WBO lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk will make the first defense of his title against the undefeated pride of Norfolk, Virginia, Keyshawn Davis, on Friday, Feb. 14th at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In the ten-round junior middleweight co-feature, Puerto Rican standout Xander Zayas steps up against fellow unbeaten Slawa Spomer.The show will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

“Keyshawn Davis has everything it takes to be a modern-day great, but he must first defeat an unbeaten, determined Ukrainian champion in Denys Berinchyk. This has all the makings of a lightweight classic in New York City,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “Xander Zayas is facing a tough, undefeated kid in Slawa Spomer, an excellent test for our Puerto Rican star as he nears a world title shot. And with Vito Mielnicki Jr. facing unbeaten Irishman Connor Coyle, we have a sensational tripleheader in store for the fans at The Theater at Madison Square Garden and watching live on ESPN.”

Berinchyk (22-2 including the World Series of Boxing) spent nearly a decade on the Ukrainian national team as an amateur, where his teammates included pound-for-pound great Vasiliy Lomachenko and two-weight undisputed king Oleksandr Usyk. He won the European title in December 2022 on the Tyson Fury-Derek Chisora III undercard, notching a decision over Yvan Mendy. Eight months later, he bested Anthony Yigit on the Usyk-Daniel Dubois bill in Poland, earning him a crack at Emanuel Navarrete for the vacant WBO lightweight title. He stunned the ferocious Mexican warrior last May, tallying a split decision at Pechanga Arena San Diego. For his first title defense, Berinchyk will play the role of underdog once more, attempting to derail the Davis locomotive.

“I'm not going to make any big statements or shower my opponent with compliments,” Berinchyk said. “I'll just say one thing: Don't relax, dude! It won't be an easy fight for you!”

Davis (12-0, 8 KOs) has spent less than four years as a pro, showcasing the skills that made him the most accomplished American amateur of his generation. He graduated to ten rounders in 2023, knocking out Yigit and dominating former European champion Francesco Patera to start the year. The only blemish on his record — an October 2023 decision victory over Nahir Albright that changed to a no-contest after a positive marijuana test — proved to be a minor speed bump. He stopped former two-division champion Jose Pedraza in February and overcame Mexican puncher Miguel Madueño over ten one-sided rounds in July. Davis authored a career-best performance last November, starching Gustavo Lemos in two rounds in front of 10,568 fans at a sold-out Scope Arena in Norfolk.

“This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for. Denys Berinchyk called me out, and I answered,” Davis said. “A new era in the lightweight division begins on February 14th. Be there in person or watch it live on ESPN because what I’m going to do must be seen to be believed.”