional title by stopping Yoon Tak (7-3-1) of South Korea. From the opening bell, Horiike (9-0) imposed his conditions on the bout, dictating the tempo with accurate combinations and control of distance. He also had realized the punishment the South Korean challenger was receiving, and declared the TKO in favor of Horiike.
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Horiike wins by TKO in Tokyo
Hiroki Horiike TKO7 Yoon Tak... On Saturday at Tokyo’s iconic Korakuen Hall, junior welterweight Hiroki Horiike retained his OPBF regional title by stopping Yoon Tak (7-3-1) of South Korea. From the opening bell, Horiike (9-0) imposed his conditions on the bout, dictating the tempo with accurate combinations and control of distance. He also had realized the punishment the South Korean challenger was receiving, and declared the TKO in favor of Horiike.
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Itauma vs. Hrgovic will determine the vacant IBF heavyweight championship |
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Frank Sanchez, the IBF's #1 heavyweight contender, has agreed to step aside, a move that clears the way for the August 29th fight between Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic to determine the next IBF heavyweight champion. The fight is scheduled to take place at London's O2 Arena. The IBF title became vacant earlier this year when world champion Oleksander Usyk vacated the IBF, WBA and WBC titles. Sanchez had put himself in the IBF's mandatory contender position by defeating Richard Torrez Jr. In May. The news of the IBF sanction was reported by the BBC, whose source was promoter Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions. Warren would not disclose how much Sanchez was paid to step aside but he added that a condition of the deal was that the winner of Itauma-Hrgovic would defend against the Cuban. The 21 year-old Itauma is 14-0 with 12 KOs, including two quality wins (Jermaine Frankin and Dillian Whyte) in the last twelve months. Hrgovic, 34 and from Croatia, is a 2016 Olympic medalist with three straight wins following a loss to Daniel Dubois, who currently holds the WBO version of the heavyweight championship. Hrgovic is credited with a record of 20-1, but Boxingtalk considers the World Series of Boxing (where Hrgovic campaigned from 2010-2015) to be professional, so we credit him with a pro record of 46-5. Recently, Hrgovic has defeated British heavyweights Dave Allen, Joe Joyce and David Adeleye since his career-first loss against Daniel Dubois in June 2024.
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Itauma vs. Hrgovic will determine the vacant IBF heavyweight championship
Frank Sanchez, the IBF's #1 heavyweight contender, has agreed to step aside, a move that clears the way for the August 29th fight between Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic to determine the next IBF heavyweight champion. The fight is scheduled to take place at London's O2 Arena. The IBF title became vacant earlier this year when world champion Oleksander Usyk vacated the IBF, WBA and WBC titles. Sanchez had put himself in the IBF's mandatory contender position by defeating Richard Torrez Jr. In May. The news of the IBF sanction was reported by the BBC, whose source was promoter Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions. Warren would not disclose how much Sanchez was paid to step aside but he added that a condition of the deal was that the winner of Itauma-Hrgovic would defend against the Cuban. The 21 year-old Itauma is 14-0 with 12 KOs, including two quality wins (Jermaine Frankin and Dillian Whyte) in the last twelve months. Hrgovic, 34 and from Croatia, is a 2016 Olympic medalist with three straight wins following a loss to Daniel Dubois, who currently holds the WBO version of the heavyweight championship. Hrgovic is credited with a record of 20-1, but Boxingtalk considers the World Series of Boxing (where Hrgovic campaigned from 2010-2015) to be professional, so we credit him with a pro record of 46-5. Recently, Hrgovic has defeated British heavyweights Dave Allen, Joe Joyce and David Adeleye since his career-first loss against Daniel Dubois in June 2024.
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Matchroom reveals Sept. 19th undercard |
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A night of boxing is in store at Manchester’s Co-op Live on Saturday, September 19tn, live worldwide on DAZN, as Matchroom's Eddie Hearn today announced an undercard featuring Shabaz Masoud. John Hedges and Pat Brown headline at the state-of-the-art venue when the two undefeated rivals collide for the British and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles. And the unbeaten ‘Maverick’ Masoud moves up a weight division as he challenges Argentina’s Ckari Mansilla (19-4, 13 KOs). The Stoke star was victorious in his last outing back in December last year when he overcame Peter McGrail for the European 122-pound crown with a classy, unanimous points win. Now the 15-0, 4 KOs, fighter – who is trained by Ben Davison – is looking to rise up the rankings and challenge for honours in the 126lbs division.
Another fighter looking to make his mark at a bigger weight division is Northampton’s Kieron Conway (23-4-1, 7 KOs), who returns to the ring for the first time since last October when he surrendered his British and Commonwealth titles in a stoppage defeat by George Liddard at York Hall. But he is bidding to campaign for the prestigious Lonsdale belt once more at super middleweight when he steps up to challenge Mark Jeffers in a British title eliminator.
The ‘Wigan Warrior’ Joe Howarth (15-2, 4 KOs), in his first fight since February, is back too as he takes on Lancashire’s Josh Holmes (18-0, 7 KOs).
Manchester’s own Alfie Middlemiss – trained by Jamie Moore – looks to extend his winning run as a professional when the 23-year-old 6-0 charge faces Ireland’s ’Short Fuse’, featherweight Gerard Hughes (6-1-1).
Another local lad in Lancashire’s Tom Rafferty (187-0, 7 KOs) is out to ensure he maintains his 100 per cent record too when the middleweight takes on Ireland’s ‘Kingdom Kid’ Liam Walsh (9-1-2, 4 KOs).
And exciting Welsh youngster Garan Croft, who trains out of former champion Anthony ‘Million Dollar’ Crolla’s Manchester gym, joins the card as the 6-0, 2 KOs middleweight hopeful bid to continue his flourishing career with his seventh career victory.
Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn said: “Hedges versus Brown is one of the best domestic showdowns of the year – and now we have an undercard stacked with some of the country’s most promising young talent and seasoned campaigners.
“Shabaz Masoud was excellent in Monte-Carlo last December. He’s had back-to-back statement wins over the likes of Peter McGrail and Liam Davies. Now he’s jumping up, I fully expect him to be a handful at featherweiight.
“Kieron Conway, also moving up in weight, needs no introduction and his opponent Mark Jeffers will provide a great challenge in what will be a brilliant eliminator for the British Super Middleweight Title.
“And we’ve got some exciting young talent in the form of Alfie Middlemiss, Tom Rafferty and Garan Croft all out to stretch their winning records.
“You’d pay to see the Main Event alone, but this entertaining undercard is guaranteed to provide proper value for money at the Co-op Live on September 19th. Be there or tune in, live on the Global Home of Boxing, DAZN.”
Tickets are on sale now. For more information, head to matchroomboxing.com
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Matchroom reveals Sept. 19th undercard
A night of boxing is in store at Manchester’s Co-op Live on Saturday, September 19tn, live worldwide on DAZN, as Matchroom's Eddie Hearn today announced an undercard featuring Shabaz Masoud. John Hedges and Pat Brown headline at the state-of-the-art venue when the two undefeated rivals collide for the British and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles. And the unbeaten ‘Maverick’ Masoud moves up a weight division as he challenges Argentina’s Ckari Mansilla (19-4, 13 KOs). The Stoke star was victorious in his last outing back in December last year when he overcame Peter McGrail for the European 122-pound crown with a classy, unanimous points win. Now the 15-0, 4 KOs, fighter – who is trained by Ben Davison – is looking to rise up the rankings and challenge for honours in the 126lbs division.
Another fighter looking to make his mark at a bigger weight division is Northampton’s Kieron Conway (23-4-1, 7 KOs), who returns to the ring for the first time since last October when he surrendered his British and Commonwealth titles in a stoppage defeat by George Liddard at York Hall. But he is bidding to campaign for the prestigious Lonsdale belt once more at super middleweight when he steps up to challenge Mark Jeffers in a British title eliminator.
The ‘Wigan Warrior’ Joe Howarth (15-2, 4 KOs), in his first fight since February, is back too as he takes on Lancashire’s Josh Holmes (18-0, 7 KOs).
Manchester’s own Alfie Middlemiss – trained by Jamie Moore – looks to extend his winning run as a professional when the 23-year-old 6-0 charge faces Ireland’s ’Short Fuse’, featherweight Gerard Hughes (6-1-1).
Another local lad in Lancashire’s Tom Rafferty (187-0, 7 KOs) is out to ensure he maintains his 100 per cent record too when the middleweight takes on Ireland’s ‘Kingdom Kid’ Liam Walsh (9-1-2, 4 KOs).
And exciting Welsh youngster Garan Croft, who trains out of former champion Anthony ‘Million Dollar’ Crolla’s Manchester gym, joins the card as the 6-0, 2 KOs middleweight hopeful bid to continue his flourishing career with his seventh career victory.
Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn said: “Hedges versus Brown is one of the best domestic showdowns of the year – and now we have an undercard stacked with some of the country’s most promising young talent and seasoned campaigners.
“Shabaz Masoud was excellent in Monte-Carlo last December. He’s had back-to-back statement wins over the likes of Peter McGrail and Liam Davies. Now he’s jumping up, I fully expect him to be a handful at featherweiight.
“Kieron Conway, also moving up in weight, needs no introduction and his opponent Mark Jeffers will provide a great challenge in what will be a brilliant eliminator for the British Super Middleweight Title.
“And we’ve got some exciting young talent in the form of Alfie Middlemiss, Tom Rafferty and Garan Croft all out to stretch their winning records.
“You’d pay to see the Main Event alone, but this entertaining undercard is guaranteed to provide proper value for money at the Co-op Live on September 19th. Be there or tune in, live on the Global Home of Boxing, DAZN.”
Tickets are on sale now. For more information, head to matchroomboxing.com
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WBA: Itauma not Miller is our heavyweight mandatory contender |
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The WBA. corrected a serious error in the publication of its July heavyweight rankings, which incorrectly listed Jarrell Miller as the WBA’s official mandatory challenger. On Monday, the WBA stated that WBA heavyweight champion Murat Gassiev has one official mandatory challenger-- Moses Itauma (pictured) of the United Kingdom, who currently holds the #1 spot in the rankings and has been awaiting his world title opportunity for several months. While Miller returned to the ring on April 24th and earned a unanimous decision victory over Lenier Peró in Las Vegas, the WBA now says that the bout was not a final eliminator qand that the victory did not make Miller the WBA’s official mandatory challenger. Editor's note: this was no casual mistake, as the WBA repeatedly called Miller vs. Pero an elimination bout before during and after it took place. According to the WBA website, The WBA sincerely apologizes for the inadvertent error and any confusion it may have caused. This clarification is being issued in the interest of maintaining transparency within one of boxing’s premier divisions and ensuring that the public has an accurate understanding of the current status of the heavyweight championship picture".
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
APRIL 26, 2026: Volume and relentless pressure once again proved to be the winning formula for Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller. In a physically punishing heavyweight clash, the Brooklyn native earned a unanimous decision over Cuba’s Lenier “El Justiciero” Peró on Saturday, April 25th at the BleauLive Theater inside Fontainebleau Las Vegas, securing his position as a top contender in the WBA rankings. The fight opened with Peró in control, as the Cuban southpaw relied on his Olympic pedigree and technical polish to keep Miller at bay through the first three rounds. Using fluid footwork and sharp hooks, Peró appeared to have the rhythm figured out, frustrating Miller’s early attempts to close the distance. However, beginning in the fourth round, Miller’s sheer mass and constant forward pressure—having tipped the scales at 305 pounds—began to shift the momentum.
The turning point came in the second half of the bout. True to his bully style, Miller forced Peró into close quarters, punishing the body and landing heavy uppercuts that gradually wore down the Cuban’s conditioning. By the eighth round, fatigue had clearly set in for Peró, who struggled to keep pace with Miller’s relentless work rate—an unusually high punch volume for the heavyweight division—as he was backed up against the ropes.
After twelve grueling rounds of physical warfare, the judges returned scores of 117-111 (twice) and 115-113, all in favor of Miller. With the victory, “Big Baby” (28-1-2, 22 KOs) not only hands Peró his first professional defeat, but also positions himself firmly on the brink of a world title opportunity [perhaps against WBA secondary champion Murat Gassiev]. Following the fight, Miller wasted no time calling out Deontay Wilder, targeting what he described as a definitive all-American heavyweight showdown for late 2026. Meanwhile, Peró (13-1) suffers his first setback as a pro, showing flashes of elite technique, but ultimately undone by the decisive factors of size, pressure, and punch volume on a demanding night in Las Vegas.
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WBA: Itauma not Miller is our heavyweight mandatory contender
The WBA. corrected a serious error in the publication of its July heavyweight rankings, which incorrectly listed Jarrell Miller as the WBA’s official mandatory challenger. On Monday, the WBA stated that WBA heavyweight champion Murat Gassiev has one official mandatory challenger-- Moses Itauma (pictured) of the United Kingdom, who currently holds the #1 spot in the rankings and has been awaiting his world title opportunity for several months. While Miller returned to the ring on April 24th and earned a unanimous decision victory over Lenier Peró in Las Vegas, the WBA now says that the bout was not a final eliminator qand that the victory did not make Miller the WBA’s official mandatory challenger. Editor's note: this was no casual mistake, as the WBA repeatedly called Miller vs. Pero an elimination bout before during and after it took place. According to the WBA website, The WBA sincerely apologizes for the inadvertent error and any confusion it may have caused. This clarification is being issued in the interest of maintaining transparency within one of boxing’s premier divisions and ensuring that the public has an accurate understanding of the current status of the heavyweight championship picture".
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
APRIL 26, 2026: Volume and relentless pressure once again proved to be the winning formula for Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller. In a physically punishing heavyweight clash, the Brooklyn native earned a unanimous decision over Cuba’s Lenier “El Justiciero” Peró on Saturday, April 25th at the BleauLive Theater inside Fontainebleau Las Vegas, securing his position as a top contender in the WBA rankings. The fight opened with Peró in control, as the Cuban southpaw relied on his Olympic pedigree and technical polish to keep Miller at bay through the first three rounds. Using fluid footwork and sharp hooks, Peró appeared to have the rhythm figured out, frustrating Miller’s early attempts to close the distance. However, beginning in the fourth round, Miller’s sheer mass and constant forward pressure—having tipped the scales at 305 pounds—began to shift the momentum.
The turning point came in the second half of the bout. True to his bully style, Miller forced Peró into close quarters, punishing the body and landing heavy uppercuts that gradually wore down the Cuban’s conditioning. By the eighth round, fatigue had clearly set in for Peró, who struggled to keep pace with Miller’s relentless work rate—an unusually high punch volume for the heavyweight division—as he was backed up against the ropes.
After twelve grueling rounds of physical warfare, the judges returned scores of 117-111 (twice) and 115-113, all in favor of Miller. With the victory, “Big Baby” (28-1-2, 22 KOs) not only hands Peró his first professional defeat, but also positions himself firmly on the brink of a world title opportunity [perhaps against WBA secondary champion Murat Gassiev]. Following the fight, Miller wasted no time calling out Deontay Wilder, targeting what he described as a definitive all-American heavyweight showdown for late 2026. Meanwhile, Peró (13-1) suffers his first setback as a pro, showing flashes of elite technique, but ultimately undone by the decisive factors of size, pressure, and punch volume on a demanding night in Las Vegas.
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WBA orders Schofield vs. Bahdi for vacant lightweight title |
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The WBA has ordered a purse bid for the vacant lightweight world title bout between Floyd Schofield and Lucas Bahdi. The bidding is scheduled for Tuesday, August 11th in Cypress, Texas. The title was recently stripped from Gervonta "Tank" Davis, who had not defended it since March 2025 and is in over his head in legal issues, including charges of violence against a girlfriend. Bahdi is 20-0 with four straight quality wins -- thre of them over undefeated foes and one against former world title holder Roger Gutierrez. Schofield is 19-0 and considered the better prospect than Bahdi. Svhofield holds a win over former world title holder Tevin Farmer.
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WBA orders Schofield vs. Bahdi for vacant lightweight title
The WBA has ordered a purse bid for the vacant lightweight world title bout between Floyd Schofield and Lucas Bahdi. The bidding is scheduled for Tuesday, August 11th in Cypress, Texas. The title was recently stripped from Gervonta "Tank" Davis, who had not defended it since March 2025 and is in over his head in legal issues, including charges of violence against a girlfriend. Bahdi is 20-0 with four straight quality wins -- thre of them over undefeated foes and one against former world title holder Roger Gutierrez. Schofield is 19-0 and considered the better prospect than Bahdi. Svhofield holds a win over former world title holder Tevin Farmer.
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Ex-champ Germán Torres recovering from heart attack |
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Former 108-pound champion Germán Torres is in stable condition and recovering smoothly after successfully undergoing a catheterization procedure at a hospital in Celaya, Mexico. The medical procedure was performed after Torres suffered a mild heart attack. Thanks to the prompt attention of the medical staff, the procedure was completed without complications. The WBC states that Torres is currently out of danger, with an excellent prognosis, and remains under routine observation.
Torres has a career mark of 63-13-4 in a career that spanned 1975 to 1994. reached the pinnacle of his career in December 1988, crowning himself WBC light flyweight champion after a road victory over Soon Jung Kang in South Korea. His championship was the culmination of a career defined by tenacity, having fought historic battles against the world’s best fighters of his era. He lost the title in his first defense, getting stopped by Yul Woo Lee, also in Korea.
Boxingtalk wishes German Torres a full and speedy recovery.
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Ex-champ Germán Torres recovering from heart attack
Former 108-pound champion Germán Torres is in stable condition and recovering smoothly after successfully undergoing a catheterization procedure at a hospital in Celaya, Mexico. The medical procedure was performed after Torres suffered a mild heart attack. Thanks to the prompt attention of the medical staff, the procedure was completed without complications. The WBC states that Torres is currently out of danger, with an excellent prognosis, and remains under routine observation.
Torres has a career mark of 63-13-4 in a career that spanned 1975 to 1994. reached the pinnacle of his career in December 1988, crowning himself WBC light flyweight champion after a road victory over Soon Jung Kang in South Korea. His championship was the culmination of a career defined by tenacity, having fought historic battles against the world’s best fighters of his era. He lost the title in his first defense, getting stopped by Yul Woo Lee, also in Korea.
Boxingtalk wishes German Torres a full and speedy recovery.
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BKFC results from Newcastle, England |
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On Saturday, Bradley Taylor became the inaugural BKFC United Kingdom bantamweight champion, beating Lewis “The Leprechaun” Garside for the vacant title in Newcastle, England. (In BKFC, bantmawieght is 135 pounds). Taylor recorded the sole knockdown of the night in the opening round, paving the way to the unanimous decision victory via scores of 49-45 (twice) and 50-44. The 26-year old Hartlepool, England product is now unbeaten in his first five trips to the BKFC squared circle. Garside, who hails from Sunderland, England, is now 3-1. In front of a deafening hometown crowd, Newcastle’s Lewis “The Machine” Keen stopped Stew “Tank” Martin . Keen dropped Martin to the canvas twice before their bout was stopped at 1:27 of the fourth round. Martin, a product of Bolton, England, is now 1-1 in his BKFC career.
Dylan “The Cramlington Cobra” Fail took home the unanimous decision victory over Liam Hutchinson in their welterweight matchup. All three judges agreed on the 49-45 verdict for the winner from Cramlington, England. Hutchinson, who represents Peterlee, England, is now 2-2 in his BKFC career.
Washington, England heavyweight James “Sugar Man” Walker upped his record to 3-0 with a hard-fought decision victory over Barry “The Pitbull” Boyle. Two judges scored the fight 49-46 and one scored the contest 50-45, all for Walker. Boyle, who hails from Glasgow, Scotland, was making his BKFC debut.
Carlisle, England’s Mickey “Be The Example” Nolan shined in his BKFC debut by earning a one-sided decision at the expense of “Big Bad” John Ferguson in the middleweight division. All three judges scored the fight 50-45 for Nolan. Ferguson, a product of Ashington, England, is now 1-4 under the BKFC banner.
Middlesbrough, England’s Harrison Cave and Danny “The Destroyer” Moir of Scarborough, England fought to a draw in light heavyweight action. Cave scored the sole knockdown of the night, but it wasn’t enough to convince the judges, who all agreed on the 47-47 verdict. Cave was making his BKFC debut, while Moir is now 2-2-1 in the Squared Circle.
Northumberland, England’s KJ Metcalfe was victorious in his BKFC premiere, stopping Owen Webster in the third round of their welterweight showdown. The stoppage came at 1:36 of the third frame. Webster, who hails from Kirkholt, England, was also making his BKFC debut.
Hartlepool, England’s Cory “El Chapo” Chapman picked himself up off the canvas three times and rallied for a come-from-behind victory over Jack “The Berzerker” Blair in bantamweight action. Chapman logged five knockdowns of his own before winning by TKO with one second left in the second stanza. Chapman and the Annan, Scotland fighter Blair were both stepping into the squared circle for the first time.
Leicester, England light heavyweight Harry Bray was victorious in his BKFC debut, flooring Dylan Yendall twice before Yendall’s corner called a stop to the fight one minute into the second round. The Middlesbrough, England product Yendall was also making his BKFC debut.
Darlington, England’s Chris “Hightower” Burton won his BKFC premiere after dropping “Big” Dan Curtin three times in the opening round of their heavyweight matchup. Two judges scored the fight 48-44 and one had it 47-45, all for Burton. Curtin, who hails from Oxford, England, is now 0-2 under the BKFC banner.
Wigan, England flyweight “Savage” Sally McDonald was stellar in her BKFC premiere, dropping “The Tartan Witch” Sandra Rees three times en route to the third-round TKO victory in the opening bout of the night. Time of the stoppage was 1:38 of the third frame. Reese, who represents Annan, Scotland, was also making her BKFC debut.
BKFC Fight Night Newcastle Results
Bradley Taylor def. Lewis Garside via Unanimous Decision (49-45x2, 50-44)
Wins Inaugural BKFC U.K. Bantamweight Title
Lewis Keen def. Stew Martin via TKO in Round 4 (1:27)
Dylan Fail def. Liam Hutchinson via Unanimous Decision (49-45x3)
James Walker def. Barry Boyle via Unanimous Decision (49-46x2, 50-45)
Mickey Nolan def. John Ferguson via Unanimous Decision (50-45x3)
Harrison Cave vs. Danny Moir declared a Draw (47-47x3)
KJ Metcalfe def. Owen Webster via TKO in Round 3 (1:36)
Cory Chapman def. Jack Blair via TKO in Round 2 (1:59)
Harry Bray def. Dylan Yendall via TKO in Round 2 (1:00)
Chris Burton def. Dan Curtin via Unanimous Decision (48-44x2, 47-45)
Sally McDonald def. Sandra Rees via TKO in Round 3 (1:38)
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BKFC results from Newcastle, England
On Saturday, Bradley Taylor became the inaugural BKFC United Kingdom bantamweight champion, beating Lewis “The Leprechaun” Garside for the vacant title in Newcastle, England. (In BKFC, bantmawieght is 135 pounds). Taylor recorded the sole knockdown of the night in the opening round, paving the way to the unanimous decision victory via scores of 49-45 (twice) and 50-44. The 26-year old Hartlepool, England product is now unbeaten in his first five trips to the BKFC squared circle. Garside, who hails from Sunderland, England, is now 3-1. In front of a deafening hometown crowd, Newcastle’s Lewis “The Machine” Keen stopped Stew “Tank” Martin . Keen dropped Martin to the canvas twice before their bout was stopped at 1:27 of the fourth round. Martin, a product of Bolton, England, is now 1-1 in his BKFC career.
Dylan “The Cramlington Cobra” Fail took home the unanimous decision victory over Liam Hutchinson in their welterweight matchup. All three judges agreed on the 49-45 verdict for the winner from Cramlington, England. Hutchinson, who represents Peterlee, England, is now 2-2 in his BKFC career.
Washington, England heavyweight James “Sugar Man” Walker upped his record to 3-0 with a hard-fought decision victory over Barry “The Pitbull” Boyle. Two judges scored the fight 49-46 and one scored the contest 50-45, all for Walker. Boyle, who hails from Glasgow, Scotland, was making his BKFC debut.
Carlisle, England’s Mickey “Be The Example” Nolan shined in his BKFC debut by earning a one-sided decision at the expense of “Big Bad” John Ferguson in the middleweight division. All three judges scored the fight 50-45 for Nolan. Ferguson, a product of Ashington, England, is now 1-4 under the BKFC banner.
Middlesbrough, England’s Harrison Cave and Danny “The Destroyer” Moir of Scarborough, England fought to a draw in light heavyweight action. Cave scored the sole knockdown of the night, but it wasn’t enough to convince the judges, who all agreed on the 47-47 verdict. Cave was making his BKFC debut, while Moir is now 2-2-1 in the Squared Circle.
Northumberland, England’s KJ Metcalfe was victorious in his BKFC premiere, stopping Owen Webster in the third round of their welterweight showdown. The stoppage came at 1:36 of the third frame. Webster, who hails from Kirkholt, England, was also making his BKFC debut.
Hartlepool, England’s Cory “El Chapo” Chapman picked himself up off the canvas three times and rallied for a come-from-behind victory over Jack “The Berzerker” Blair in bantamweight action. Chapman logged five knockdowns of his own before winning by TKO with one second left in the second stanza. Chapman and the Annan, Scotland fighter Blair were both stepping into the squared circle for the first time.
Leicester, England light heavyweight Harry Bray was victorious in his BKFC debut, flooring Dylan Yendall twice before Yendall’s corner called a stop to the fight one minute into the second round. The Middlesbrough, England product Yendall was also making his BKFC debut.
Darlington, England’s Chris “Hightower” Burton won his BKFC premiere after dropping “Big” Dan Curtin three times in the opening round of their heavyweight matchup. Two judges scored the fight 48-44 and one had it 47-45, all for Burton. Curtin, who hails from Oxford, England, is now 0-2 under the BKFC banner.
Wigan, England flyweight “Savage” Sally McDonald was stellar in her BKFC premiere, dropping “The Tartan Witch” Sandra Rees three times en route to the third-round TKO victory in the opening bout of the night. Time of the stoppage was 1:38 of the third frame. Reese, who represents Annan, Scotland, was also making her BKFC debut.
BKFC Fight Night Newcastle Results
Bradley Taylor def. Lewis Garside via Unanimous Decision (49-45x2, 50-44)
Wins Inaugural BKFC U.K. Bantamweight Title
Lewis Keen def. Stew Martin via TKO in Round 4 (1:27)
Dylan Fail def. Liam Hutchinson via Unanimous Decision (49-45x3)
James Walker def. Barry Boyle via Unanimous Decision (49-46x2, 50-45)
Mickey Nolan def. John Ferguson via Unanimous Decision (50-45x3)
Harrison Cave vs. Danny Moir declared a Draw (47-47x3)
KJ Metcalfe def. Owen Webster via TKO in Round 3 (1:36)
Cory Chapman def. Jack Blair via TKO in Round 2 (1:59)
Harry Bray def. Dylan Yendall via TKO in Round 2 (1:00)
Chris Burton def. Dan Curtin via Unanimous Decision (48-44x2, 47-45)
Sally McDonald def. Sandra Rees via TKO in Round 3 (1:38)
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New champion alert: Zepeda defeats Roach for WBC lightweight belt |
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William Zepeda W12 Lamont Roach... Mexico has a new champion after William Zepeda won the vacant WBC lightweight title, live on DAZN. On Saturday night, Zepeda 34-1) faced America's Lamont Roach Jr. in Las Vegas and on paper was a near 50-50 bout. However, Zepeda's all-action, relentless fighting style had him on top throughout, with the Mexican throwing 884 punches over the fight's scheduled twelve rounds. Winning by unanimous decision, Zepeda was able to banish the ghosts of his defeat to Shakur Stevenson for the same belt just over a year earlier. Stevenson eventually vacated the title to move up in weight. Official scores were 118-110 and 117-111 (twice). DAZN News had the fight scored 116-112 for Zepeda. Roach, who was coming off two hard luck draws that he deserved to win, falls to 25-2-3.
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New champion alert: Zepeda defeats Roach for WBC lightweight belt
William Zepeda W12 Lamont Roach... Mexico has a new champion after William Zepeda won the vacant WBC lightweight title, live on DAZN. On Saturday night, Zepeda 34-1) faced America's Lamont Roach Jr. in Las Vegas and on paper was a near 50-50 bout. However, Zepeda's all-action, relentless fighting style had him on top throughout, with the Mexican throwing 884 punches over the fight's scheduled twelve rounds. Winning by unanimous decision, Zepeda was able to banish the ghosts of his defeat to Shakur Stevenson for the same belt just over a year earlier. Stevenson eventually vacated the title to move up in weight. Official scores were 118-110 and 117-111 (twice). DAZN News had the fight scored 116-112 for Zepeda. Roach, who was coming off two hard luck draws that he deserved to win, falls to 25-2-3.
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Muratalla retains IBF lightweight title |
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Raymond Muratalla W12 Robson Conceicao...Before Roach and Zepeda went head-to-head in Las Vegas, another version of the lightweight championship was on the line. Raymond Muratalla made the first defense of his IBF lightweight title, defeating Brazil's Robson Conceicao. Now 21-4-1, the Brazilian Conceicao failed to make the most of an opportunity to become a two-division champion. (he briefly held the WBC 130-pound title in 2024). Now 25-0, Muratalla's constant pressure, and power punches in the latter stages took their toll on Conceicao who was struggling to find openings, even when he tried to be creative with his strategy. The 29year-old American was a convincing winner on all three judges' scorecards after twelve rounds.
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Muratalla retains IBF lightweight title
Raymond Muratalla W12 Robson Conceicao...Before Roach and Zepeda went head-to-head in Las Vegas, another version of the lightweight championship was on the line. Raymond Muratalla made the first defense of his IBF lightweight title, defeating Brazil's Robson Conceicao. Now 21-4-1, the Brazilian Conceicao failed to make the most of an opportunity to become a two-division champion. (he briefly held the WBC 130-pound title in 2024). Now 25-0, Muratalla's constant pressure, and power punches in the latter stages took their toll on Conceicao who was struggling to find openings, even when he tried to be creative with his strategy. The 29year-old American was a convincing winner on all three judges' scorecards after twelve rounds.
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Fundora being pushed to fight his mandatory |
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According to the WBC, junior middleweight Sebastian Fundora (pictured) could make another defense of his WBC title on October 17th against top-ranked contender Ermal Hadribeaj of Albania. The American, known as “The Towering Inferno,” owns a record of 24 victories, 1 defeat, and 1 draw, and is coming off a successful title defense against faded ex-welterweight champ Keith Thurman. Standing across from him could be Hadribeaj with a record of 23-0-1 and is the current WBC mandatory challenger in the wake of his May win over Bakary Samake.
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Fundora being pushed to fight his mandatory
According to the WBC, junior middleweight Sebastian Fundora (pictured) could make another defense of his WBC title on October 17th against top-ranked contender Ermal Hadribeaj of Albania. The American, known as “The Towering Inferno,” owns a record of 24 victories, 1 defeat, and 1 draw, and is coming off a successful title defense against faded ex-welterweight champ Keith Thurman. Standing across from him could be Hadribeaj with a record of 23-0-1 and is the current WBC mandatory challenger in the wake of his May win over Bakary Samake.
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Canada's Caroline Veyre plans first title defense |
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WBC junior lightweight champion Caroline Veyre will make the first defense of her title against undefeated IBO title holder Bernice Ferreira in a bout that will pit two champions against each other with the goal of establishing themselves as the best in the division. The WBC did not announce the date or venue for the bout. Veyre captured the vacant WBC title in February by controversially defeating former champion Delfine Persoon. The 37-year-old Canadian represented her country at the Olympic Games and currently holds a professional record of 11 wins and 1 loss. From South Africa, Ferreira enters the fight with a record of 10-0 including four knockouts. All of her fights have taken place in South Africa against opposition with limited international recognition.
“My opponent is 10-0 and a champion, and that’s exactly why I want this fight. I didn’t become a world champion to avoid challenges. I want to prove I’m the champion of this division, and the only way to do that is by facing the other champions,” said Veyre.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
FEB. 11, 2026... Canada's Caroline Veyre defeated Delfine Persoon in a very ugly fight for the vacant WBC junior lightweight championship. Veyre fought like a female John Ruiz, clutching and holding Person excessively throughout the ten rounds. The tactic worked well for Veyre, as referee Rodriguez deducted a total of four points, two from each boxer, but allowed Veyre to negate Persoon's offense. In rounds four and seven, as Veyre held Persoon, the referee unreasonably deducted points from Persoon for hitting behind the head. Veyre's holding penalties, both richly deserved, came in rounds five and nine. The verdict of 95-91, 94-92 and 98-88 in Veyre's favor was received with resounding boos from the Grand Rapids, Michigan crowd. The 41 year-old Persoon (50-4, 20 KOs) knows she won't get many more championship opportunities and was extremely upset with the officiating. Veyre (11-1) moved up from featherweight for this opportunity.
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Canada's Caroline Veyre plans first title defense
WBC junior lightweight champion Caroline Veyre will make the first defense of her title against undefeated IBO title holder Bernice Ferreira in a bout that will pit two champions against each other with the goal of establishing themselves as the best in the division. The WBC did not announce the date or venue for the bout. Veyre captured the vacant WBC title in February by controversially defeating former champion Delfine Persoon. The 37-year-old Canadian represented her country at the Olympic Games and currently holds a professional record of 11 wins and 1 loss. From South Africa, Ferreira enters the fight with a record of 10-0 including four knockouts. All of her fights have taken place in South Africa against opposition with limited international recognition.
“My opponent is 10-0 and a champion, and that’s exactly why I want this fight. I didn’t become a world champion to avoid challenges. I want to prove I’m the champion of this division, and the only way to do that is by facing the other champions,” said Veyre.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
FEB. 11, 2026... Canada's Caroline Veyre defeated Delfine Persoon in a very ugly fight for the vacant WBC junior lightweight championship. Veyre fought like a female John Ruiz, clutching and holding Person excessively throughout the ten rounds. The tactic worked well for Veyre, as referee Rodriguez deducted a total of four points, two from each boxer, but allowed Veyre to negate Persoon's offense. In rounds four and seven, as Veyre held Persoon, the referee unreasonably deducted points from Persoon for hitting behind the head. Veyre's holding penalties, both richly deserved, came in rounds five and nine. The verdict of 95-91, 94-92 and 98-88 in Veyre's favor was received with resounding boos from the Grand Rapids, Michigan crowd. The 41 year-old Persoon (50-4, 20 KOs) knows she won't get many more championship opportunities and was extremely upset with the officiating. Veyre (11-1) moved up from featherweight for this opportunity.
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DAZN signs Lopez directly; no promoter involved |
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Shay Segev, DAZN's CEO, made the following announcement on social media: "A landmark moment for boxing! Proud to welcome Teofimo Lopez to DAZN on an exclusive multi-fight agreement - a groundbreaking partnership between athlete and broadcaster, with no promoter involved. Teofimo is a generational talent, and this partnership creates exciting new opportunities for the biggest fights in the sport. The Takeover starts now." Lopez is a former world champion at 135 and 140 pounds.
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DAZN signs Lopez directly; no promoter involved
Shay Segev, DAZN's CEO, made the following announcement on social media: "A landmark moment for boxing! Proud to welcome Teofimo Lopez to DAZN on an exclusive multi-fight agreement - a groundbreaking partnership between athlete and broadcaster, with no promoter involved. Teofimo is a generational talent, and this partnership creates exciting new opportunities for the biggest fights in the sport. The Takeover starts now." Lopez is a former world champion at 135 and 140 pounds.
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Saturday is a must-win for Lamont Roach |
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Time is a precious thing. It's one of the few things you can never get back. Lamont Roach Jr. can never get 2025 back, even though he'd like to steal that time back. A former 130-pound champion, Roach gets the opportunity to wipe out the year that was on Saturday night when he meets William Zepeda for the vacant WBC 135-pound title in the main event in Las Vegas, live on DAZN worldwide and on TNT Sports. Roach (25-1-3) is coming off back-to-back majority draws in March 2025 against Gervonta Davis for the WBA lightweight title and then in December versus Issac Cruz for the interim WBC junior welterweight title. Both of those fights should have gone Roach's way, but bad judging prevented him from getting two world-class wins. World title opportunities are hard enough to come by, but the fact that Roach is getting his third in three fights is a testament to him and how those contests with David and Cruz were viewed.
Because of that, Saturday's clash with Zepeda is a must-win for Roach.
Roach is going to have to go to places that he didn't go against Davis and Cruz. Hopefully, he and his team rewatched those bouts on several occasions to see what went wrong and where he could be more effective so he leaves no doubt this time around.
That's going to be easier said than done considering who will be standing across the ring from him on Saturday in the fight capital of the world.
Zepeda (33-1, 27 KOs) only knows one way to fight. And that's going forward and throwing punches in bunches. The native of Mexico is looking to throw and throw with authority. He forced Shakur Stevenson to engage, and it's been regarded as the four-division world champion's most exciting fight to date. The result didn't go Zepeda's way as Stevenson proved to be slick enough and landed the cleaner shots to escape New York with the decision win in July 2025.
Roach should follow the blueprint from Stevenson and let the chips fall where they fall. If Roach doesn't and he comes up short yet again, then it will be a long time, if ever, that the Maryland native will sniff a world championship opportunity.
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Saturday is a must-win for Lamont Roach
Time is a precious thing. It's one of the few things you can never get back. Lamont Roach Jr. can never get 2025 back, even though he'd like to steal that time back. A former 130-pound champion, Roach gets the opportunity to wipe out the year that was on Saturday night when he meets William Zepeda for the vacant WBC 135-pound title in the main event in Las Vegas, live on DAZN worldwide and on TNT Sports. Roach (25-1-3) is coming off back-to-back majority draws in March 2025 against Gervonta Davis for the WBA lightweight title and then in December versus Issac Cruz for the interim WBC junior welterweight title. Both of those fights should have gone Roach's way, but bad judging prevented him from getting two world-class wins. World title opportunities are hard enough to come by, but the fact that Roach is getting his third in three fights is a testament to him and how those contests with David and Cruz were viewed.
Because of that, Saturday's clash with Zepeda is a must-win for Roach.
Roach is going to have to go to places that he didn't go against Davis and Cruz. Hopefully, he and his team rewatched those bouts on several occasions to see what went wrong and where he could be more effective so he leaves no doubt this time around.
That's going to be easier said than done considering who will be standing across the ring from him on Saturday in the fight capital of the world.
Zepeda (33-1, 27 KOs) only knows one way to fight. And that's going forward and throwing punches in bunches. The native of Mexico is looking to throw and throw with authority. He forced Shakur Stevenson to engage, and it's been regarded as the four-division world champion's most exciting fight to date. The result didn't go Zepeda's way as Stevenson proved to be slick enough and landed the cleaner shots to escape New York with the decision win in July 2025.
Roach should follow the blueprint from Stevenson and let the chips fall where they fall. If Roach doesn't and he comes up short yet again, then it will be a long time, if ever, that the Maryland native will sniff a world championship opportunity.
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Top Rank wins purse bid for Haney vs. Davis |
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The WBO announced that Top Rank submitted the winning bid of $8,550,000 million to secure the promotional rights for the proposed WBO welterweight championship bout between champion Devin Haney and mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis. Top Rank plans to hold the fight on October 3rd at one of the following three locations: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the State Farm Arena in Atlanta or the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. A losing bid was submitted by Teofimo Lopez's Takeover Promotions in the amount of $2,350,000. Takeover's representative protested the result, claiming that Top Rank's envelope was not properly sealed.
Under the WBO's 75/25 purse split, Haney is set to receive $6,412,500, while Davis, a former lightweight champion, will earn $2,137,500. The bout will be contested for Haney's WBO welterweight title, with Top Rank now responsible for promoting the event. Following the purse bid, the WBO posted on Twitter, "congratulations to all parties involved. We look forward to an outstanding world championship event."
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Top Rank wins purse bid for Haney vs. Davis
The WBO announced that Top Rank submitted the winning bid of $8,550,000 million to secure the promotional rights for the proposed WBO welterweight championship bout between champion Devin Haney and mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis. Top Rank plans to hold the fight on October 3rd at one of the following three locations: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the State Farm Arena in Atlanta or the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. A losing bid was submitted by Teofimo Lopez's Takeover Promotions in the amount of $2,350,000. Takeover's representative protested the result, claiming that Top Rank's envelope was not properly sealed.
Under the WBO's 75/25 purse split, Haney is set to receive $6,412,500, while Davis, a former lightweight champion, will earn $2,137,500. The bout will be contested for Haney's WBO welterweight title, with Top Rank now responsible for promoting the event. Following the purse bid, the WBO posted on Twitter, "congratulations to all parties involved. We look forward to an outstanding world championship event."
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PBC adds three bouts to Romero vs. Lopez PPV show |
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PBC announced that three bouts have been added to the Rolly Romero vs. Teofimo Lopez pay-per-view broadcast, which is scheduled for Saturday, August 22nd at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Yoenli Hernandez (10-0, 9 KOs) faces Francisco Daniel Veron (17-1-1, 10 KOs), Victor Santillan (16-2, 7 KOs) defends his interim WBA super bantamweight title against Antonio Russell (21-1, 13 KOs) and Carlos Utria (14-0, 11 KOs) meets Israel Mercado (13-1-2, 7 KOs).
Hernandez, the #1-ranked contender by the WBA and WBO, faces Veron in the ten-round middleweight co-feature. The Camagüey, Cuba native won a gold medal at the 2021 AIBA World Boxing Championships before turning professional in 2022. Hernandez went 3-0 in 2025, highlighted by a unanimous decision over Kyrone Davis, and most recently stopped Terrell Gausha in the fourth round in March.
"I'm preparing very hard for this fight, because I know that I have an extremely tough opponent in front of me," said Hernandez. "I have to continue to train that hard fight after fight and prove to everyone what I'm capable of. You can expect to see more of the same from me on August 22 in Las Vegas."
Veron enters the bout riding a three-fight winning streak, most recently defeating Raul Garcia by unanimous decision in April. The Buenos Aires native also owns victories over Roiman Villa and Vladimir Hernandez and fought Jahi Tucker to a draw.
"This is one of the toughest fights of my career, but we're well prepared for anything he bring," said Veron. "I'm here to face the best and I'm not ducking anyone. We're going to give people a lot to talk about when this fight is over. I'm coming to represent my Argentine people on August 22."
Santillan defends his WAB interim 122-pound title against Russell in a scheduled twelve-round bout. The La Romana, Dominican Republic native won the interim title by stopping Noel Reyes Cepeda in the third round in February. A bronze medalist at the 2015 Pan American Games, Santillan has fought professionally since 2018.
"It is an honor for me to be defending my title against Antonio Russell," said Santillan. "He is a good boxer who comes from a family of good fighters. I love this fight because the real winners are going to be the fans. We're gonna put on a show."
Russell has won two straight bouts since moving to 122 pounds. The Capitol Heights, Maryland native previously challenged Emmanuel Rodriguez for a world title and owns a technical decision victory over former world champion Juan Carlos Payano.
"I'm excited to be back in the ring and grateful for the opportunity to showcase my talent," said Russell. "Me and my brothers have been putting in the work every day in the gym, staying focused. It's almost that time to compete. I'm ready to bring another title home."
Utria makes his U.S. debut against Mercado in a scheduled ten-round junior welterweight bout. Utria, a 22-year old Colombian, won the WBC Boxing Grand Prix in December with a unanimous decision over Mujimillo Tursunov. He turned professional in 2023.
"I'm facing a strong opponent who's coming to win," said Utria. "That's the perfect opponent for my U.S. debut. We're prepared for whatever comes and ready to put on a dominating performance for everyone watching."
Mercado, of Pomona, California, is unbeaten in his last six bouts, posting four victories and two draws. He most recently earned decision victories over Jonathan Jose Eniz and Branden Pizarro.
"I've been patient, I've put in the work, and now I'm ready to show the fight fans what these hands can do," said Mercado. "I'm built for this stage. I can't wait to give everyone a great show and deliver a fight they won't forget."
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PBC adds three bouts to Romero vs. Lopez PPV show
PBC announced that three bouts have been added to the Rolly Romero vs. Teofimo Lopez pay-per-view broadcast, which is scheduled for Saturday, August 22nd at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Yoenli Hernandez (10-0, 9 KOs) faces Francisco Daniel Veron (17-1-1, 10 KOs), Victor Santillan (16-2, 7 KOs) defends his interim WBA super bantamweight title against Antonio Russell (21-1, 13 KOs) and Carlos Utria (14-0, 11 KOs) meets Israel Mercado (13-1-2, 7 KOs).
Hernandez, the #1-ranked contender by the WBA and WBO, faces Veron in the ten-round middleweight co-feature. The Camagüey, Cuba native won a gold medal at the 2021 AIBA World Boxing Championships before turning professional in 2022. Hernandez went 3-0 in 2025, highlighted by a unanimous decision over Kyrone Davis, and most recently stopped Terrell Gausha in the fourth round in March.
"I'm preparing very hard for this fight, because I know that I have an extremely tough opponent in front of me," said Hernandez. "I have to continue to train that hard fight after fight and prove to everyone what I'm capable of. You can expect to see more of the same from me on August 22 in Las Vegas."
Veron enters the bout riding a three-fight winning streak, most recently defeating Raul Garcia by unanimous decision in April. The Buenos Aires native also owns victories over Roiman Villa and Vladimir Hernandez and fought Jahi Tucker to a draw.
"This is one of the toughest fights of my career, but we're well prepared for anything he bring," said Veron. "I'm here to face the best and I'm not ducking anyone. We're going to give people a lot to talk about when this fight is over. I'm coming to represent my Argentine people on August 22."
Santillan defends his WAB interim 122-pound title against Russell in a scheduled twelve-round bout. The La Romana, Dominican Republic native won the interim title by stopping Noel Reyes Cepeda in the third round in February. A bronze medalist at the 2015 Pan American Games, Santillan has fought professionally since 2018.
"It is an honor for me to be defending my title against Antonio Russell," said Santillan. "He is a good boxer who comes from a family of good fighters. I love this fight because the real winners are going to be the fans. We're gonna put on a show."
Russell has won two straight bouts since moving to 122 pounds. The Capitol Heights, Maryland native previously challenged Emmanuel Rodriguez for a world title and owns a technical decision victory over former world champion Juan Carlos Payano.
"I'm excited to be back in the ring and grateful for the opportunity to showcase my talent," said Russell. "Me and my brothers have been putting in the work every day in the gym, staying focused. It's almost that time to compete. I'm ready to bring another title home."
Utria makes his U.S. debut against Mercado in a scheduled ten-round junior welterweight bout. Utria, a 22-year old Colombian, won the WBC Boxing Grand Prix in December with a unanimous decision over Mujimillo Tursunov. He turned professional in 2023.
"I'm facing a strong opponent who's coming to win," said Utria. "That's the perfect opponent for my U.S. debut. We're prepared for whatever comes and ready to put on a dominating performance for everyone watching."
Mercado, of Pomona, California, is unbeaten in his last six bouts, posting four victories and two draws. He most recently earned decision victories over Jonathan Jose Eniz and Branden Pizarro.
"I've been patient, I've put in the work, and now I'm ready to show the fight fans what these hands can do," said Mercado. "I'm built for this stage. I can't wait to give everyone a great show and deliver a fight they won't forget."
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MVP and PFL announce a merger |
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Most Valuable Promotions and mixed-martial arts organization Professional Fighters League (PFL) have merged to create a new global combat sports platform. The combined company will operate under the MVP banner, bringing together boxing, MMA, live events, athlete development and worldwide content distribution, creating a combat sports company for the new era. The plan is to host five premium live events across boxing and MMA in August, demonstrating the scale and capabilities of the new platform.
The new company will be led by MVP's Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, with John Martin serving as CEO. Bidarian will continue to oversee MVP's boxing business and blockbuster live events (BLE), with the company backed by the investors 885 Capital and Knighthead Capital Management.
The transaction accelerates MVP’s expansion into mixed martial arts following the success of MVP MMA 1.
PFL CEO John Martin will serve as CEO and board member, and lead the overall business of the combined company. Martin previously served as chairman and CEO of Turner, where he oversaw a portfolio including TNT, TBS, CNN, and Turner Sports, and as Chief Financial Officer of Time Warner. Paul and Bidarian will be co-founders and board members and continue to play active leadership roles across the business. Bidarian will continue to drive MVP’s boxing verticals and BLEs, and work closely with Martin and the executive team. Paul, the world’s most-followed combat sports promoter, will continue leveraging his platform, audience, and cultural influence to drive audience growth, fighter development, brand expansion, and fan engagement across all areas of the business.
As part of the transaction, existing PFL shareholders 885 Capital and affiliated entities of Knighthead Capital Management, LLC ("Knighthead Capital") are founding investors of the new entity, committing new capital and ensuring the combined company launches with the strongest balance sheet in its history. 885 Capital’s Sudeep Ramnani and Jai Mahtani are global technology and sports entrepreneurs and investors, bringing their cutting-edge, international operating insight to the business. Ara Cohen is a co-founder of Knighthead Capital, a diversified institutional investment firm with extensive experience partnering with management teams to build and scale businesses over the long term, providing strategic capital and operational support across complex industries, including in sport.
MVP will be the master brand for all combat sports properties of the new entity. MVP and MVPW will continue as BLE and boxing cornerstones of the company. PFL has an elite MMA fighter roster, global league operations and infrastructure, media assets and proven ability to stage world class MMA events across the world. This will form the foundation of MVP MMA with the migration being fully completed in the coming months.
Together, MVP will feature nearly 400 elite athletes, including world champions, title contenders, and many of the biggest names across combat sports. The company intends to invest aggressively in both boxing and MMA.
MVP and PFL will maintain relationships with many of the world's leading media and distribution partners, including Netflix, ESPN, Sky Sports, and PFL's extensive network of 34 partners across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and other key territories, including Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand. Together, these relationships form one of the most comprehensive distribution platforms in combat sports.
Since launching in 2021, MVP has become one of the fastest-growing and most influential brands in sports, staging some of the most-watched events the sport has ever seen and reaching hundreds of millions of fans around the world, with particular strength among hard-to-reach Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and women's sports fans. The company has delivered the most-streamed sporting event of all time, the most-viewed professional women's sporting match in U.S. history, the most-streamed MMA event in U.S. history, and record-setting compensation for female athletes across all sports. Through partnerships with Netflix, ESPN, Sky Sports, DAZN, and other leading media companies, MVP has built an internationally recognized brand and established itself as a leader in athlete-first promotion, content creation, and fan engagement.
PFL has built one of the most expansive global platforms in MMA, with a world-class roster of more than 300 fighters representing over 40 countries and a live event footprint spanning four continents. In just over seven years, PFL has staged more than 100 premium live events across 14 countries and was the first organization to hold major MMA events in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Spain and across Africa. In 2026 alone, PFL will produce 24 events across 11 countries, delivering approximately 150 hours of live content to fans. This global infrastructure, combined with PFL's deep fighter roster, premium live event expertise and worldwide distribution, provides a powerful platform to accelerate the growth of MVP MMA and expand the combined company's reach and impact around the world.
Nakisa Bidarian, Co-founder and Board Member of Most Valuable Promotions, said: “Since launching MVP, our goal has always been bigger than just building a boxing promotion. It has been to build the future of combat sports. In less than five years, MVP has become one of the most influential and culturally relevant brands in the industry, producing some of the biggest events in combat sports history, elevating women’s boxing to unprecedented heights, and bringing millions of new fans into the fight game. The success of MVP MMA’s first event confirmed our belief that there is enormous demand for a modern, fighter-first approach to MMA. This merger accelerates our MMA ambitions while strengthening our ability to continue investing in boxing and MVPW. By combining MVP’s audience-building engine, storytelling capabilities, and brand with PFL’s roster, infrastructure, and international footprint, we are creating a new global home for combat sports. Under the leadership of John Martin, a world-class media executive with deep MMA knowledge, and investment from leading financiers 885 Capital and Knighthead Capital, MVP is going to achieve great things for fighters, fans, and partners.”
John Martin, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of the new company, said: “Over the past seven years, PFL has built the world’s No. 2 global MMA company, assembling one of the sport’s most elite fighter rosters while creating a world-class global business with premier media distribution across 34 broadcast and streaming partners, reaching fans in more than 170 countries. At the same time, MVP has redefined how combat sports connects with a new generation of fans, creating events that become cultural moments and proving that athletes, sports, entertainment and creators can all thrive together. This merger brings scale - in operations, in distribution and media rights, in sponsorship, in fighter development and in fan engagement. We're not just combining companies, we're bringing an entire combat sports community together and creating a more powerful platform to accelerate growth. One company, one global stage, millions of fans and we're only just getting started. I'm excited to work with Jake and Nakisa as we build the future of combat sports together, and I'm deeply grateful for the continued confidence and support of our lead investors, 885 Capital and Knighthead Capital Management.”
Jake Paul, Co-founder and Board Member of Most Valuable Promotions, said: "We started MVP to disrupt a broken model. We wanted to give fighters fair pay and a bigger, modernized stage to become global superstars. Joining forces with PFL accelerates that vision by a decade. We now have a scaled platform to give today's fans what they want: elite talent mixed with culture, lifestyle, and massive social velocity. MVP was always bigger than me and bigger than any one fighter. MVP is an inevitable movement that needs to happen for the athletes, and now we have all the resources we need to build something that changes this sport forever. I have more conviction in MVP than ever, driven by the proliferation of AI, which will only increase the value of real, live experiences and the sports properties that can bring fans closer to the athletes they love. I look forward to putting my entire promotional muscle into our new company, returning to the boxing ring and making my MVP MMA debut. To all current MVP and PFL fighters, things just got bigger. To fighters fighting in other organizations, we are open for business when you are contractually free. The time for change is now. Welcome to MVP."
Sudeep Ramnani, co-founder of 885 Capital, said: “We’ve spent our careers building and backing businesses across global markets and few things travel across every border, language, and generation like combat sports. Partnering with Jake Paul, Nakisa Bidarian, and John Martin to bring PFL’s international infrastructure and roster together with MVP’s audience engine builds a business with the scale, talent, and distribution to lead the category. It reaches fans from the most established markets to the fastest-growing regions in the world, with a fighter-first model built for how audiences consume sport today. At 885 Capital, we back founders and leaders who are building industries from first principles, and we believe this platform will do exactly that, while redefining the future of combat sports. As founding investors, we’re proud to commit new capital to help John Martin and the team build the premier global platform for fighters and fans.”
Ara Cohen, Co-Founder and Managing Member of Knighthead Capital said: “This transaction brings together highly complementary assets to create a scaled global combat sports platform with significant long-term growth potential. MVP has demonstrated an exceptional ability to build audiences, create cultural relevance, and elevate athletes, while PFL has built world-class MMA operations, international reach, and a deep roster of talent. We are pleased to deepen Knighthead Capital’s investment and support John Martin, Jake Paul, Nakisa Bidarian, and the broader leadership team as they build what we believe can become one of the premier global sports media and entertainment platforms.”
Goodwin Procter LLP and Moelis & Company LLC served as legal counsel and financial advisor, respectively, to Most Valuable Promotions, with MVP’s Rick Torres leading the transaction. Cooley LLP served as legal counsel to the Professional Fighters League, with PFL’s Jim Bramson leading the transaction.
Additional leadership, organizational, and operational details will be announced at a later date.
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MVP and PFL announce a merger
Most Valuable Promotions and mixed-martial arts organization Professional Fighters League (PFL) have merged to create a new global combat sports platform. The combined company will operate under the MVP banner, bringing together boxing, MMA, live events, athlete development and worldwide content distribution, creating a combat sports company for the new era. The plan is to host five premium live events across boxing and MMA in August, demonstrating the scale and capabilities of the new platform.
The new company will be led by MVP's Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, with John Martin serving as CEO. Bidarian will continue to oversee MVP's boxing business and blockbuster live events (BLE), with the company backed by the investors 885 Capital and Knighthead Capital Management.
The transaction accelerates MVP’s expansion into mixed martial arts following the success of MVP MMA 1.
PFL CEO John Martin will serve as CEO and board member, and lead the overall business of the combined company. Martin previously served as chairman and CEO of Turner, where he oversaw a portfolio including TNT, TBS, CNN, and Turner Sports, and as Chief Financial Officer of Time Warner. Paul and Bidarian will be co-founders and board members and continue to play active leadership roles across the business. Bidarian will continue to drive MVP’s boxing verticals and BLEs, and work closely with Martin and the executive team. Paul, the world’s most-followed combat sports promoter, will continue leveraging his platform, audience, and cultural influence to drive audience growth, fighter development, brand expansion, and fan engagement across all areas of the business.
As part of the transaction, existing PFL shareholders 885 Capital and affiliated entities of Knighthead Capital Management, LLC ("Knighthead Capital") are founding investors of the new entity, committing new capital and ensuring the combined company launches with the strongest balance sheet in its history. 885 Capital’s Sudeep Ramnani and Jai Mahtani are global technology and sports entrepreneurs and investors, bringing their cutting-edge, international operating insight to the business. Ara Cohen is a co-founder of Knighthead Capital, a diversified institutional investment firm with extensive experience partnering with management teams to build and scale businesses over the long term, providing strategic capital and operational support across complex industries, including in sport.
MVP will be the master brand for all combat sports properties of the new entity. MVP and MVPW will continue as BLE and boxing cornerstones of the company. PFL has an elite MMA fighter roster, global league operations and infrastructure, media assets and proven ability to stage world class MMA events across the world. This will form the foundation of MVP MMA with the migration being fully completed in the coming months.
Together, MVP will feature nearly 400 elite athletes, including world champions, title contenders, and many of the biggest names across combat sports. The company intends to invest aggressively in both boxing and MMA.
MVP and PFL will maintain relationships with many of the world's leading media and distribution partners, including Netflix, ESPN, Sky Sports, and PFL's extensive network of 34 partners across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and other key territories, including Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand. Together, these relationships form one of the most comprehensive distribution platforms in combat sports.
Since launching in 2021, MVP has become one of the fastest-growing and most influential brands in sports, staging some of the most-watched events the sport has ever seen and reaching hundreds of millions of fans around the world, with particular strength among hard-to-reach Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and women's sports fans. The company has delivered the most-streamed sporting event of all time, the most-viewed professional women's sporting match in U.S. history, the most-streamed MMA event in U.S. history, and record-setting compensation for female athletes across all sports. Through partnerships with Netflix, ESPN, Sky Sports, DAZN, and other leading media companies, MVP has built an internationally recognized brand and established itself as a leader in athlete-first promotion, content creation, and fan engagement.
PFL has built one of the most expansive global platforms in MMA, with a world-class roster of more than 300 fighters representing over 40 countries and a live event footprint spanning four continents. In just over seven years, PFL has staged more than 100 premium live events across 14 countries and was the first organization to hold major MMA events in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Spain and across Africa. In 2026 alone, PFL will produce 24 events across 11 countries, delivering approximately 150 hours of live content to fans. This global infrastructure, combined with PFL's deep fighter roster, premium live event expertise and worldwide distribution, provides a powerful platform to accelerate the growth of MVP MMA and expand the combined company's reach and impact around the world.
Nakisa Bidarian, Co-founder and Board Member of Most Valuable Promotions, said: “Since launching MVP, our goal has always been bigger than just building a boxing promotion. It has been to build the future of combat sports. In less than five years, MVP has become one of the most influential and culturally relevant brands in the industry, producing some of the biggest events in combat sports history, elevating women’s boxing to unprecedented heights, and bringing millions of new fans into the fight game. The success of MVP MMA’s first event confirmed our belief that there is enormous demand for a modern, fighter-first approach to MMA. This merger accelerates our MMA ambitions while strengthening our ability to continue investing in boxing and MVPW. By combining MVP’s audience-building engine, storytelling capabilities, and brand with PFL’s roster, infrastructure, and international footprint, we are creating a new global home for combat sports. Under the leadership of John Martin, a world-class media executive with deep MMA knowledge, and investment from leading financiers 885 Capital and Knighthead Capital, MVP is going to achieve great things for fighters, fans, and partners.”
John Martin, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of the new company, said: “Over the past seven years, PFL has built the world’s No. 2 global MMA company, assembling one of the sport’s most elite fighter rosters while creating a world-class global business with premier media distribution across 34 broadcast and streaming partners, reaching fans in more than 170 countries. At the same time, MVP has redefined how combat sports connects with a new generation of fans, creating events that become cultural moments and proving that athletes, sports, entertainment and creators can all thrive together. This merger brings scale - in operations, in distribution and media rights, in sponsorship, in fighter development and in fan engagement. We're not just combining companies, we're bringing an entire combat sports community together and creating a more powerful platform to accelerate growth. One company, one global stage, millions of fans and we're only just getting started. I'm excited to work with Jake and Nakisa as we build the future of combat sports together, and I'm deeply grateful for the continued confidence and support of our lead investors, 885 Capital and Knighthead Capital Management.”
Jake Paul, Co-founder and Board Member of Most Valuable Promotions, said: "We started MVP to disrupt a broken model. We wanted to give fighters fair pay and a bigger, modernized stage to become global superstars. Joining forces with PFL accelerates that vision by a decade. We now have a scaled platform to give today's fans what they want: elite talent mixed with culture, lifestyle, and massive social velocity. MVP was always bigger than me and bigger than any one fighter. MVP is an inevitable movement that needs to happen for the athletes, and now we have all the resources we need to build something that changes this sport forever. I have more conviction in MVP than ever, driven by the proliferation of AI, which will only increase the value of real, live experiences and the sports properties that can bring fans closer to the athletes they love. I look forward to putting my entire promotional muscle into our new company, returning to the boxing ring and making my MVP MMA debut. To all current MVP and PFL fighters, things just got bigger. To fighters fighting in other organizations, we are open for business when you are contractually free. The time for change is now. Welcome to MVP."
Sudeep Ramnani, co-founder of 885 Capital, said: “We’ve spent our careers building and backing businesses across global markets and few things travel across every border, language, and generation like combat sports. Partnering with Jake Paul, Nakisa Bidarian, and John Martin to bring PFL’s international infrastructure and roster together with MVP’s audience engine builds a business with the scale, talent, and distribution to lead the category. It reaches fans from the most established markets to the fastest-growing regions in the world, with a fighter-first model built for how audiences consume sport today. At 885 Capital, we back founders and leaders who are building industries from first principles, and we believe this platform will do exactly that, while redefining the future of combat sports. As founding investors, we’re proud to commit new capital to help John Martin and the team build the premier global platform for fighters and fans.”
Ara Cohen, Co-Founder and Managing Member of Knighthead Capital said: “This transaction brings together highly complementary assets to create a scaled global combat sports platform with significant long-term growth potential. MVP has demonstrated an exceptional ability to build audiences, create cultural relevance, and elevate athletes, while PFL has built world-class MMA operations, international reach, and a deep roster of talent. We are pleased to deepen Knighthead Capital’s investment and support John Martin, Jake Paul, Nakisa Bidarian, and the broader leadership team as they build what we believe can become one of the premier global sports media and entertainment platforms.”
Goodwin Procter LLP and Moelis & Company LLC served as legal counsel and financial advisor, respectively, to Most Valuable Promotions, with MVP’s Rick Torres leading the transaction. Cooley LLP served as legal counsel to the Professional Fighters League, with PFL’s Jim Bramson leading the transaction.
Additional leadership, organizational, and operational details will be announced at a later date.
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Q&A: Terence "Bud" Crawford |
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This week, the recently retired undefeated, five-division champion Terence "Bud" Crawford, answered random questions from fans on Twitter. Here is what he had to say:
Q: Who inspired you coming up and who or what inspires you now?
Terence Crawford: Being the best. That's it.
Q: How would you manage coming up in boxing with a job?
TC: Gotta find time to do both.
Q: Fight prediction, champ: Devin Haney vs. Keyshawn Davis?
TC: 50/50.
Q: Can you still make 154 pounds?
TC: No.
Q: Did you buy a Ferrari or Bentley to celebrate retirement?
TC: Nope.
Q: Bud, what's the most miles you ran nonstop?
TC: Five.
Q: How many times have you sparred with Keyshawn Davis and what's his best attribute?
TC: A lot, and everything.
Q: You gonna fight again?
TC: No.
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Q&A: Terence "Bud" Crawford
This week, the recently retired undefeated, five-division champion Terence "Bud" Crawford, answered random questions from fans on Twitter. Here is what he had to say:
Q: Who inspired you coming up and who or what inspires you now?
Terence Crawford: Being the best. That's it.
Q: How would you manage coming up in boxing with a job?
TC: Gotta find time to do both.
Q: Fight prediction, champ: Devin Haney vs. Keyshawn Davis?
TC: 50/50.
Q: Can you still make 154 pounds?
TC: No.
Q: Did you buy a Ferrari or Bentley to celebrate retirement?
TC: Nope.
Q: Bud, what's the most miles you ran nonstop?
TC: Five.
Q: How many times have you sparred with Keyshawn Davis and what's his best attribute?
TC: A lot, and everything.
Q: You gonna fight again?
TC: No.
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Nicholson vs. Yoshida added to Aug. 29th ESPN+ show |
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WBC junior featherweight champion Skye Nicolson (16-1, 3 KOs) has signed with Most Valuable Promotions under the company's strategic alliance with Matchroom Boxing. Nicolson will make her MVP debut on August 29th at bp pulse Live in Birmingham, England, defending her title against Miyo Yoshida (19-5, 1 KO) in a ten-round bout. The fight will air on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and ESPN+ in the United States. Nicolson was born and raised in Queensland, Australia to an English mother and Scottish father. She began boxing at age 12, following in the footsteps of her late brother. Her amateur career included more than 150 bouts, a Commonwealth Games gold medal, a bronze medal at the world championships, and representing Australia at the 2021 Olympics, where she reached the quarterfinals. Following the Olympics, Nicolson signed with Matchroom and won the WBC featherweight title in her tenth professional bout with a victory over Sarah Mahfoud in 2024. She enters the bout with a 16-1 record and became WBC junior featherweight champion in May 2026 after being elevated from interim champion when Ellie Scotney vacated the title.
"Women's boxing is entering a new era, and I want to be right at the centre of it. This partnership with MVP and Matchroom gives me the opportunity to chase legacy, compete in the biggest fights out there, and help continue pushing women's boxing forward," said Nicolson. "My goal has always been to test myself against the very best and be involved in the biggest fights in women's boxing. I truly believe this move puts me in the best possible position to do exactly that. I'm excited for what's ahead and can't wait for this next chapter of my career to unfold."
Yoshida is a three-time, two-division world champion from Kagoshima, Japan. She previously held the IBF bantamweight title and the WBO super flyweight title. After relocating to the United States, she began training at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn, New York. Yoshida most recently defeated Edith de Jesus Flores in April 2026 after a unanimous decision victory over Beata Dudek in February 2025. She won the IBF bantamweight title by defeating Ebanie Bridges in December 2023.
"Many people see Skye Nicolson as the favorite and I understand why as she is an excellent fighter," said Yoshida. "But I have dedicated my life to boxing and I am prepared to give everything for this opportunity. I promise the fans will see a fearless Miyo Yoshida. I will bring the heart of Japan, my experience as a three-time World Champion and everything I have into this fight. On fight night, I believe the world will see me crowned as the new WBC super Bantamweight champion."
"Skye is one of the most recognizable athletes in women's boxing today," said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. "As a two-division world champion, Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Olympian, and one of Australia's biggest stars, she represents the caliber of athlete we're building MVP around. Since launching MVPW, our mission has been to create the premier global platform for women's boxing by bringing together the sport's biggest champions and delivering the biggest fights. Skye shares that vision and ambition, and together we're excited to help create the defining moments of the next chapter of her career, beginning with her world title defense against another outstanding former champion in Miyo Yoshida on Saturday, August 29th."
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Nicholson vs. Yoshida added to Aug. 29th ESPN+ show
WBC junior featherweight champion Skye Nicolson (16-1, 3 KOs) has signed with Most Valuable Promotions under the company's strategic alliance with Matchroom Boxing. Nicolson will make her MVP debut on August 29th at bp pulse Live in Birmingham, England, defending her title against Miyo Yoshida (19-5, 1 KO) in a ten-round bout. The fight will air on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and ESPN+ in the United States. Nicolson was born and raised in Queensland, Australia to an English mother and Scottish father. She began boxing at age 12, following in the footsteps of her late brother. Her amateur career included more than 150 bouts, a Commonwealth Games gold medal, a bronze medal at the world championships, and representing Australia at the 2021 Olympics, where she reached the quarterfinals. Following the Olympics, Nicolson signed with Matchroom and won the WBC featherweight title in her tenth professional bout with a victory over Sarah Mahfoud in 2024. She enters the bout with a 16-1 record and became WBC junior featherweight champion in May 2026 after being elevated from interim champion when Ellie Scotney vacated the title.
"Women's boxing is entering a new era, and I want to be right at the centre of it. This partnership with MVP and Matchroom gives me the opportunity to chase legacy, compete in the biggest fights out there, and help continue pushing women's boxing forward," said Nicolson. "My goal has always been to test myself against the very best and be involved in the biggest fights in women's boxing. I truly believe this move puts me in the best possible position to do exactly that. I'm excited for what's ahead and can't wait for this next chapter of my career to unfold."
Yoshida is a three-time, two-division world champion from Kagoshima, Japan. She previously held the IBF bantamweight title and the WBO super flyweight title. After relocating to the United States, she began training at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn, New York. Yoshida most recently defeated Edith de Jesus Flores in April 2026 after a unanimous decision victory over Beata Dudek in February 2025. She won the IBF bantamweight title by defeating Ebanie Bridges in December 2023.
"Many people see Skye Nicolson as the favorite and I understand why as she is an excellent fighter," said Yoshida. "But I have dedicated my life to boxing and I am prepared to give everything for this opportunity. I promise the fans will see a fearless Miyo Yoshida. I will bring the heart of Japan, my experience as a three-time World Champion and everything I have into this fight. On fight night, I believe the world will see me crowned as the new WBC super Bantamweight champion."
"Skye is one of the most recognizable athletes in women's boxing today," said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. "As a two-division world champion, Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Olympian, and one of Australia's biggest stars, she represents the caliber of athlete we're building MVP around. Since launching MVPW, our mission has been to create the premier global platform for women's boxing by bringing together the sport's biggest champions and delivering the biggest fights. Skye shares that vision and ambition, and together we're excited to help create the defining moments of the next chapter of her career, beginning with her world title defense against another outstanding former champion in Miyo Yoshida on Saturday, August 29th."
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