Ronny Alvarez in action on Friday |
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Super middleweight Ronny Alvarez (7-0, 6 KOs) will take a step forward in his young career when he faces Narciso Carmona (12-2, 7 KOs) in a scheduled eight-round bout on Friday, October 2nd at Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. The bout will be featured as part of Matchroom Boxing’s second edition of its Project Series, airing live on DAZN. With six knockouts in seven professional victories, Alvarez has quickly established himself as an emerging puncher. But with increased attention comes increased competition, and Carmona represents the type of experienced, dangerous opponent Alvarez knows he must defeat to continue advancing.
Alvarez has spent camp preparing for the toughest test of his young career. While his six knockouts have shown what he can do offensively, Alvarez says the focus in the gym has been on sharpening every part of his game. “Camp has been very good, but hard,” said Alvarez. “A lot of work, a lot of sparring, a lot of conditioning. That's what I like. I don't want an easy camp because I'm not preparing for an easy fight. I'm preparing for a guy who's coming to beat me. Every day I'm learning. I have power, I know that, but there is more to boxing then just punching hard. We've been working on my defense, moving my head, using my jab, going to the body and staying patient. I want people to see a better Ronny Alvarez every time I fight. I'm hungry, man. Seven wins is good, but seven wins is nothing compared to where I want to go. I'm still at the beginning. I have a lot to prove.”
With a 12-2 record and seven knockouts, Carmona represents a step up in experience. Alvarez isn't interested in making predictions about an early knockout. He expects Carmona to come ready to test him and says that is exactly the kind of fight he wants. “Carmona can punch. He's been in more professional fights than me, so I'm not looking at this guy like he's just another opponent. I'm taking him very seriously,” Alvarez added. “I'm not going in there crazy looking for the knockout. If you look too hard for it, sometimes it doesn't come. I'm going to box, pressure him, work the body and do what my corner tells me. But when I hurt somebody, I'm a finisher. That's just me. If I see the opportunity, I'm going to take it.”
Alvarez, who fights under the promotional banners of Boxlab Promotions, Warriors Boxing and Dreambigg Promotion, believes that a victory over Carmona could accelerate his progression. But instead of talking about championships before he's earned his position, the undefeated super middleweight wants his performances to create those opportunities. “This is a big fight for me because a win takes me another step forward,” stated Alvarez. “I don't want to be 7-0 forever fighting the same level of competition. I want to move up. I want better fighters. That's how you find out what you're made of. Of course, my dream is to become a world champion. First it's Carmona. I beat him, then give me somebody better. I beat that guy, give me somebody better again. That's how I want to build my career.”
Friday's fight gives Alvarez something else he has been working toward: exposure. Competing on Matchroom Boxing's Project Series live on DAZN means Alvarez will be fighting in front of an audience that extends well beyond Orlando. “This is exciting for me. DAZN is a big platform, Matchroom is a big name in boxing, and I know there are going to be a lot of people watching who have never seen Ronny Alvarez fight before, he concluded. “So I want to introduce myself the right way. I want people watching in America, Cuba, wherever they're watching from, to remember me after the fight. I want them to say, ‘I want to see that kid fight again. That's the kind of fighter I want to be. I don't want boring fights. I like to come forward, I like to throw punches, I like to fight. That's who I am. But I'm learning that you have to be smart with that aggression too. I want to give the fans excitement and still show that I'm becoming a complete fighter.”
Amaury Piedra, President of Boxlab Promotions, believes Alvarez's personality inside the ring is one of the things that makes the undefeated Cuban an intriguing young fighter. But Piedra says the work Alvarez has put in when nobody is watching is what has earned him the opportunity to perform on a Matchroom Boxing platform. “Ronny is a fighter. That's probably the simplest way I can describe him,” said Piedra. “He loves being in the gym, he loves to compete, and when the bell rings, he wants to fight. You can't manufacture that mentality. He has it naturally. What we're seeing now is a young fighter learning how to combine that Cuban fighting spirit and his natural power with patience and technique. He has six knockouts in seven fights, so we know he can punch. But we're looking beyond the knockouts. We want to see him develop into a complete fighter who can eventually compete at the highest level.”
Piedra believes Carmona represents the right opponent at the right time, particularly with Alvarez receiving national and international exposure on DAZN. “He's put in the work for this opportunity,” Piedra concluded. “Now he gets to go out there against a step up fighter and show what he's been learning. Carmona is not coming to Orlando to make Ronny look good. He's coming to win, and that's why this is an important fight for Ronny's development. The beautiful thing is he's getting this opportunity on a Matchroom Boxing show and live on DAZN. People around the world are going to have a chance to see him. Ronny doesn't need to go out there and try to be Superman. He just needs to be himself, listen to his corner and fight the way he's capable of fighting. If he does that, I think the fans are going to enjoy what they see.”
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Ronny Alvarez in action on Friday
Super middleweight Ronny Alvarez (7-0, 6 KOs) will take a step forward in his young career when he faces Narciso Carmona (12-2, 7 KOs) in a scheduled eight-round bout on Friday, October 2nd at Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. The bout will be featured as part of Matchroom Boxing’s second edition of its Project Series, airing live on DAZN. With six knockouts in seven professional victories, Alvarez has quickly established himself as an emerging puncher. But with increased attention comes increased competition, and Carmona represents the type of experienced, dangerous opponent Alvarez knows he must defeat to continue advancing.
Alvarez has spent camp preparing for the toughest test of his young career. While his six knockouts have shown what he can do offensively, Alvarez says the focus in the gym has been on sharpening every part of his game. “Camp has been very good, but hard,” said Alvarez. “A lot of work, a lot of sparring, a lot of conditioning. That's what I like. I don't want an easy camp because I'm not preparing for an easy fight. I'm preparing for a guy who's coming to beat me. Every day I'm learning. I have power, I know that, but there is more to boxing then just punching hard. We've been working on my defense, moving my head, using my jab, going to the body and staying patient. I want people to see a better Ronny Alvarez every time I fight. I'm hungry, man. Seven wins is good, but seven wins is nothing compared to where I want to go. I'm still at the beginning. I have a lot to prove.”
With a 12-2 record and seven knockouts, Carmona represents a step up in experience. Alvarez isn't interested in making predictions about an early knockout. He expects Carmona to come ready to test him and says that is exactly the kind of fight he wants. “Carmona can punch. He's been in more professional fights than me, so I'm not looking at this guy like he's just another opponent. I'm taking him very seriously,” Alvarez added. “I'm not going in there crazy looking for the knockout. If you look too hard for it, sometimes it doesn't come. I'm going to box, pressure him, work the body and do what my corner tells me. But when I hurt somebody, I'm a finisher. That's just me. If I see the opportunity, I'm going to take it.”
Alvarez, who fights under the promotional banners of Boxlab Promotions, Warriors Boxing and Dreambigg Promotion, believes that a victory over Carmona could accelerate his progression. But instead of talking about championships before he's earned his position, the undefeated super middleweight wants his performances to create those opportunities. “This is a big fight for me because a win takes me another step forward,” stated Alvarez. “I don't want to be 7-0 forever fighting the same level of competition. I want to move up. I want better fighters. That's how you find out what you're made of. Of course, my dream is to become a world champion. First it's Carmona. I beat him, then give me somebody better. I beat that guy, give me somebody better again. That's how I want to build my career.”
Friday's fight gives Alvarez something else he has been working toward: exposure. Competing on Matchroom Boxing's Project Series live on DAZN means Alvarez will be fighting in front of an audience that extends well beyond Orlando. “This is exciting for me. DAZN is a big platform, Matchroom is a big name in boxing, and I know there are going to be a lot of people watching who have never seen Ronny Alvarez fight before, he concluded. “So I want to introduce myself the right way. I want people watching in America, Cuba, wherever they're watching from, to remember me after the fight. I want them to say, ‘I want to see that kid fight again. That's the kind of fighter I want to be. I don't want boring fights. I like to come forward, I like to throw punches, I like to fight. That's who I am. But I'm learning that you have to be smart with that aggression too. I want to give the fans excitement and still show that I'm becoming a complete fighter.”
Amaury Piedra, President of Boxlab Promotions, believes Alvarez's personality inside the ring is one of the things that makes the undefeated Cuban an intriguing young fighter. But Piedra says the work Alvarez has put in when nobody is watching is what has earned him the opportunity to perform on a Matchroom Boxing platform. “Ronny is a fighter. That's probably the simplest way I can describe him,” said Piedra. “He loves being in the gym, he loves to compete, and when the bell rings, he wants to fight. You can't manufacture that mentality. He has it naturally. What we're seeing now is a young fighter learning how to combine that Cuban fighting spirit and his natural power with patience and technique. He has six knockouts in seven fights, so we know he can punch. But we're looking beyond the knockouts. We want to see him develop into a complete fighter who can eventually compete at the highest level.”
Piedra believes Carmona represents the right opponent at the right time, particularly with Alvarez receiving national and international exposure on DAZN. “He's put in the work for this opportunity,” Piedra concluded. “Now he gets to go out there against a step up fighter and show what he's been learning. Carmona is not coming to Orlando to make Ronny look good. He's coming to win, and that's why this is an important fight for Ronny's development. The beautiful thing is he's getting this opportunity on a Matchroom Boxing show and live on DAZN. People around the world are going to have a chance to see him. Ronny doesn't need to go out there and try to be Superman. He just needs to be himself, listen to his corner and fight the way he's capable of fighting. If he does that, I think the fans are going to enjoy what they see.”
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Fury and Joshua meet face-to-face at London presser |
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Ex-heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua came first face-to-face in London at Tuesday's opening press conference ahead of their Dec. 11th fight in Cardiff, Wales. In attendance at the press conference was Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, who is effectively financing the fight. According to the Netflix press release, "Alalshikh’s The Ring and Dana White will collaborate to promote the event." [But White was not in attendance at the press conference, as his right to participate in the promotion of the fight was disputed by Eddie Hearn, who promotes Joshua.
“Two of the best heavyweights of this generation, finally in the ring together,” said Alalshikh. “This will be one of the biggest fights in boxing history.” Fury vs. Joshua will take place at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.The undercard will be announced at a later date.
Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) and Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) have both previously headlined live boxing events on Netflix, who will broadcast this fight. Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in December 2025, while Fury defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision in April 2026. Now, the former heavyweight champions will meet in one of the biggest all-British heavyweight fights in recent history. “Fury vs. Joshua is a fight years in the making between two of boxing’s biggest stars,” Gabe Spitzer, vice president of sports at Netflix, said. “It has the rivalry, the stakes and the scale to capture the attention of sports fans around the world.”
“There’s strategy and then there’s passion,” Joshua said at the joint press conference. 30. “I just gotta be there from the first to the last minute. Just be well-conditioned, 15-round fit, like the old-school fighters, and do it the old-school way. I’ll be a great dance partner for him. It’s spirit versus spirit. It’s man versus man, and the best man will win.”
“I’m going to come out and I’m going to box him out of there,” Fury said at the press conference. “It will be a gunfight at the O.K. Corral and the best man’s going to win because I ain’t going to run away. I’m going to throw down. And from what I’m seeing, I’m going to catch him. And when I do, it’s going to be curtains.”
“I feel fresh. I feel very excited about this opportunity to work again,” Joshua said, also emphasizing the importance this fight holds in the UK. “It’s breathtaking, and I’m not saying that lightly. I know in pubs, people have had proper fights about who’s going to win out of me and Tyson. I know family members fell out with each other about who’s going to win. We’re going to inspire the next generation.”
Joshua’s optimistic energy wasn’t deterred by trash talk, and he welcomed Fury’s bold knockout prediction. “Beautiful. We love it. This is the energy we want. This is the fight.” He added, “This is what’s going to make me do extra rounds in the gym, because I want to perform and for everyone that’s coming out to support me — to live up to the expectations they have of me.”
Fury has been knocked down, but he has never lost a fight by knockout. Asked if he can be the man to keep Fury down, Joshua said, “Only God can answer that, but I’m willing to take and take punch after punch and keep moving forward until my hand is raised.” Fury reiterated that the matchup has been a long time coming. “I’m looking forward to the challenge. It’s been 10 years in the making. The rise has been phenomenal from both fighters. We’ve both had our ups and downs. Finally, we arrive at this moment.” He added, “It’s the icing on the cake of two great careers, to throw down in front of 80,000 people — and may the best man win.”
Despite the trash talk, Fury also had praise for Joshua. “He’s been a role model and a poster boy for British boxing for years. I mostly find myself defending my archrival to fans I meet in the street.”
Fury doesn’t shy away from the magnitude of the fight. “As a boxing fan, this is one I would want to see more than any other fight in the world today. There isn’t a fight out there that can come close to the excitement. When I fight AJ, that’ll be the most important fight in my life.”
At their Sept. 30th press conference, the two spoke about sparring together years ago, back when Joshua was still an amateur. “I’ve sparred a lot of amateur boxers in my time and I’ve been very complimentary to every single one of them. But AJ was in that ring. He knows what happened,” Fury said.
Joshua said that after their session, Fury “left the room with a black eye.” He added, “I didn't take much away from it because sparring is sparring. He knows that. Sparring stories are supposed to be kept in the gym, but the most important thing everyone knows is the fight that's going to happen December 11th.”
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Fury and Joshua meet face-to-face at London presser
Ex-heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua came first face-to-face in London at Tuesday's opening press conference ahead of their Dec. 11th fight in Cardiff, Wales. In attendance at the press conference was Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, who is effectively financing the fight. According to the Netflix press release, "Alalshikh’s The Ring and Dana White will collaborate to promote the event." [But White was not in attendance at the press conference, as his right to participate in the promotion of the fight was disputed by Eddie Hearn, who promotes Joshua.
“Two of the best heavyweights of this generation, finally in the ring together,” said Alalshikh. “This will be one of the biggest fights in boxing history.” Fury vs. Joshua will take place at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.The undercard will be announced at a later date.
Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) and Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) have both previously headlined live boxing events on Netflix, who will broadcast this fight. Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in December 2025, while Fury defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision in April 2026. Now, the former heavyweight champions will meet in one of the biggest all-British heavyweight fights in recent history. “Fury vs. Joshua is a fight years in the making between two of boxing’s biggest stars,” Gabe Spitzer, vice president of sports at Netflix, said. “It has the rivalry, the stakes and the scale to capture the attention of sports fans around the world.”
“There’s strategy and then there’s passion,” Joshua said at the joint press conference. 30. “I just gotta be there from the first to the last minute. Just be well-conditioned, 15-round fit, like the old-school fighters, and do it the old-school way. I’ll be a great dance partner for him. It’s spirit versus spirit. It’s man versus man, and the best man will win.”
“I’m going to come out and I’m going to box him out of there,” Fury said at the press conference. “It will be a gunfight at the O.K. Corral and the best man’s going to win because I ain’t going to run away. I’m going to throw down. And from what I’m seeing, I’m going to catch him. And when I do, it’s going to be curtains.”
“I feel fresh. I feel very excited about this opportunity to work again,” Joshua said, also emphasizing the importance this fight holds in the UK. “It’s breathtaking, and I’m not saying that lightly. I know in pubs, people have had proper fights about who’s going to win out of me and Tyson. I know family members fell out with each other about who’s going to win. We’re going to inspire the next generation.”
Joshua’s optimistic energy wasn’t deterred by trash talk, and he welcomed Fury’s bold knockout prediction. “Beautiful. We love it. This is the energy we want. This is the fight.” He added, “This is what’s going to make me do extra rounds in the gym, because I want to perform and for everyone that’s coming out to support me — to live up to the expectations they have of me.”
Fury has been knocked down, but he has never lost a fight by knockout. Asked if he can be the man to keep Fury down, Joshua said, “Only God can answer that, but I’m willing to take and take punch after punch and keep moving forward until my hand is raised.” Fury reiterated that the matchup has been a long time coming. “I’m looking forward to the challenge. It’s been 10 years in the making. The rise has been phenomenal from both fighters. We’ve both had our ups and downs. Finally, we arrive at this moment.” He added, “It’s the icing on the cake of two great careers, to throw down in front of 80,000 people — and may the best man win.”
Despite the trash talk, Fury also had praise for Joshua. “He’s been a role model and a poster boy for British boxing for years. I mostly find myself defending my archrival to fans I meet in the street.”
Fury doesn’t shy away from the magnitude of the fight. “As a boxing fan, this is one I would want to see more than any other fight in the world today. There isn’t a fight out there that can come close to the excitement. When I fight AJ, that’ll be the most important fight in my life.”
At their Sept. 30th press conference, the two spoke about sparring together years ago, back when Joshua was still an amateur. “I’ve sparred a lot of amateur boxers in my time and I’ve been very complimentary to every single one of them. But AJ was in that ring. He knows what happened,” Fury said.
Joshua said that after their session, Fury “left the room with a black eye.” He added, “I didn't take much away from it because sparring is sparring. He knows that. Sparring stories are supposed to be kept in the gym, but the most important thing everyone knows is the fight that's going to happen December 11th.”
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Dubois reflects on his defeat of Wardley |
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WBO heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois says he realized he was capable of defeating Fabio Wardley when he was steadying himself after being put the canvas in the opening seconds of their original encounter in May up in Manchester. Dubois headed home with the WBO title that was previously under the ownership of Wardley, which made him a two-time champion and one of the major players in the division. Now the pair are set to deliver a sequel to the thriller, this time in London at The o2 on October 17th, where this time Dubois holds the distinction of coming into the fight as champion.
“Straight away I knew,” said the 29-year-old on when victory became a reality in his own mind. “When I went down and got back up again, it was like something cleared and I was ready to go again. Yeah it was a war and I’ve got to thank him for sharing the ring and doing the rounds with him. It was an experience I needed and I was shaking off some cobwebs, I think.”
While Dubois was full of praise for his stricken opponent in the moments following his triumph, the whispering of sweet nothings into the ear of Wardley ended there and then in the immediate aftermath of the heavyweight spectacular. Now, typically, Dubois is all business as usual and kind words can wait. “He is just someone I’ve got to smash up again,” added the ruthless Londoner. “It was a nightmare for him last time and I am going to make it even bloodier for him this time. I will be more clinical this time. That is how I feel towards him.”
Wardley, however, has gone on the record as describing the Dubois punching power as not as devastating as he imagined it would be. Dubois sort of agrees, but plans on changing his mind this time around. “We were chipping away I think with no clean, concussive punches thrown from me,” he recalled. “This time I will get the right shots working and have the right intentions behind my punches. First of all it will be a win, but I want to show you guys this time,” he added by way of a prediction. “People know what to expect, so I will show you all what I am about. A win, a blazing performance and total domination from me again where I will put a few things right.”
And if he does just that there will be a short queue of fellow world champions ready to fight it out for unified and ultimately undisputed status. Dubois, along with WBC champion Agit Kabayel, were at The o2 to witness Filip Hrgovic outlast Moses Itauma recently. The only defeat suffered by Hrgovic came against Dubois. “That is what the future is now. Who has got the belts and who is going to be the last man standing. I might potentially fight him again, so it was good to take a look at him first hand and see how that fight played out. First things first because I have got to deal with this guy, but I will go through them as well.”
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Dubois reflects on his defeat of Wardley
WBO heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois says he realized he was capable of defeating Fabio Wardley when he was steadying himself after being put the canvas in the opening seconds of their original encounter in May up in Manchester. Dubois headed home with the WBO title that was previously under the ownership of Wardley, which made him a two-time champion and one of the major players in the division. Now the pair are set to deliver a sequel to the thriller, this time in London at The o2 on October 17th, where this time Dubois holds the distinction of coming into the fight as champion.
“Straight away I knew,” said the 29-year-old on when victory became a reality in his own mind. “When I went down and got back up again, it was like something cleared and I was ready to go again. Yeah it was a war and I’ve got to thank him for sharing the ring and doing the rounds with him. It was an experience I needed and I was shaking off some cobwebs, I think.”
While Dubois was full of praise for his stricken opponent in the moments following his triumph, the whispering of sweet nothings into the ear of Wardley ended there and then in the immediate aftermath of the heavyweight spectacular. Now, typically, Dubois is all business as usual and kind words can wait. “He is just someone I’ve got to smash up again,” added the ruthless Londoner. “It was a nightmare for him last time and I am going to make it even bloodier for him this time. I will be more clinical this time. That is how I feel towards him.”
Wardley, however, has gone on the record as describing the Dubois punching power as not as devastating as he imagined it would be. Dubois sort of agrees, but plans on changing his mind this time around. “We were chipping away I think with no clean, concussive punches thrown from me,” he recalled. “This time I will get the right shots working and have the right intentions behind my punches. First of all it will be a win, but I want to show you guys this time,” he added by way of a prediction. “People know what to expect, so I will show you all what I am about. A win, a blazing performance and total domination from me again where I will put a few things right.”
And if he does just that there will be a short queue of fellow world champions ready to fight it out for unified and ultimately undisputed status. Dubois, along with WBC champion Agit Kabayel, were at The o2 to witness Filip Hrgovic outlast Moses Itauma recently. The only defeat suffered by Hrgovic came against Dubois. “That is what the future is now. Who has got the belts and who is going to be the last man standing. I might potentially fight him again, so it was good to take a look at him first hand and see how that fight played out. First things first because I have got to deal with this guy, but I will go through them as well.”
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Roy Jones Promotions show in Washington this Saturday |
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RJJ Promotions will promote a seven-bout card at the Legends Casino this Saturday night, October 3rd, in Toppenish, Washington. The main event will be a highly anticipated rematch between two Washingtonians, Devontae McDonald (8-6, 2 KOs) and Andrew "White Lightning" Murphy (13-0, 10 KOs) in an eight rounder in the super middleweight division. The two clashed in January 2024 with Murphy getting the unanimous decision via scores of 78-74 and 77-75 (twice). Since then, McDonald has been pushing for a rematch, claiming he did not get a fair shake. The co-feature will pit Christian Aguirre (9-15, 4 KOs) of Salt Lake City against Gerald Powell-Wood (3-1, 2 KOs) of Spokane, WA in a four rounder, also in the super middleweight division. The opening bell is scheduled for 7PM and tickets are available at the casino gift shop. Both Roy Jones Jr. (pictured) and Christian Schmidt will be part of the broadcast. The event will be available for free on Tik Tok.
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Roy Jones Promotions show in Washington this Saturday
RJJ Promotions will promote a seven-bout card at the Legends Casino this Saturday night, October 3rd, in Toppenish, Washington. The main event will be a highly anticipated rematch between two Washingtonians, Devontae McDonald (8-6, 2 KOs) and Andrew "White Lightning" Murphy (13-0, 10 KOs) in an eight rounder in the super middleweight division. The two clashed in January 2024 with Murphy getting the unanimous decision via scores of 78-74 and 77-75 (twice). Since then, McDonald has been pushing for a rematch, claiming he did not get a fair shake. The co-feature will pit Christian Aguirre (9-15, 4 KOs) of Salt Lake City against Gerald Powell-Wood (3-1, 2 KOs) of Spokane, WA in a four rounder, also in the super middleweight division. The opening bell is scheduled for 7PM and tickets are available at the casino gift shop. Both Roy Jones Jr. (pictured) and Christian Schmidt will be part of the broadcast. The event will be available for free on Tik Tok.
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Rafferty to face Martirosyan with IBO belt at stake |
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Undefeated “Demolition Man” Jack Rafferty takes the next step in his career when he faces Hovhannes Martirosyan at the AO Arena in Manchester, England on November 7th with the vacant IBO welterweight championship on the line. Rafferty (27-0-1) is on a run of six quality fights in a row, including the capture of the British and Comonwealth titles, a win over Ekow Essuman and a draw with Mark Chamberlain. Martirosyan, from Belgium, is 20-1 with four straight wins since a 2024 loss to Pierce O'Leary at junior welterweight. The IBO title was last held by Russia's Vadim Musaev.
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Rafferty to face Martirosyan with IBO belt at stake
Undefeated “Demolition Man” Jack Rafferty takes the next step in his career when he faces Hovhannes Martirosyan at the AO Arena in Manchester, England on November 7th with the vacant IBO welterweight championship on the line. Rafferty (27-0-1) is on a run of six quality fights in a row, including the capture of the British and Comonwealth titles, a win over Ekow Essuman and a draw with Mark Chamberlain. Martirosyan, from Belgium, is 20-1 with four straight wins since a 2024 loss to Pierce O'Leary at junior welterweight. The IBO title was last held by Russia's Vadim Musaev.
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A few words with Jermall Charlo |
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On Saturday, October 17th at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Jermall Charlo (pictured) will battle Australia's Koen Mazoudier in a super middleweight bout in support of Sebastian Fundora's 154-pound title defense against Ermal Hadribeaj. The show will be the fourth installment of the live monthly boxing series “The Fight”, broadcast co-exclusively in the U.S. on TNT, truTV and DAZN. Charlo and Mazoudier were originally scheduled to meet in July but Charlo was denied a visa to go to Australia. A native of Houston, Charlo first joined the ranks of boxing champions in 2015 with a knockout of Cornelius Bundrage. He went on to defend his 154-pound title three times, including stopping then-undefeated Julian Williams in December 2016. Now 36 years old, Charlo then began a middleweight run that saw him earn the WBC championship and add victories over Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Matt Korobov and Hugo Centeno Jr. Trained throughout his career by the renowned Ronnie Shields, Charlo’s recent resume also includes a 2023 unanimous decision triumph over Jose Benavidez Jr. Here is what Charlo, a former two-division champion, had to say to the press last week:
“I’m staying strong and staying motivated. It’s been a long camp for me. This is my second time fighting at the Cosmo and I’m ready to get it going. Fighting in Las Vegas is just like fighting at home for me.
“I’m making a statement. If he makes a wrong move, then I’m gonna send him back to Australia on his back.
“There’s nothing he can do about what’s coming. He has to come here and prove me wrong. I haven’t let you down yet. I’m undefeated and I’m looking to get a title in a third weight class.
“I’ve seen just about every style throughout my career. I’m not overlooking him, but he’s gonna have to show me something I haven’t seen before.
“The other fighters in the division know who I am and they know what I possess. It’s just a matter of getting those guys in the ring to make history. That’s what I’m here for.
“Ronnie Shields always keeps me poised. He’s not just my coach, he’s like a teacher. He’s a father-figure for me. He’s legendary and he’s teaching me how to be legendary.
“I’m hungry for more activity. It’s just one of those things. I’m taking things slowly but surely. I’m here and I’m ready.
“I’m more focused now. With experience and age comes power. Fans are gonna see that. I’m staying focused and staying grounded.”
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A few words with Jermall Charlo
On Saturday, October 17th at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Jermall Charlo (pictured) will battle Australia's Koen Mazoudier in a super middleweight bout in support of Sebastian Fundora's 154-pound title defense against Ermal Hadribeaj. The show will be the fourth installment of the live monthly boxing series “The Fight”, broadcast co-exclusively in the U.S. on TNT, truTV and DAZN. Charlo and Mazoudier were originally scheduled to meet in July but Charlo was denied a visa to go to Australia. A native of Houston, Charlo first joined the ranks of boxing champions in 2015 with a knockout of Cornelius Bundrage. He went on to defend his 154-pound title three times, including stopping then-undefeated Julian Williams in December 2016. Now 36 years old, Charlo then began a middleweight run that saw him earn the WBC championship and add victories over Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Matt Korobov and Hugo Centeno Jr. Trained throughout his career by the renowned Ronnie Shields, Charlo’s recent resume also includes a 2023 unanimous decision triumph over Jose Benavidez Jr. Here is what Charlo, a former two-division champion, had to say to the press last week:
“I’m staying strong and staying motivated. It’s been a long camp for me. This is my second time fighting at the Cosmo and I’m ready to get it going. Fighting in Las Vegas is just like fighting at home for me.
“I’m making a statement. If he makes a wrong move, then I’m gonna send him back to Australia on his back.
“There’s nothing he can do about what’s coming. He has to come here and prove me wrong. I haven’t let you down yet. I’m undefeated and I’m looking to get a title in a third weight class.
“I’ve seen just about every style throughout my career. I’m not overlooking him, but he’s gonna have to show me something I haven’t seen before.
“The other fighters in the division know who I am and they know what I possess. It’s just a matter of getting those guys in the ring to make history. That’s what I’m here for.
“Ronnie Shields always keeps me poised. He’s not just my coach, he’s like a teacher. He’s a father-figure for me. He’s legendary and he’s teaching me how to be legendary.
“I’m hungry for more activity. It’s just one of those things. I’m taking things slowly but surely. I’m here and I’m ready.
“I’m more focused now. With experience and age comes power. Fans are gonna see that. I’m staying focused and staying grounded.”
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Abrahante relishes underdog role vs. Orozco |
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Bantamweight Yusniel Abrahante (8-2, 1 KO) has been in this situation before. Counted out. Fighting in his opponent’s territory. Facing a fighter expected to beat him. And winning. Now, Abrahante is preparing to walk into another high-stakes opportunity when he squares off against Nicaraguan knockout artist Jordan Orozco (17-0, 17 KOs) on October 2nd at Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. The bout will be part of the new Project Series streaming live on DAZN, a co-promotion between Matchroom Boxing, Boxlab Promotions, along with BiYu Promotions for this bout. For Abrahante, the assignment is daunting on paper. Orozco has stopped every opponent he has faced as a professional and will enter the ring carrying an unblemished record and the reputation of a devastating puncher. But reputations and records don't fight fights…fighters do.
Abrahante proved that in his last outing when he traveled into the backyard of previously undefeated Luis Coria (5-1, 5 KOs) and delivered an upset victory. Rather than being satisfied with that breakthrough performance, Abrahante views it as evidence that he belongs in these moments. Now he wants to do it again, this time on an even bigger stage.
Abrahante understands the danger standing across the ring from him. Seventeen victories and seventeen knockouts demand respect, but they don't create fear in a fighter who believes he has earned his opportunity. “I know exactly what Jordan Orozco brings to the ring, and I know everybody is looking at those 17 knockouts,” said Abrahante. “You don't knock out every opponent you face by accident. But I didn't take this fight to admire his record. I'm coming to test him in ways he hasn't been tested before. He hasn't fought Yusniel Abrahante yet. I'm hungry, I'm prepared, and I believe this is the type of fight that can change my career. On October 2nd, I'm coming to make people remember my name.”
For Abrahante, the opportunity represents another chance to demonstrate that numbers on paper don't determine what happens once the opening bell sounds. Being overlooked has become familiar territory for Abrahante. Against Coria, he entered hostile territory against an undefeated opponent and walked away having changed the trajectory of his career. Instead of resenting the underdog label against Orozco, Abrahante is embracing it.
“I love being the underdog because I've already shown what can happen when people count me out,” Abrahante continued. “They counted me out against Luis Coria. I went into his backyard, fought my fight and gave him the first loss of his professional career. That experience gave me even more confidence because I learned that I can perform when the pressure is high and everything is supposed to favor the other fighter. If people want to doubt me again, that's fine. Every person who doubts me gives me another reason to train harder. I've been hungry my whole career, and I'm coming into this fight with something to prove.”
That hunger has become central to Abrahante's identity. While Orozco will enter with the perfect record, Abrahante believes the adversity he has experienced throughout his professional journey has prepared him for exactly this type of challenge. “I've had to earn everything I've gotten in boxing,” Abrahante added. “Nothing has been handed to me, and I think that's made me dangerous. I know what it's like to have to fight for an opportunity. When you've had to come through difficult moments, you don't panic when you're standing across from an undefeated fighter. You get excited because you know what beating him can mean.”
Abrahante believes defeating another unbeaten opponent, particularly one carrying Orozco's perfect knockout record, would send a powerful message throughout the bantamweight division. “Beating an undefeated fighter once showed people what I'm capable of,” Abrahante said. “Doing it again against a fighter who is 17-0 with 17 knockouts, with a championship on the line and everybody watching on DAZN, would make the message even louder. I want the biggest challenges. I want people to know that when Yusniel Abrahante steps into the ring, I'm coming to fight and I'm coming to win.”
Bobby Harrison, President of BiYu Promotions, believes the magnitude of the matchup cannot be overstated. Orozco's knockout streak provides the intrigue, but Harrison believes Abrahante's hunger, confidence and willingness to challenge himself are what could make the fight one of the most compelling bouts of the evening. “This is a massive opportunity for Yusniel, and this is exactly the type of fight he wants,” said Harrison. “He's going against an undefeated fighter who has knocked out every opponent he's faced. Most fighters would look at 17-0 with 17 knockouts and think twice. Yusniel looks at it and sees an opportunity. That's the mentality he has. He's hungry, he's confident, and after what he did against Luis Coria, he knows he can go into a fight where people are counting him out and change the entire narrative. In addition, he’s taking this fight on short notice, giving you an idea of his mindset.”
Harrison believes fans tuning into DAZN should pay particularly close attention when Abrahante steps through the ropes. “Everybody should be watching this fight because you're going to see two fighters with something significant at stake,” Harrison continued. “Orozco is protecting his undefeated record, his knockout streak and his championship. Yusniel is fighting to change his life and take his career to another level. A hungry fighter with that kind of motivation is dangerous. Yusniel isn't coming just to participate in a big event. He's coming to make a statement, and I believe fans are going to see why we're so excited about his future.”
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Abrahante relishes underdog role vs. Orozco
Bantamweight Yusniel Abrahante (8-2, 1 KO) has been in this situation before. Counted out. Fighting in his opponent’s territory. Facing a fighter expected to beat him. And winning. Now, Abrahante is preparing to walk into another high-stakes opportunity when he squares off against Nicaraguan knockout artist Jordan Orozco (17-0, 17 KOs) on October 2nd at Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. The bout will be part of the new Project Series streaming live on DAZN, a co-promotion between Matchroom Boxing, Boxlab Promotions, along with BiYu Promotions for this bout. For Abrahante, the assignment is daunting on paper. Orozco has stopped every opponent he has faced as a professional and will enter the ring carrying an unblemished record and the reputation of a devastating puncher. But reputations and records don't fight fights…fighters do.
Abrahante proved that in his last outing when he traveled into the backyard of previously undefeated Luis Coria (5-1, 5 KOs) and delivered an upset victory. Rather than being satisfied with that breakthrough performance, Abrahante views it as evidence that he belongs in these moments. Now he wants to do it again, this time on an even bigger stage.
Abrahante understands the danger standing across the ring from him. Seventeen victories and seventeen knockouts demand respect, but they don't create fear in a fighter who believes he has earned his opportunity. “I know exactly what Jordan Orozco brings to the ring, and I know everybody is looking at those 17 knockouts,” said Abrahante. “You don't knock out every opponent you face by accident. But I didn't take this fight to admire his record. I'm coming to test him in ways he hasn't been tested before. He hasn't fought Yusniel Abrahante yet. I'm hungry, I'm prepared, and I believe this is the type of fight that can change my career. On October 2nd, I'm coming to make people remember my name.”
For Abrahante, the opportunity represents another chance to demonstrate that numbers on paper don't determine what happens once the opening bell sounds. Being overlooked has become familiar territory for Abrahante. Against Coria, he entered hostile territory against an undefeated opponent and walked away having changed the trajectory of his career. Instead of resenting the underdog label against Orozco, Abrahante is embracing it.
“I love being the underdog because I've already shown what can happen when people count me out,” Abrahante continued. “They counted me out against Luis Coria. I went into his backyard, fought my fight and gave him the first loss of his professional career. That experience gave me even more confidence because I learned that I can perform when the pressure is high and everything is supposed to favor the other fighter. If people want to doubt me again, that's fine. Every person who doubts me gives me another reason to train harder. I've been hungry my whole career, and I'm coming into this fight with something to prove.”
That hunger has become central to Abrahante's identity. While Orozco will enter with the perfect record, Abrahante believes the adversity he has experienced throughout his professional journey has prepared him for exactly this type of challenge. “I've had to earn everything I've gotten in boxing,” Abrahante added. “Nothing has been handed to me, and I think that's made me dangerous. I know what it's like to have to fight for an opportunity. When you've had to come through difficult moments, you don't panic when you're standing across from an undefeated fighter. You get excited because you know what beating him can mean.”
Abrahante believes defeating another unbeaten opponent, particularly one carrying Orozco's perfect knockout record, would send a powerful message throughout the bantamweight division. “Beating an undefeated fighter once showed people what I'm capable of,” Abrahante said. “Doing it again against a fighter who is 17-0 with 17 knockouts, with a championship on the line and everybody watching on DAZN, would make the message even louder. I want the biggest challenges. I want people to know that when Yusniel Abrahante steps into the ring, I'm coming to fight and I'm coming to win.”
Bobby Harrison, President of BiYu Promotions, believes the magnitude of the matchup cannot be overstated. Orozco's knockout streak provides the intrigue, but Harrison believes Abrahante's hunger, confidence and willingness to challenge himself are what could make the fight one of the most compelling bouts of the evening. “This is a massive opportunity for Yusniel, and this is exactly the type of fight he wants,” said Harrison. “He's going against an undefeated fighter who has knocked out every opponent he's faced. Most fighters would look at 17-0 with 17 knockouts and think twice. Yusniel looks at it and sees an opportunity. That's the mentality he has. He's hungry, he's confident, and after what he did against Luis Coria, he knows he can go into a fight where people are counting him out and change the entire narrative. In addition, he’s taking this fight on short notice, giving you an idea of his mindset.”
Harrison believes fans tuning into DAZN should pay particularly close attention when Abrahante steps through the ropes. “Everybody should be watching this fight because you're going to see two fighters with something significant at stake,” Harrison continued. “Orozco is protecting his undefeated record, his knockout streak and his championship. Yusniel is fighting to change his life and take his career to another level. A hungry fighter with that kind of motivation is dangerous. Yusniel isn't coming just to participate in a big event. He's coming to make a statement, and I believe fans are going to see why we're so excited about his future.”
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Late results from Birmingham, UK |
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On Saturday, in Birmingham, England, Liam Davies successfully defended his European featherweight title against Nathaniel Collins... Luke McCormack became the British junior welterweight champion in just his sixth fight against Kay Prospere... British boxing fans bade a fond farewell to Nathan Heaney as a professional boxer. He couldn’t mark his exit with a win against Gerome Warburton after a good first few rounds... Middleweight Bradley Goldsmith forced a seventh-round stoppage of Amir Abubaker.
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Late results from Birmingham, UK
On Saturday, in Birmingham, England, Liam Davies successfully defended his European featherweight title against Nathaniel Collins... Luke McCormack became the British junior welterweight champion in just his sixth fight against Kay Prospere... British boxing fans bade a fond farewell to Nathan Heaney as a professional boxer. He couldn’t mark his exit with a win against Gerome Warburton after a good first few rounds... Middleweight Bradley Goldsmith forced a seventh-round stoppage of Amir Abubaker.
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Hernandez in for WBO title fight, what about Bentley? |
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On Tuesday, Warriors Boxing Promotions won the right to promote a WBO middleweight championship defense by Denzel Bentley against mandatory contender Yoenli Hernandez. The WBO has has now received written confirmation from Herndanez that he accepts the terms and conditions of the purse bid and is ready, willing, and honored to proceed with the opportunity to challenge Bentley for the WBO middleweight championship. The WBO said it is still awaiting written confirmation from Bentley and his team that they will move ahead with the fight. (Failure to do so would mean he is vacating the title, but Bentley has been linked to a potential fight with IBF champion Aaron McKenna).
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
SEPT. 29. 2026: In a purse bid held online from WBO headquarters in Puerto Rico, Warriors Boxing Promotions won the right to promote a WBO middleweight championship defense by Denzel Bentley against mandatory contender Yoenli Hernandez. Warriors, who promotes Hernandez, bid $200,000, which was the minimum bid. Warriors was able to win the auction proceeding for this amount because Bentley's promoter, Queensberry, did not submit a bid. Warriors' proposed dates for the fight are December 12th or 19th with potential sites declared to be Phoenix, Orlando or Las Vegas. It will now be up to the boxers to sign the bout contracts once Warriors provides them. In the last WBO purse bid, Hamzah Sheeraz went thorugh the purse bid process but vacated his super middleweight title rather then sign for the amount yielded by the purse bid process. Bentley has been linked to a potential fight with IBF champion Aaron McKenna, so it is possible he will vacate the WBO title rather than accpet this fight.
Under WBO regulations, the winning bid in this case results in expected purses of $160,000 for Bentley and $40,000 for Hernandez (but it is possible Warriors and Hernandez have a private agreement for a different amount to Hernandez).
SEPT 23, 2026: The WBO World Championship Committee has scheduled a purse bid for the WBO middleweight champion Denzel Bentley to make a mandatory defense againsy Yoenli Hernandez. The purse bid is scheduled for September 29th, with the parties free to reach a deal before then. However, it was not clear whether Bentley would take the fight, as he was believed to be in negotiations for a unification fight with Aaron McKenna, the IBF champion. If Bentley refuses to fight Hernandez, he would be stripped by the WBO but could still pursue an IBF challenge vs. McKenna.
SEPT. 5, 2026: The WBO has ordered negotiations for a world title fight between its middleweight title holder, Denzel Bentley, and mandatory contender Yoenlis Hernandez. The news is a blow to 160-pound unification, as Bentley was in discussions to unify with IBF champion Aaron McKenna by year's end. The WBO's decision means that Bentley would likely be stripped if he elected to fight McKenna over Hernandez. The news broke through a September 2nd letter to representatives of both fighters from the WBO World Championship Committee. The letter ordered the parties to begin negotiations for the mandatory championship contest and gave them 20 days to reach an agreement. But the WBO also directed both sides to confirm in writing within the first ten days that they are ready, willing and available to proceed with the bout. If Bentley and Hernandez (should Bentley agree to make the mandatory) are unable to reach an agreement, the fight can proceed to a purse bid. The WBO established a minimum bid of $200,000 and said either party may request the commencement of purse-bid proceedings at any time during the negotiation period. Bentley is represented by manager Martin Bowers, while Hernandez is represented by promoter Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing.
SEPT. 3, 2026: According to WBO president Gustavo Olivieri, the WBO received a formal communication from Team Yoenli Hernandez requesting enforcement of the mandatory title defense rule against WBO middleweight Champion Denzel Bentley. Olivieri stated, "the WBO World Championship Committee will convene immediately to review the matter and issue its determination in accordance with the applicable WBO Regulations. Bentley was elevated to WBO middleweight champion after Zhanibek Alimkhanuly’s voluntary relinquishment of the title. Bentley, from the United Kingdom, has a pro record of 22-3-1. He won the vacant WBO interim belt by stopping little-known Endry Saavedra in April. Alimkhanuly, who also held the IBF title, tested positive for banned, performance enhancing substances, but unlike the IBF, the WBO did not immediately strip Alimkhanuly. Hernandez is a Cuban middleweight who last week secured a majority decision victory over Francisco Daniel Veron. Hernandez's offensive bursts proved to be the difference in that bout. While one judge scored it a 95-95 draw, the remaining two widely favored Hernandez with lopsided tallies of 99-91 and 98-92. With the win, Hernandez improved to 11-0 with 9 KOs.
JULY 22, 2026: [Cynics will say this is an "e-mail championship" but] the WBO World Championship Committee has officially elevated Denzel Bentley to WBO world middleweight champion following Zhanibek Alimkhanuly’s voluntary relinquishment of the title. Bentley, from the United Kingdom, has a pro record of 22-3-1. He won the vacant WBO interim belt by stopping little-known Endry Saavedra in April. Alimkhanuly, who also held the IBF title, tested positive for banned, performance enhancing substances, but unlike the IBF, the WBO did not immediately strip Alimkhanuly. The IBF title remains vacant, with a new champion expected to be crowned on August 8th at the 3Arena in a bout between Ireland's Aaron McKenna and Italy's Etinosa Oliha.
FEB. 23, 2026: In a very disappointing ruling for those who want to punish drug cheats in boxing, the WBO has ruled that its middleweight champion, Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, can keep his title despite testing positive for the banned substance meldonium. Instead of striping the boxer, as was expected, the WBO imposed a one-year suspension and a series of conditions that stop short of stripping Alimkhnauly of the championship. The decision follows positive “A” and “B” sample tests collected by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) in November 2025, which forced Alimkhanuly out of a scheduled unification bout against Erislandy Lara in December. Although not a party to this ruling, the IBF is just as culpable, as it also continues to recognize Alimhanuly as its world middleweight champion. A WBO interim title fight between Denzel Bentley and Endry Saavedra was ordered to keep the division active during his suspension.
In a lengthy written decision issued by its World Championship Committee, the WBO confirmed that the tests were conducted by recognized anti-doping authorities and verified by a WADA-accredited laboratory, leaving no dispute about the presence of the prohibited substance. Under the organization’s rules, the case fell under a “strict liability” standard, meaning intent or explanation was irrelevant once a positive test was confirmed. Despite that framework, the WBO declined to impose its most severe sanction — vacating Alimkhanuly's title — and instead opted for what it described as a “proportionate” response.
The ruling suspends Alimkhanuly for one year, retroactive to December 2nd, the date of official notification of the adverse test. He is also required to submit to year-round random drug testing under a WADA-certified program at his own expense, complete an anti-doping education course, and provide certified test results directly to the WBO. When the suspension ends, he will not be allowed a tune-up fight; his first bout must be against either the WBO interim champion or the organization’s mandatory challenger.
The WBO framed the outcome as balanced and fair. Others will see it differently — as a decision that does not meaningfully penalize a fighter who failed a drug test, and does little to deter future violations at the highest level of the sport.
So what is the end result? Alimkhanuly remains recognized as a two-belt champion, retains his title status, and faces no financial penalty. The suspension is time-limited, a year in name but effectively only ten months, and the conditions imposed largely amount to monitoring and compliance requirements rather than punitive measures. For a confirmed doping violation that canceled a major unification bout and disrupted the middleweight division, the consequences are relatively light.
The committee justified its approach by citing Alimkhanuly’s status as a first-time offender and the absence of prior anti-doping violations. It emphasized proportionality and the legal and commercial interests tied to championship recognition. In effect, the WBO treated the case as a regulatory issue to be managed rather than a breach warranting the strongest available punishment. For critics, that distinction matters. A positive test for a banned substance typically carries the expectation of severe sporting consequences, especially for a reigning world champion. By allowing Alimkhanuly to keep his title and return after a defined suspension, the ruling sends a message that a confirmed drug violation does not necessarily lead to the loss of a championship. It should be noted that Alimkhanuly tested positive for meldonium, which is clearly banned in international competitions but is legally available for purchase in Kazakhstan, Russia and a few other countries.
DEC. 5, 2025: After a positive test for the banned substance meldonium, the WBO World Championship Committee has issued a “show cause notice” to WBO / IBF middleweight champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly. The notice stated, "It has been formally reported that on December 2nd, the WBO received an official communication from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) concerning an alleged anti-doping violation arising from the testing protocol enforced by said agency in preparation for the scheduled WBO/IBF unified middleweight championships contest against [WBA champion] Erislandy Lara to be held in San Antonio, Texas on December 6th.According to the notice, the “A” Sample of [Alimkhanuly's] urine specimen, collected on November 15th, in Porter Ranch, California, allegedly returned an adverse analytical finding for a banned substance at an estimated concentration greater than the minimum reported threshold.
Unlike the WBC, which lately has been giving virtually no penalties to boxers who test positive for banned substances [Conor Benn and Subriel Matias come to mind], WBO policy is that "in the event any WBO champion tests positive for any banned substances, the WBO doesn’t need to demonstrate intent, fault, negligence, or knowing use on the fighter’s part. It is the fighter’s duty to ensure that no prohibited substances enter their body. Fighters are fully responsible for any prohibited substances found to be present in their body."
Alimkhanuly was directed by the WBO to show cause within ten days of issuance of this notice, stating why disciplinary action should not be imposed pursuant to the applicable sections in the governing WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests and all relevant WBO policies; including but not limited to: a) declaring the WBO middleweight championship “vacant”; b) withdrawing WBO world champion status from Alimkhanuly; c) banning him from all WBO world and/or regional championship contests; d) suspending him sion from al WBO world and/or regional championship contests; and e) issuing any other rulings necessary, helpful or convenient to accomplish the purposes, policies and intent of the WBO.
Alimkhanuly's response may include supporting documentation, statements, legal submissions, or any other relevant materials he wishes the WBO to consider. Failure to respond within the prescribed period may result in disciplinary action being taken without further notice and/or hearing, including but not limited to the vacating of your WBO Championship title, effective immediately.
DEC. 3, 2025: WBA middleweight champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara will defend his title against hard-hitting challenger Johan Gonzalez as part of a four-fight PBC pay-per-view event on Prime Video this Saturday, December 6th from Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. Lara was originally scheduled to face unified champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, who was pulled from the fight after failing a VADA anti-doping test. The Lara vs. Gonzalez fight will follow the pay-per-view opener between Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. and Shane Mosley Jr. for the WBC interim middleweight title beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The pay-per-view is headlined by former 140-pound title holder Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz taking on reigning WBA 130-pound champion Lamont Roach for the WBC interim title at 140 pounds. The showdown between two-division champion Stephen Fulton Jr. and WBC 130-pound champion O’Shaquie Foster will now serve as the co-feature. Tickets for the live event are on sale now through Ticketmaster.com.
DEC. 2, 2025: Janibek Alimkhanuly, the two-belt middleweight champion, has tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance just days before a scheduled unification fight against WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Journalist Dan Rafael reported that the substance was meldonium, which is commonly used in Russia. Alimkhanuly, from Kazakhstan, holds the WBO and IBF titles. He reacted to this development by tweeting, "I have always supported clean sport you know this well. I was surprised when I read the news. VADA took the first test and said everything was clean. I have not made any changes to my vitamins. I don’t know what happened with the second test, so I requested a retest." Alimkhanuly vs. Lara, which was scheduled for this Saturday, December 6th in San Antonio, Texas. The WBO acknowledged the positive test as follows: "The WBO has confirmed an adverse analytical finding for WBO middleweight champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly from VADA testing ahead of his scheduled bout vs. Erislandy Lara. An internal investigation is now underway, and a show cause notice will be issued. No further comments will be made until the process is complete.
OCT. 16, 2025: The WBO has ordered a purse bid for a WBO middleweight elimination bout between Denzel Bentley and Endry Saavedra. Bentley is from England and holds the British and European titles. At 21-3, he's won three straight since a 2023 loss to Nathan Heaney. Bentley also has a loss against reigning WBO / IBF champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly. The little-known Saveedra is from Venezuela and boasts a 17-1-1 pro record that includes wins over Isaac Hardman and Mikkel Nielsen and a draw with unbeaten Cesar Mateo Tapia.
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Hernandez in for WBO title fight, what about Bentley?
On Tuesday, Warriors Boxing Promotions won the right to promote a WBO middleweight championship defense by Denzel Bentley against mandatory contender Yoenli Hernandez. The WBO has has now received written confirmation from Herndanez that he accepts the terms and conditions of the purse bid and is ready, willing, and honored to proceed with the opportunity to challenge Bentley for the WBO middleweight championship. The WBO said it is still awaiting written confirmation from Bentley and his team that they will move ahead with the fight. (Failure to do so would mean he is vacating the title, but Bentley has been linked to a potential fight with IBF champion Aaron McKenna).
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
SEPT. 29. 2026: In a purse bid held online from WBO headquarters in Puerto Rico, Warriors Boxing Promotions won the right to promote a WBO middleweight championship defense by Denzel Bentley against mandatory contender Yoenli Hernandez. Warriors, who promotes Hernandez, bid $200,000, which was the minimum bid. Warriors was able to win the auction proceeding for this amount because Bentley's promoter, Queensberry, did not submit a bid. Warriors' proposed dates for the fight are December 12th or 19th with potential sites declared to be Phoenix, Orlando or Las Vegas. It will now be up to the boxers to sign the bout contracts once Warriors provides them. In the last WBO purse bid, Hamzah Sheeraz went thorugh the purse bid process but vacated his super middleweight title rather then sign for the amount yielded by the purse bid process. Bentley has been linked to a potential fight with IBF champion Aaron McKenna, so it is possible he will vacate the WBO title rather than accpet this fight.
Under WBO regulations, the winning bid in this case results in expected purses of $160,000 for Bentley and $40,000 for Hernandez (but it is possible Warriors and Hernandez have a private agreement for a different amount to Hernandez).
SEPT 23, 2026: The WBO World Championship Committee has scheduled a purse bid for the WBO middleweight champion Denzel Bentley to make a mandatory defense againsy Yoenli Hernandez. The purse bid is scheduled for September 29th, with the parties free to reach a deal before then. However, it was not clear whether Bentley would take the fight, as he was believed to be in negotiations for a unification fight with Aaron McKenna, the IBF champion. If Bentley refuses to fight Hernandez, he would be stripped by the WBO but could still pursue an IBF challenge vs. McKenna.
SEPT. 5, 2026: The WBO has ordered negotiations for a world title fight between its middleweight title holder, Denzel Bentley, and mandatory contender Yoenlis Hernandez. The news is a blow to 160-pound unification, as Bentley was in discussions to unify with IBF champion Aaron McKenna by year's end. The WBO's decision means that Bentley would likely be stripped if he elected to fight McKenna over Hernandez. The news broke through a September 2nd letter to representatives of both fighters from the WBO World Championship Committee. The letter ordered the parties to begin negotiations for the mandatory championship contest and gave them 20 days to reach an agreement. But the WBO also directed both sides to confirm in writing within the first ten days that they are ready, willing and available to proceed with the bout. If Bentley and Hernandez (should Bentley agree to make the mandatory) are unable to reach an agreement, the fight can proceed to a purse bid. The WBO established a minimum bid of $200,000 and said either party may request the commencement of purse-bid proceedings at any time during the negotiation period. Bentley is represented by manager Martin Bowers, while Hernandez is represented by promoter Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing.
SEPT. 3, 2026: According to WBO president Gustavo Olivieri, the WBO received a formal communication from Team Yoenli Hernandez requesting enforcement of the mandatory title defense rule against WBO middleweight Champion Denzel Bentley. Olivieri stated, "the WBO World Championship Committee will convene immediately to review the matter and issue its determination in accordance with the applicable WBO Regulations. Bentley was elevated to WBO middleweight champion after Zhanibek Alimkhanuly’s voluntary relinquishment of the title. Bentley, from the United Kingdom, has a pro record of 22-3-1. He won the vacant WBO interim belt by stopping little-known Endry Saavedra in April. Alimkhanuly, who also held the IBF title, tested positive for banned, performance enhancing substances, but unlike the IBF, the WBO did not immediately strip Alimkhanuly. Hernandez is a Cuban middleweight who last week secured a majority decision victory over Francisco Daniel Veron. Hernandez's offensive bursts proved to be the difference in that bout. While one judge scored it a 95-95 draw, the remaining two widely favored Hernandez with lopsided tallies of 99-91 and 98-92. With the win, Hernandez improved to 11-0 with 9 KOs.
JULY 22, 2026: [Cynics will say this is an "e-mail championship" but] the WBO World Championship Committee has officially elevated Denzel Bentley to WBO world middleweight champion following Zhanibek Alimkhanuly’s voluntary relinquishment of the title. Bentley, from the United Kingdom, has a pro record of 22-3-1. He won the vacant WBO interim belt by stopping little-known Endry Saavedra in April. Alimkhanuly, who also held the IBF title, tested positive for banned, performance enhancing substances, but unlike the IBF, the WBO did not immediately strip Alimkhanuly. The IBF title remains vacant, with a new champion expected to be crowned on August 8th at the 3Arena in a bout between Ireland's Aaron McKenna and Italy's Etinosa Oliha.
FEB. 23, 2026: In a very disappointing ruling for those who want to punish drug cheats in boxing, the WBO has ruled that its middleweight champion, Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, can keep his title despite testing positive for the banned substance meldonium. Instead of striping the boxer, as was expected, the WBO imposed a one-year suspension and a series of conditions that stop short of stripping Alimkhnauly of the championship. The decision follows positive “A” and “B” sample tests collected by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) in November 2025, which forced Alimkhanuly out of a scheduled unification bout against Erislandy Lara in December. Although not a party to this ruling, the IBF is just as culpable, as it also continues to recognize Alimhanuly as its world middleweight champion. A WBO interim title fight between Denzel Bentley and Endry Saavedra was ordered to keep the division active during his suspension.
In a lengthy written decision issued by its World Championship Committee, the WBO confirmed that the tests were conducted by recognized anti-doping authorities and verified by a WADA-accredited laboratory, leaving no dispute about the presence of the prohibited substance. Under the organization’s rules, the case fell under a “strict liability” standard, meaning intent or explanation was irrelevant once a positive test was confirmed. Despite that framework, the WBO declined to impose its most severe sanction — vacating Alimkhanuly's title — and instead opted for what it described as a “proportionate” response.
The ruling suspends Alimkhanuly for one year, retroactive to December 2nd, the date of official notification of the adverse test. He is also required to submit to year-round random drug testing under a WADA-certified program at his own expense, complete an anti-doping education course, and provide certified test results directly to the WBO. When the suspension ends, he will not be allowed a tune-up fight; his first bout must be against either the WBO interim champion or the organization’s mandatory challenger.
The WBO framed the outcome as balanced and fair. Others will see it differently — as a decision that does not meaningfully penalize a fighter who failed a drug test, and does little to deter future violations at the highest level of the sport.
So what is the end result? Alimkhanuly remains recognized as a two-belt champion, retains his title status, and faces no financial penalty. The suspension is time-limited, a year in name but effectively only ten months, and the conditions imposed largely amount to monitoring and compliance requirements rather than punitive measures. For a confirmed doping violation that canceled a major unification bout and disrupted the middleweight division, the consequences are relatively light.
The committee justified its approach by citing Alimkhanuly’s status as a first-time offender and the absence of prior anti-doping violations. It emphasized proportionality and the legal and commercial interests tied to championship recognition. In effect, the WBO treated the case as a regulatory issue to be managed rather than a breach warranting the strongest available punishment. For critics, that distinction matters. A positive test for a banned substance typically carries the expectation of severe sporting consequences, especially for a reigning world champion. By allowing Alimkhanuly to keep his title and return after a defined suspension, the ruling sends a message that a confirmed drug violation does not necessarily lead to the loss of a championship. It should be noted that Alimkhanuly tested positive for meldonium, which is clearly banned in international competitions but is legally available for purchase in Kazakhstan, Russia and a few other countries.
DEC. 5, 2025: After a positive test for the banned substance meldonium, the WBO World Championship Committee has issued a “show cause notice” to WBO / IBF middleweight champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly. The notice stated, "It has been formally reported that on December 2nd, the WBO received an official communication from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) concerning an alleged anti-doping violation arising from the testing protocol enforced by said agency in preparation for the scheduled WBO/IBF unified middleweight championships contest against [WBA champion] Erislandy Lara to be held in San Antonio, Texas on December 6th.According to the notice, the “A” Sample of [Alimkhanuly's] urine specimen, collected on November 15th, in Porter Ranch, California, allegedly returned an adverse analytical finding for a banned substance at an estimated concentration greater than the minimum reported threshold.
Unlike the WBC, which lately has been giving virtually no penalties to boxers who test positive for banned substances [Conor Benn and Subriel Matias come to mind], WBO policy is that "in the event any WBO champion tests positive for any banned substances, the WBO doesn’t need to demonstrate intent, fault, negligence, or knowing use on the fighter’s part. It is the fighter’s duty to ensure that no prohibited substances enter their body. Fighters are fully responsible for any prohibited substances found to be present in their body."
Alimkhanuly was directed by the WBO to show cause within ten days of issuance of this notice, stating why disciplinary action should not be imposed pursuant to the applicable sections in the governing WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests and all relevant WBO policies; including but not limited to: a) declaring the WBO middleweight championship “vacant”; b) withdrawing WBO world champion status from Alimkhanuly; c) banning him from all WBO world and/or regional championship contests; d) suspending him sion from al WBO world and/or regional championship contests; and e) issuing any other rulings necessary, helpful or convenient to accomplish the purposes, policies and intent of the WBO.
Alimkhanuly's response may include supporting documentation, statements, legal submissions, or any other relevant materials he wishes the WBO to consider. Failure to respond within the prescribed period may result in disciplinary action being taken without further notice and/or hearing, including but not limited to the vacating of your WBO Championship title, effective immediately.
DEC. 3, 2025: WBA middleweight champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara will defend his title against hard-hitting challenger Johan Gonzalez as part of a four-fight PBC pay-per-view event on Prime Video this Saturday, December 6th from Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. Lara was originally scheduled to face unified champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, who was pulled from the fight after failing a VADA anti-doping test. The Lara vs. Gonzalez fight will follow the pay-per-view opener between Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. and Shane Mosley Jr. for the WBC interim middleweight title beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The pay-per-view is headlined by former 140-pound title holder Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz taking on reigning WBA 130-pound champion Lamont Roach for the WBC interim title at 140 pounds. The showdown between two-division champion Stephen Fulton Jr. and WBC 130-pound champion O’Shaquie Foster will now serve as the co-feature. Tickets for the live event are on sale now through Ticketmaster.com.
DEC. 2, 2025: Janibek Alimkhanuly, the two-belt middleweight champion, has tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance just days before a scheduled unification fight against WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Journalist Dan Rafael reported that the substance was meldonium, which is commonly used in Russia. Alimkhanuly, from Kazakhstan, holds the WBO and IBF titles. He reacted to this development by tweeting, "I have always supported clean sport you know this well. I was surprised when I read the news. VADA took the first test and said everything was clean. I have not made any changes to my vitamins. I don’t know what happened with the second test, so I requested a retest." Alimkhanuly vs. Lara, which was scheduled for this Saturday, December 6th in San Antonio, Texas. The WBO acknowledged the positive test as follows: "The WBO has confirmed an adverse analytical finding for WBO middleweight champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly from VADA testing ahead of his scheduled bout vs. Erislandy Lara. An internal investigation is now underway, and a show cause notice will be issued. No further comments will be made until the process is complete.
OCT. 16, 2025: The WBO has ordered a purse bid for a WBO middleweight elimination bout between Denzel Bentley and Endry Saavedra. Bentley is from England and holds the British and European titles. At 21-3, he's won three straight since a 2023 loss to Nathan Heaney. Bentley also has a loss against reigning WBO / IBF champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly. The little-known Saveedra is from Venezuela and boasts a 17-1-1 pro record that includes wins over Isaac Hardman and Mikkel Nielsen and a draw with unbeaten Cesar Mateo Tapia.
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Quebec City undercard info |
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On October 8th, Quebec City will host two a main event between IBF super middleweight champion Osley Iglesias and challenger Oliver Zaren. In one of the undercard’s main attractions, two undefeated boxers, Belarusian lightweight Dzmitry Asanau and Montreal's Luis Santana will put their respective "0's" on the line against each other. Asanau has been on a run since November 2024 when he knocked out experienced Argentine Matías Carlos Adrián Rueda. Meanwhile, local featherweight Thomas Chabot (13-0) will step into the ring against gritty Mexican José Antonio Sánchez Romero (18-3-1). Chabot enters this matchup following a June 11th action-packe win against Mexico’s José Antonio Sampedro.
Promoter Eye of the Tiger Management previously announced the October 8th co-feature will be a super middleweight contest with undefeated Wilkens Mathieu facing Vladimir Shishkin (17-2). Also on the show, Leïla Beaudoin will make the first defense of her WBA interim junior lightweight title. Her opponent will be Brisa Alfonzo (9-1-2) of Agentina.
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Quebec City undercard info
On October 8th, Quebec City will host two a main event between IBF super middleweight champion Osley Iglesias and challenger Oliver Zaren. In one of the undercard’s main attractions, two undefeated boxers, Belarusian lightweight Dzmitry Asanau and Montreal's Luis Santana will put their respective "0's" on the line against each other. Asanau has been on a run since November 2024 when he knocked out experienced Argentine Matías Carlos Adrián Rueda. Meanwhile, local featherweight Thomas Chabot (13-0) will step into the ring against gritty Mexican José Antonio Sánchez Romero (18-3-1). Chabot enters this matchup following a June 11th action-packe win against Mexico’s José Antonio Sampedro.
Promoter Eye of the Tiger Management previously announced the October 8th co-feature will be a super middleweight contest with undefeated Wilkens Mathieu facing Vladimir Shishkin (17-2). Also on the show, Leïla Beaudoin will make the first defense of her WBA interim junior lightweight title. Her opponent will be Brisa Alfonzo (9-1-2) of Agentina.
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Introducing Delaware's Carlos Flowers |
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Jeter Promotions announced the signing of amateur standout Carlos Flowers to a promotional contract. Flowers was introduced to martial arts by his father, Carlos Flowers Sr., a third degree black belt in tae kwon do. The father initially had the son following in his footsteps, training in tae kwon do before introducing him to boxing. But once Flowers stepped into the boxing gym, he found his calling and never looked back. A natural athlete, Flowers was a standout football linebacker at Dover High School. But as his passion for boxing grew, he made the difficult decision to leave football behind and dedicate all of his athletic ability and energy to becoming the best boxer he could be.
Inside the ring, Flowers describes his style as a combination of Errol Spence Jr. and Jermell Charlo. He is a true boxer-puncher who possesses the ability to box from the outside, make adjustments and break opponents down—but he is equally comfortable standing in the pocket and trading. He can box. He can slug. But his heart tells him to slug. Jeter Promotions is betting that mentality makes Flowers an exciting fighter to watch as he begins his professional journey.
Flowers' amateur résumé speaks for itself. He closed out an outstanding amateur career on the international stage, capturing a bronze medal at the 2026 World Boxing Cup in Brazil and earning his place at the World Boxing Championships, competing among the best amateur fighters in the world. Before that, he was the 2016 Youth Novice 176-pound Golden Gloves Champion, 2020 Open Elite 165-pound Golden Gloves Champion, 2024 Olympic qualifier at the Detroit Nationals, 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials silver medalist, 2025 Wichita Summer Festival Nationals champion, and a 2025 December Nationals silver medalist.
He had wins over distinguished amateurs including amateur world champion Benjamin Johnson and National Golden Gloves champion Naim Somerville. Flowers finished his amateur career ranked #1 in the United States and #13 in the world. Now, one of America’s top amateurs is ready for the professional ranks. The amateur chapter is complete. The road to a professional world title starts now.
Flowers will be managed by Split-T Management.
Outside the ring, family and community are at the center of Flowers’ life. He comes from a tight-knit family, including his mother and father, two older sisters and younger brother. His family regularly attends his fights, along with a large contingent of supporters from the Dover community.
Flowers also gives back to that community through his work at the Boys & Girls Club, where he works in Youth Development and helps counsel and mentor young people. His role allows him to use his experiences and influence to help guide the next generation.
When he’s not training or working, Flowers enjoys spending time with his family and gaming. His go-to games include Madden and Rainbow Six Siege.
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Introducing Delaware's Carlos Flowers
Jeter Promotions announced the signing of amateur standout Carlos Flowers to a promotional contract. Flowers was introduced to martial arts by his father, Carlos Flowers Sr., a third degree black belt in tae kwon do. The father initially had the son following in his footsteps, training in tae kwon do before introducing him to boxing. But once Flowers stepped into the boxing gym, he found his calling and never looked back. A natural athlete, Flowers was a standout football linebacker at Dover High School. But as his passion for boxing grew, he made the difficult decision to leave football behind and dedicate all of his athletic ability and energy to becoming the best boxer he could be.
Inside the ring, Flowers describes his style as a combination of Errol Spence Jr. and Jermell Charlo. He is a true boxer-puncher who possesses the ability to box from the outside, make adjustments and break opponents down—but he is equally comfortable standing in the pocket and trading. He can box. He can slug. But his heart tells him to slug. Jeter Promotions is betting that mentality makes Flowers an exciting fighter to watch as he begins his professional journey.
Flowers' amateur résumé speaks for itself. He closed out an outstanding amateur career on the international stage, capturing a bronze medal at the 2026 World Boxing Cup in Brazil and earning his place at the World Boxing Championships, competing among the best amateur fighters in the world. Before that, he was the 2016 Youth Novice 176-pound Golden Gloves Champion, 2020 Open Elite 165-pound Golden Gloves Champion, 2024 Olympic qualifier at the Detroit Nationals, 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials silver medalist, 2025 Wichita Summer Festival Nationals champion, and a 2025 December Nationals silver medalist.
He had wins over distinguished amateurs including amateur world champion Benjamin Johnson and National Golden Gloves champion Naim Somerville. Flowers finished his amateur career ranked #1 in the United States and #13 in the world. Now, one of America’s top amateurs is ready for the professional ranks. The amateur chapter is complete. The road to a professional world title starts now.
Flowers will be managed by Split-T Management.
Outside the ring, family and community are at the center of Flowers’ life. He comes from a tight-knit family, including his mother and father, two older sisters and younger brother. His family regularly attends his fights, along with a large contingent of supporters from the Dover community.
Flowers also gives back to that community through his work at the Boys & Girls Club, where he works in Youth Development and helps counsel and mentor young people. His role allows him to use his experiences and influence to help guide the next generation.
When he’s not training or working, Flowers enjoys spending time with his family and gaming. His go-to games include Madden and Rainbow Six Siege.
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Al Bernstein: draw verdict is "outrageous injustice" |
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María Micheo Santizo D10 Mai Soliman... María Micheo Santizo, a 41 year-old Guatemalan and Mai Soliman of Australia, fought to a draw after ten rounds in a WBC super flyweight final eliminator in Commerce, California. According to the WBC, it was a closely contested fight. Micheo (14-7-2) found success with her left hooks, while Soliman (10-2-1) finished the final round strongly. The scorecards reflected the differing views at ringside: one judge had it 99–91 for Soliman, another scored it 97–93 for Micheo, and the third saw it 95–95, making the official result a split draw. But Hall of Fame commentator Al Bernstein (pictured) thought Soliman was robbed. Bernstein tweeted, "So, Soliman has handled an outrageous injustice done to her with astonishing grace. What two either incompetent or biased judges (I vote for biased) did to her was shameful. Honestly they should be suspended from judging and probably never allowed to judge another pro fight again. Tiffany Clinton's score of 97-93 for Micheo was especially abysmal but the 95-95 score was also atrocious."
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Al Bernstein: draw verdict is "outrageous injustice"
María Micheo Santizo D10 Mai Soliman... María Micheo Santizo, a 41 year-old Guatemalan and Mai Soliman of Australia, fought to a draw after ten rounds in a WBC super flyweight final eliminator in Commerce, California. According to the WBC, it was a closely contested fight. Micheo (14-7-2) found success with her left hooks, while Soliman (10-2-1) finished the final round strongly. The scorecards reflected the differing views at ringside: one judge had it 99–91 for Soliman, another scored it 97–93 for Micheo, and the third saw it 95–95, making the official result a split draw. But Hall of Fame commentator Al Bernstein (pictured) thought Soliman was robbed. Bernstein tweeted, "So, Soliman has handled an outrageous injustice done to her with astonishing grace. What two either incompetent or biased judges (I vote for biased) did to her was shameful. Honestly they should be suspended from judging and probably never allowed to judge another pro fight again. Tiffany Clinton's score of 97-93 for Micheo was especially abysmal but the 95-95 score was also atrocious."
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The Boxingtalk scoreboard: wins for Krnjic and Sasaki |
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Ahmed Krnjić TKO5 Ali Kiydin... Ahmed Krnjić, a 9-1 heavyweight from Bosnia and Herzegovina, stopped Ali Kiydin (16-7) by fifth-round technical knockout on September 26th in Novi Pazar, Serbia. Kiydin has now lost six straight. Krnjić entered the fight following a strong run in the WBC Boxing Grand Prix, where he reached, but lost, the heavyweight final against Argentina’s Kevin Ramírez. He then returned to winning ways with a second-round knockout of Bojan Cestic before heading to Novi Pazar for his shot. Jin Sasaki KO6 David Ssemujju … Welterweight Jin Sasaki retained his Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) title by knocking out David Ssemujju (9-2-1) in the sixth round on September 21st at the Tokyo Tama Mirai Messe. Presented by Hachioji Nakaya Promotions, the fight pitted Sasaki against Ssemujju, a Ugandan-born resident of Japan who entered as the Japanese national champion. Fighting in his hometown, Sasaki (22-2-1) imposed an aggressive pace early on, while Ssemujju sought to establish range with his jab and left hook. In the second round, Sasaki stepped up the pressure, targeting the body before landing a short left hook that sent Ssemujju to the canvas. Ssemujju responded bravely in rounds three and four, mixing his attacks to the head and body. In the fourth round, an accidental clash of heads caused a cut over Sasaki’s right eyebrow. But in the sixth round, Sasaki landed a big right cross followed by a left hook that sent Ssemujju to the canvas for a second time. Ssemujju rose to his feet, but the referee completed the ten-count, declaring a knockout victory for the local star
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The Boxingtalk scoreboard: wins for Krnjic and Sasaki
Ahmed Krnjić TKO5 Ali Kiydin... Ahmed Krnjić, a 9-1 heavyweight from Bosnia and Herzegovina, stopped Ali Kiydin (16-7) by fifth-round technical knockout on September 26th in Novi Pazar, Serbia. Kiydin has now lost six straight. Krnjić entered the fight following a strong run in the WBC Boxing Grand Prix, where he reached, but lost, the heavyweight final against Argentina’s Kevin Ramírez. He then returned to winning ways with a second-round knockout of Bojan Cestic before heading to Novi Pazar for his shot. Jin Sasaki KO6 David Ssemujju … Welterweight Jin Sasaki retained his Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) title by knocking out David Ssemujju (9-2-1) in the sixth round on September 21st at the Tokyo Tama Mirai Messe. Presented by Hachioji Nakaya Promotions, the fight pitted Sasaki against Ssemujju, a Ugandan-born resident of Japan who entered as the Japanese national champion. Fighting in his hometown, Sasaki (22-2-1) imposed an aggressive pace early on, while Ssemujju sought to establish range with his jab and left hook. In the second round, Sasaki stepped up the pressure, targeting the body before landing a short left hook that sent Ssemujju to the canvas. Ssemujju responded bravely in rounds three and four, mixing his attacks to the head and body. In the fourth round, an accidental clash of heads caused a cut over Sasaki’s right eyebrow. But in the sixth round, Sasaki landed a big right cross followed by a left hook that sent Ssemujju to the canvas for a second time. Ssemujju rose to his feet, but the referee completed the ten-count, declaring a knockout victory for the local star
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Hank Lundy's bare knuckle debut set for November |
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BKB bare knuckle boxing announced that former lightweight contender “Hammerin’” Hank Lundy will make his BKB debut on Friday, November 20th at Bally’s Dover Casino Resort in Dover, Delaware. No opponent was announced. Tickets are available at ballysdover.com/entertainment. The event will mark BKB’s first-ever appearance in Delaware as the organization continues its expansion across the United States. Lundy, who signed with BKB in July, brings nearly two decades of professional boxing experience into the trigon and will look to make an immediate impact in his BKB debut. A Philadelphia native, Lundy compiled a 32-14-1 professional boxing record with 14 knockouts and challenged Terence Crawford for the WBO 140-pound championship in 2016. Known as “Hammerin’ Hank,” Lundy has built his reputation on taking on some of the sport’s toughest competition and now enters a new chapter of his career in bare knuckle boxing with BKB.
“We knew when we signed Hank that his style and mentality were made for BKB, and now we finally get to see him inside the Trigon,” said David Tetreault, CEO of BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing. “He’s been in there with some of the best fighters in the world, and having him make his BKB debut at Bally’s Fightnight by BKB is a great way to introduce him to our fans.”
“I’ve fought all over the world and against some of the best in boxing, but I’m always looking for the next challenge,” said Hank Lundy. “Now I get to step into the Trigon at Bally’s Fightnight by BKB right in my backyard, and I’m coming to Dover ready to put on a show.”
“We’re always looking for ways to bring new live entertainment experiences to Bally’s Dover, and BKB is a great addition to the lineup,” said Nicholas Polcino, Vice President and General Manager of Dover Casino Resort. “The Rollins Center is a natural fit for the energy of a BKB event, and we’re excited to welcome fight fans to Dover for the first time.”
BKB’s fully-integrated, 360-degree partnership with Bally’s brings the sport to new audiences through live events at Bally’s properties across the United States. Bally’s Fightnight by BKB combines Bally’s venues, proprietary ForceIQTM punch sensor technology and exclusive broadcast distribution to create an integrated combat entertainment experience, with sensors capturing punch volume, type and impact force in real time. The Dover fight card will be broadcast exclusively on Bally’s digital platforms, including Bally Sports Live apps on phones and TVs, ballysports.com and Stadium free ad-supported TV (FAST) channel.
The partnership launched successfully with the first Bally’s Fightnight by BKB event in January at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi, and is set to return for another exciting night of fights on Friday, October 23. The inaugural Dover event continues the partnership’s expansion to Bally’s properties across the United States.
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Hank Lundy's bare knuckle debut set for November
BKB bare knuckle boxing announced that former lightweight contender “Hammerin’” Hank Lundy will make his BKB debut on Friday, November 20th at Bally’s Dover Casino Resort in Dover, Delaware. No opponent was announced. Tickets are available at ballysdover.com/entertainment. The event will mark BKB’s first-ever appearance in Delaware as the organization continues its expansion across the United States. Lundy, who signed with BKB in July, brings nearly two decades of professional boxing experience into the trigon and will look to make an immediate impact in his BKB debut. A Philadelphia native, Lundy compiled a 32-14-1 professional boxing record with 14 knockouts and challenged Terence Crawford for the WBO 140-pound championship in 2016. Known as “Hammerin’ Hank,” Lundy has built his reputation on taking on some of the sport’s toughest competition and now enters a new chapter of his career in bare knuckle boxing with BKB.
“We knew when we signed Hank that his style and mentality were made for BKB, and now we finally get to see him inside the Trigon,” said David Tetreault, CEO of BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing. “He’s been in there with some of the best fighters in the world, and having him make his BKB debut at Bally’s Fightnight by BKB is a great way to introduce him to our fans.”
“I’ve fought all over the world and against some of the best in boxing, but I’m always looking for the next challenge,” said Hank Lundy. “Now I get to step into the Trigon at Bally’s Fightnight by BKB right in my backyard, and I’m coming to Dover ready to put on a show.”
“We’re always looking for ways to bring new live entertainment experiences to Bally’s Dover, and BKB is a great addition to the lineup,” said Nicholas Polcino, Vice President and General Manager of Dover Casino Resort. “The Rollins Center is a natural fit for the energy of a BKB event, and we’re excited to welcome fight fans to Dover for the first time.”
BKB’s fully-integrated, 360-degree partnership with Bally’s brings the sport to new audiences through live events at Bally’s properties across the United States. Bally’s Fightnight by BKB combines Bally’s venues, proprietary ForceIQTM punch sensor technology and exclusive broadcast distribution to create an integrated combat entertainment experience, with sensors capturing punch volume, type and impact force in real time. The Dover fight card will be broadcast exclusively on Bally’s digital platforms, including Bally Sports Live apps on phones and TVs, ballysports.com and Stadium free ad-supported TV (FAST) channel.
The partnership launched successfully with the first Bally’s Fightnight by BKB event in January at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi, and is set to return for another exciting night of fights on Friday, October 23. The inaugural Dover event continues the partnership’s expansion to Bally’s properties across the United States.
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Warriors wins purse bid for Bentley vs. Hernandez |
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In a purse bid held online from WBO headquarters in Puerto Rico, Warriors Boxing Promotions won the right to promote a WBO middleweight championship defense by Denzel Bentley against mandatory contender Yoenli Hernandez. Warriors, who promotes Hernandez, bid $200,000, which was the minimum bid. Warriors was able to win the auction proceeding for this amount because Bentley's promoter, Queensberry, did not submit a bid. Warriors' proposed dates for the fight are December 12th or 19th with potential sites declared to be Phoenix, Orlando or Las Vegas. It will now be up to the boxers to sign the bout contracts once Warriors provides them. In the last WBO purse bid, Hamzah Sheeraz went thorugh the purse bid process but vacated his super middleweight title rather then sign for the amount yielded by the purse bid process. Bentley has been linked to a potential fight with IBF champion Aaron McKenna, so it is possible he will vacate the WBO title rather than accpet this fight. Under WBO regulations, the winning bid in this case results in expected purses of $160,000 for Bentley and $40,000 for Hernandez (but it is possible Warriors and Hernandez have a private agreement for a different amount to Hernandez). PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
SEPT 23, 2026: The WBO World Championship Committee has scheduled a purse bid for the WBO middleweight champion Denzel Bentley to make a mandatory defense againsy Yoenli Hernandez. The purse bid is scheduled for September 29th, with the parties free to reach a deal before then. However, it was not clear whether Bentley would take the fight, as he was believed to be in negotiations for a unification fight with Aaron McKenna, the IBF champion. If Bentley refuses to fight Hernandez, he would be stripped by the WBO but could still pursue an IBF challenge vs. McKenna.
SEPT. 5, 2026: The WBO has ordered negotiations for a world title fight between its middleweight title holder, Denzel Bentley, and mandatory contender Yoenlis Hernandez. The news is a blow to 160-pound unification, as Bentley was in discussions to unify with IBF champion Aaron McKenna by year's end. The WBO's decision means that Bentley would likely be stripped if he elected to fight McKenna over Hernandez. The news broke through a September 2nd letter to representatives of both fighters from the WBO World Championship Committee. The letter ordered the parties to begin negotiations for the mandatory championship contest and gave them 20 days to reach an agreement. But the WBO also directed both sides to confirm in writing within the first ten days that they are ready, willing and available to proceed with the bout. If Bentley and Hernandez (should Bentley agree to make the mandatory) are unable to reach an agreement, the fight can proceed to a purse bid. The WBO established a minimum bid of $200,000 and said either party may request the commencement of purse-bid proceedings at any time during the negotiation period. Bentley is represented by manager Martin Bowers, while Hernandez is represented by promoter Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing.
SEPT. 3, 2026: According to WBO president Gustavo Olivieri, the WBO received a formal communication from Team Yoenli Hernandez requesting enforcement of the mandatory title defense rule against WBO middleweight Champion Denzel Bentley. Olivieri stated, "the WBO World Championship Committee will convene immediately to review the matter and issue its determination in accordance with the applicable WBO Regulations. Bentley was elevated to WBO middleweight champion after Zhanibek Alimkhanuly’s voluntary relinquishment of the title. Bentley, from the United Kingdom, has a pro record of 22-3-1. He won the vacant WBO interim belt by stopping little-known Endry Saavedra in April. Alimkhanuly, who also held the IBF title, tested positive for banned, performance enhancing substances, but unlike the IBF, the WBO did not immediately strip Alimkhanuly. Hernandez is a Cuban middleweight who last week secured a majority decision victory over Francisco Daniel Veron. Hernandez's offensive bursts proved to be the difference in that bout. While one judge scored it a 95-95 draw, the remaining two widely favored Hernandez with lopsided tallies of 99-91 and 98-92. With the win, Hernandez improved to 11-0 with 9 KOs.
JULY 22, 2026: [Cynics will say this is an "e-mail championship" but] the WBO World Championship Committee has officially elevated Denzel Bentley to WBO world middleweight champion following Zhanibek Alimkhanuly’s voluntary relinquishment of the title. Bentley, from the United Kingdom, has a pro record of 22-3-1. He won the vacant WBO interim belt by stopping little-known Endry Saavedra in April. Alimkhanuly, who also held the IBF title, tested positive for banned, performance enhancing substances, but unlike the IBF, the WBO did not immediately strip Alimkhanuly. The IBF title remains vacant, with a new champion expected to be crowned on August 8th at the 3Arena in a bout between Ireland's Aaron McKenna and Italy's Etinosa Oliha.
FEB. 23, 2026: In a very disappointing ruling for those who want to punish drug cheats in boxing, the WBO has ruled that its middleweight champion, Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, can keep his title despite testing positive for the banned substance meldonium. Instead of striping the boxer, as was expected, the WBO imposed a one-year suspension and a series of conditions that stop short of stripping Alimkhnauly of the championship. The decision follows positive “A” and “B” sample tests collected by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) in November 2025, which forced Alimkhanuly out of a scheduled unification bout against Erislandy Lara in December. Although not a party to this ruling, the IBF is just as culpable, as it also continues to recognize Alimhanuly as its world middleweight champion. A WBO interim title fight between Denzel Bentley and Endry Saavedra was ordered to keep the division active during his suspension.
In a lengthy written decision issued by its World Championship Committee, the WBO confirmed that the tests were conducted by recognized anti-doping authorities and verified by a WADA-accredited laboratory, leaving no dispute about the presence of the prohibited substance. Under the organization’s rules, the case fell under a “strict liability” standard, meaning intent or explanation was irrelevant once a positive test was confirmed. Despite that framework, the WBO declined to impose its most severe sanction — vacating Alimkhanuly's title — and instead opted for what it described as a “proportionate” response.
The ruling suspends Alimkhanuly for one year, retroactive to December 2nd, the date of official notification of the adverse test. He is also required to submit to year-round random drug testing under a WADA-certified program at his own expense, complete an anti-doping education course, and provide certified test results directly to the WBO. When the suspension ends, he will not be allowed a tune-up fight; his first bout must be against either the WBO interim champion or the organization’s mandatory challenger.
The WBO framed the outcome as balanced and fair. Others will see it differently — as a decision that does not meaningfully penalize a fighter who failed a drug test, and does little to deter future violations at the highest level of the sport.
So what is the end result? Alimkhanuly remains recognized as a two-belt champion, retains his title status, and faces no financial penalty. The suspension is time-limited, a year in name but effectively only ten months, and the conditions imposed largely amount to monitoring and compliance requirements rather than punitive measures. For a confirmed doping violation that canceled a major unification bout and disrupted the middleweight division, the consequences are relatively light.
The committee justified its approach by citing Alimkhanuly’s status as a first-time offender and the absence of prior anti-doping violations. It emphasized proportionality and the legal and commercial interests tied to championship recognition. In effect, the WBO treated the case as a regulatory issue to be managed rather than a breach warranting the strongest available punishment. For critics, that distinction matters. A positive test for a banned substance typically carries the expectation of severe sporting consequences, especially for a reigning world champion. By allowing Alimkhanuly to keep his title and return after a defined suspension, the ruling sends a message that a confirmed drug violation does not necessarily lead to the loss of a championship. It should be noted that Alimkhanuly tested positive for meldonium, which is clearly banned in international competitions but is legally available for purchase in Kazakhstan, Russia and a few other countries.
DEC. 5, 2025: After a positive test for the banned substance meldonium, the WBO World Championship Committee has issued a “show cause notice” to WBO / IBF middleweight champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly. The notice stated, "It has been formally reported that on December 2nd, the WBO received an official communication from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) concerning an alleged anti-doping violation arising from the testing protocol enforced by said agency in preparation for the scheduled WBO/IBF unified middleweight championships contest against [WBA champion] Erislandy Lara to be held in San Antonio, Texas on December 6th.According to the notice, the “A” Sample of [Alimkhanuly's] urine specimen, collected on November 15th, in Porter Ranch, California, allegedly returned an adverse analytical finding for a banned substance at an estimated concentration greater than the minimum reported threshold.
Unlike the WBC, which lately has been giving virtually no penalties to boxers who test positive for banned substances [Conor Benn and Subriel Matias come to mind], WBO policy is that "in the event any WBO champion tests positive for any banned substances, the WBO doesn’t need to demonstrate intent, fault, negligence, or knowing use on the fighter’s part. It is the fighter’s duty to ensure that no prohibited substances enter their body. Fighters are fully responsible for any prohibited substances found to be present in their body."
Alimkhanuly was directed by the WBO to show cause within ten days of issuance of this notice, stating why disciplinary action should not be imposed pursuant to the applicable sections in the governing WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests and all relevant WBO policies; including but not limited to: a) declaring the WBO middleweight championship “vacant”; b) withdrawing WBO world champion status from Alimkhanuly; c) banning him from all WBO world and/or regional championship contests; d) suspending him sion from al WBO world and/or regional championship contests; and e) issuing any other rulings necessary, helpful or convenient to accomplish the purposes, policies and intent of the WBO.
Alimkhanuly's response may include supporting documentation, statements, legal submissions, or any other relevant materials he wishes the WBO to consider. Failure to respond within the prescribed period may result in disciplinary action being taken without further notice and/or hearing, including but not limited to the vacating of your WBO Championship title, effective immediately.
DEC. 3, 2025: WBA middleweight champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara will defend his title against hard-hitting challenger Johan Gonzalez as part of a four-fight PBC pay-per-view event on Prime Video this Saturday, December 6th from Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. Lara was originally scheduled to face unified champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, who was pulled from the fight after failing a VADA anti-doping test. The Lara vs. Gonzalez fight will follow the pay-per-view opener between Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. and Shane Mosley Jr. for the WBC interim middleweight title beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The pay-per-view is headlined by former 140-pound title holder Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz taking on reigning WBA 130-pound champion Lamont Roach for the WBC interim title at 140 pounds. The showdown between two-division champion Stephen Fulton Jr. and WBC 130-pound champion O’Shaquie Foster will now serve as the co-feature. Tickets for the live event are on sale now through Ticketmaster.com.
DEC. 2, 2025: Janibek Alimkhanuly, the two-belt middleweight champion, has tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance just days before a scheduled unification fight against WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Journalist Dan Rafael reported that the substance was meldonium, which is commonly used in Russia. Alimkhanuly, from Kazakhstan, holds the WBO and IBF titles. He reacted to this development by tweeting, "I have always supported clean sport you know this well. I was surprised when I read the news. VADA took the first test and said everything was clean. I have not made any changes to my vitamins. I don’t know what happened with the second test, so I requested a retest." Alimkhanuly vs. Lara, which was scheduled for this Saturday, December 6th in San Antonio, Texas. The WBO acknowledged the positive test as follows: "The WBO has confirmed an adverse analytical finding for WBO middleweight champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly from VADA testing ahead of his scheduled bout vs. Erislandy Lara. An internal investigation is now underway, and a show cause notice will be issued. No further comments will be made until the process is complete.
OCT. 16, 2025: The WBO has ordered a purse bid for a WBO middleweight elimination bout between Denzel Bentley and Endry Saavedra. Bentley is from England and holds the British and European titles. At 21-3, he's won three straight since a 2023 loss to Nathan Heaney. Bentley also has a loss against reigning WBO / IBF champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly. The little-known Saveedra is from Venezuela and boasts a 17-1-1 pro record that includes wins over Isaac Hardman and Mikkel Nielsen and a draw with unbeaten Cesar Mateo Tapia.
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Warriors wins purse bid for Bentley vs. Hernandez
In a purse bid held online from WBO headquarters in Puerto Rico, Warriors Boxing Promotions won the right to promote a WBO middleweight championship defense by Denzel Bentley against mandatory contender Yoenli Hernandez. Warriors, who promotes Hernandez, bid $200,000, which was the minimum bid. Warriors was able to win the auction proceeding for this amount because Bentley's promoter, Queensberry, did not submit a bid. Warriors' proposed dates for the fight are December 12th or 19th with potential sites declared to be Phoenix, Orlando or Las Vegas. It will now be up to the boxers to sign the bout contracts once Warriors provides them. In the last WBO purse bid, Hamzah Sheeraz went thorugh the purse bid process but vacated his super middleweight title rather then sign for the amount yielded by the purse bid process. Bentley has been linked to a potential fight with IBF champion Aaron McKenna, so it is possible he will vacate the WBO title rather than accpet this fight. Under WBO regulations, the winning bid in this case results in expected purses of $160,000 for Bentley and $40,000 for Hernandez (but it is possible Warriors and Hernandez have a private agreement for a different amount to Hernandez). PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
SEPT 23, 2026: The WBO World Championship Committee has scheduled a purse bid for the WBO middleweight champion Denzel Bentley to make a mandatory defense againsy Yoenli Hernandez. The purse bid is scheduled for September 29th, with the parties free to reach a deal before then. However, it was not clear whether Bentley would take the fight, as he was believed to be in negotiations for a unification fight with Aaron McKenna, the IBF champion. If Bentley refuses to fight Hernandez, he would be stripped by the WBO but could still pursue an IBF challenge vs. McKenna.
SEPT. 5, 2026: The WBO has ordered negotiations for a world title fight between its middleweight title holder, Denzel Bentley, and mandatory contender Yoenlis Hernandez. The news is a blow to 160-pound unification, as Bentley was in discussions to unify with IBF champion Aaron McKenna by year's end. The WBO's decision means that Bentley would likely be stripped if he elected to fight McKenna over Hernandez. The news broke through a September 2nd letter to representatives of both fighters from the WBO World Championship Committee. The letter ordered the parties to begin negotiations for the mandatory championship contest and gave them 20 days to reach an agreement. But the WBO also directed both sides to confirm in writing within the first ten days that they are ready, willing and available to proceed with the bout. If Bentley and Hernandez (should Bentley agree to make the mandatory) are unable to reach an agreement, the fight can proceed to a purse bid. The WBO established a minimum bid of $200,000 and said either party may request the commencement of purse-bid proceedings at any time during the negotiation period. Bentley is represented by manager Martin Bowers, while Hernandez is represented by promoter Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing.
SEPT. 3, 2026: According to WBO president Gustavo Olivieri, the WBO received a formal communication from Team Yoenli Hernandez requesting enforcement of the mandatory title defense rule against WBO middleweight Champion Denzel Bentley. Olivieri stated, "the WBO World Championship Committee will convene immediately to review the matter and issue its determination in accordance with the applicable WBO Regulations. Bentley was elevated to WBO middleweight champion after Zhanibek Alimkhanuly’s voluntary relinquishment of the title. Bentley, from the United Kingdom, has a pro record of 22-3-1. He won the vacant WBO interim belt by stopping little-known Endry Saavedra in April. Alimkhanuly, who also held the IBF title, tested positive for banned, performance enhancing substances, but unlike the IBF, the WBO did not immediately strip Alimkhanuly. Hernandez is a Cuban middleweight who last week secured a majority decision victory over Francisco Daniel Veron. Hernandez's offensive bursts proved to be the difference in that bout. While one judge scored it a 95-95 draw, the remaining two widely favored Hernandez with lopsided tallies of 99-91 and 98-92. With the win, Hernandez improved to 11-0 with 9 KOs.
JULY 22, 2026: [Cynics will say this is an "e-mail championship" but] the WBO World Championship Committee has officially elevated Denzel Bentley to WBO world middleweight champion following Zhanibek Alimkhanuly’s voluntary relinquishment of the title. Bentley, from the United Kingdom, has a pro record of 22-3-1. He won the vacant WBO interim belt by stopping little-known Endry Saavedra in April. Alimkhanuly, who also held the IBF title, tested positive for banned, performance enhancing substances, but unlike the IBF, the WBO did not immediately strip Alimkhanuly. The IBF title remains vacant, with a new champion expected to be crowned on August 8th at the 3Arena in a bout between Ireland's Aaron McKenna and Italy's Etinosa Oliha.
FEB. 23, 2026: In a very disappointing ruling for those who want to punish drug cheats in boxing, the WBO has ruled that its middleweight champion, Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, can keep his title despite testing positive for the banned substance meldonium. Instead of striping the boxer, as was expected, the WBO imposed a one-year suspension and a series of conditions that stop short of stripping Alimkhnauly of the championship. The decision follows positive “A” and “B” sample tests collected by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) in November 2025, which forced Alimkhanuly out of a scheduled unification bout against Erislandy Lara in December. Although not a party to this ruling, the IBF is just as culpable, as it also continues to recognize Alimhanuly as its world middleweight champion. A WBO interim title fight between Denzel Bentley and Endry Saavedra was ordered to keep the division active during his suspension.
In a lengthy written decision issued by its World Championship Committee, the WBO confirmed that the tests were conducted by recognized anti-doping authorities and verified by a WADA-accredited laboratory, leaving no dispute about the presence of the prohibited substance. Under the organization’s rules, the case fell under a “strict liability” standard, meaning intent or explanation was irrelevant once a positive test was confirmed. Despite that framework, the WBO declined to impose its most severe sanction — vacating Alimkhanuly's title — and instead opted for what it described as a “proportionate” response.
The ruling suspends Alimkhanuly for one year, retroactive to December 2nd, the date of official notification of the adverse test. He is also required to submit to year-round random drug testing under a WADA-certified program at his own expense, complete an anti-doping education course, and provide certified test results directly to the WBO. When the suspension ends, he will not be allowed a tune-up fight; his first bout must be against either the WBO interim champion or the organization’s mandatory challenger.
The WBO framed the outcome as balanced and fair. Others will see it differently — as a decision that does not meaningfully penalize a fighter who failed a drug test, and does little to deter future violations at the highest level of the sport.
So what is the end result? Alimkhanuly remains recognized as a two-belt champion, retains his title status, and faces no financial penalty. The suspension is time-limited, a year in name but effectively only ten months, and the conditions imposed largely amount to monitoring and compliance requirements rather than punitive measures. For a confirmed doping violation that canceled a major unification bout and disrupted the middleweight division, the consequences are relatively light.
The committee justified its approach by citing Alimkhanuly’s status as a first-time offender and the absence of prior anti-doping violations. It emphasized proportionality and the legal and commercial interests tied to championship recognition. In effect, the WBO treated the case as a regulatory issue to be managed rather than a breach warranting the strongest available punishment. For critics, that distinction matters. A positive test for a banned substance typically carries the expectation of severe sporting consequences, especially for a reigning world champion. By allowing Alimkhanuly to keep his title and return after a defined suspension, the ruling sends a message that a confirmed drug violation does not necessarily lead to the loss of a championship. It should be noted that Alimkhanuly tested positive for meldonium, which is clearly banned in international competitions but is legally available for purchase in Kazakhstan, Russia and a few other countries.
DEC. 5, 2025: After a positive test for the banned substance meldonium, the WBO World Championship Committee has issued a “show cause notice” to WBO / IBF middleweight champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly. The notice stated, "It has been formally reported that on December 2nd, the WBO received an official communication from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) concerning an alleged anti-doping violation arising from the testing protocol enforced by said agency in preparation for the scheduled WBO/IBF unified middleweight championships contest against [WBA champion] Erislandy Lara to be held in San Antonio, Texas on December 6th.According to the notice, the “A” Sample of [Alimkhanuly's] urine specimen, collected on November 15th, in Porter Ranch, California, allegedly returned an adverse analytical finding for a banned substance at an estimated concentration greater than the minimum reported threshold.
Unlike the WBC, which lately has been giving virtually no penalties to boxers who test positive for banned substances [Conor Benn and Subriel Matias come to mind], WBO policy is that "in the event any WBO champion tests positive for any banned substances, the WBO doesn’t need to demonstrate intent, fault, negligence, or knowing use on the fighter’s part. It is the fighter’s duty to ensure that no prohibited substances enter their body. Fighters are fully responsible for any prohibited substances found to be present in their body."
Alimkhanuly was directed by the WBO to show cause within ten days of issuance of this notice, stating why disciplinary action should not be imposed pursuant to the applicable sections in the governing WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests and all relevant WBO policies; including but not limited to: a) declaring the WBO middleweight championship “vacant”; b) withdrawing WBO world champion status from Alimkhanuly; c) banning him from all WBO world and/or regional championship contests; d) suspending him sion from al WBO world and/or regional championship contests; and e) issuing any other rulings necessary, helpful or convenient to accomplish the purposes, policies and intent of the WBO.
Alimkhanuly's response may include supporting documentation, statements, legal submissions, or any other relevant materials he wishes the WBO to consider. Failure to respond within the prescribed period may result in disciplinary action being taken without further notice and/or hearing, including but not limited to the vacating of your WBO Championship title, effective immediately.
DEC. 3, 2025: WBA middleweight champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara will defend his title against hard-hitting challenger Johan Gonzalez as part of a four-fight PBC pay-per-view event on Prime Video this Saturday, December 6th from Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. Lara was originally scheduled to face unified champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, who was pulled from the fight after failing a VADA anti-doping test. The Lara vs. Gonzalez fight will follow the pay-per-view opener between Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. and Shane Mosley Jr. for the WBC interim middleweight title beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The pay-per-view is headlined by former 140-pound title holder Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz taking on reigning WBA 130-pound champion Lamont Roach for the WBC interim title at 140 pounds. The showdown between two-division champion Stephen Fulton Jr. and WBC 130-pound champion O’Shaquie Foster will now serve as the co-feature. Tickets for the live event are on sale now through Ticketmaster.com.
DEC. 2, 2025: Janibek Alimkhanuly, the two-belt middleweight champion, has tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance just days before a scheduled unification fight against WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Journalist Dan Rafael reported that the substance was meldonium, which is commonly used in Russia. Alimkhanuly, from Kazakhstan, holds the WBO and IBF titles. He reacted to this development by tweeting, "I have always supported clean sport you know this well. I was surprised when I read the news. VADA took the first test and said everything was clean. I have not made any changes to my vitamins. I don’t know what happened with the second test, so I requested a retest." Alimkhanuly vs. Lara, which was scheduled for this Saturday, December 6th in San Antonio, Texas. The WBO acknowledged the positive test as follows: "The WBO has confirmed an adverse analytical finding for WBO middleweight champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly from VADA testing ahead of his scheduled bout vs. Erislandy Lara. An internal investigation is now underway, and a show cause notice will be issued. No further comments will be made until the process is complete.
OCT. 16, 2025: The WBO has ordered a purse bid for a WBO middleweight elimination bout between Denzel Bentley and Endry Saavedra. Bentley is from England and holds the British and European titles. At 21-3, he's won three straight since a 2023 loss to Nathan Heaney. Bentley also has a loss against reigning WBO / IBF champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly. The little-known Saveedra is from Venezuela and boasts a 17-1-1 pro record that includes wins over Isaac Hardman and Mikkel Nielsen and a draw with unbeaten Cesar Mateo Tapia.
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Report: Gassiev files protest over WBA super championship threat |
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According to an IBA report, the promoters of WBA heavyweight champion Murat Gassiev condemn reports that Tyson Fury’s clash with Anthony Joshua on December 11th will be sanctioned for the WBA’s super heavyweight championship, a status Gassiev considers to rightfully belong to him. Gassiev’s team has lodged a formal objection to the WBA, demanding that it publicly refute the reports and take no action that would deny Gassiev his rightful status. Gassiev won and defended in the ring. Following Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to vacate his titles, Gassiev team maintains that he, as the reigning champion, should have been elevated to super champion, or at the very least given the first opportunity to fight for that status, before it was awarded to anyone else. The "promoters" of Gassiev [the IBA did not say who] consider it unacceptable that reports of this magnitude could circulate without any consultation with Gassiev and his team, and demand clarification from the WBA immediately. “If anyone should be fighting for the WBA super heavyweight title, it is Murat Gassiev, the reigning champion, not two boxers who currently hold no world title between them. Allowing the WBA’s number two and number three contenders to bypass the number one contender and the reigning champion himself would be an extraordinary and, to our knowledge, unprecedented decision. We have formally requested that the WBA confirm or deny these reports and provide the grounds for any such decision. At an absolute minimum, Murat must be given the opportunity to be heard and to fight for super champion status before that status is awarded to anyone else. Our client’s rights in this matter are fully reserved,” said John Wirt, co-promoter and legal counsel for Gassiev."
Gassiev said the decision had been made without any contact with him or his team. “Nobody asked me or my team anything before this decision. I have defended this title in the ring, not in a press release. I am ready to fight anyone – Fury, Joshua, anybody – tomorrow, next month, whenever suits. That has never been a question for me. I would not accept the situation when champion’s future is decided on paper, not in the ring,” Gassiev said.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
SEPT. 25, 2026: Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua is officially happening. The British heavyweights, both former champions, will fight for the first time on Friday, Dec. 11th, live on Netflix from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Ahead of the December showdown, Fury and Joshua will participate in a press conference on September 30th. Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) and Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) have both previously headlined live boxing events on Netflix. Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in December 2025, while Fury defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision in April 2026. Now, the former heavyweight champions will meet in one of the biggest all-British heavyweight fights in history.
“Fury vs. Joshua is a fight years in the making between two of boxing’s biggest stars,” Gabe Spitzer, vice president of sports at Netflix, said. “It has the rivalry, the stakes and the scale to capture the attention of sports fans around the world.”
The matchup was officially confirmed by Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority and President of the Saudi Boxing Federation. “Two of the best heavyweights of this generation, finally in the ring together,” says Alalshikh. “This will be one of the biggest fights in boxing history.”
Alalshikh’s The Ring and Dana White will collaborate to promote the event. White points to the fighters’ combined records — and what a win could mean for either man’s legacy. “Together, [Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua] bring 66 wins, 52 knockouts and multiple heavyweight world titles into the ring,” White says. “On December 11th, two of the biggest heavyweights of this generation finally collide– and the winner will take a significant place in heavyweight history.”
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Report: Gassiev files protest over WBA super championship threat
According to an IBA report, the promoters of WBA heavyweight champion Murat Gassiev condemn reports that Tyson Fury’s clash with Anthony Joshua on December 11th will be sanctioned for the WBA’s super heavyweight championship, a status Gassiev considers to rightfully belong to him. Gassiev’s team has lodged a formal objection to the WBA, demanding that it publicly refute the reports and take no action that would deny Gassiev his rightful status. Gassiev won and defended in the ring. Following Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to vacate his titles, Gassiev team maintains that he, as the reigning champion, should have been elevated to super champion, or at the very least given the first opportunity to fight for that status, before it was awarded to anyone else. The "promoters" of Gassiev [the IBA did not say who] consider it unacceptable that reports of this magnitude could circulate without any consultation with Gassiev and his team, and demand clarification from the WBA immediately. “If anyone should be fighting for the WBA super heavyweight title, it is Murat Gassiev, the reigning champion, not two boxers who currently hold no world title between them. Allowing the WBA’s number two and number three contenders to bypass the number one contender and the reigning champion himself would be an extraordinary and, to our knowledge, unprecedented decision. We have formally requested that the WBA confirm or deny these reports and provide the grounds for any such decision. At an absolute minimum, Murat must be given the opportunity to be heard and to fight for super champion status before that status is awarded to anyone else. Our client’s rights in this matter are fully reserved,” said John Wirt, co-promoter and legal counsel for Gassiev."
Gassiev said the decision had been made without any contact with him or his team. “Nobody asked me or my team anything before this decision. I have defended this title in the ring, not in a press release. I am ready to fight anyone – Fury, Joshua, anybody – tomorrow, next month, whenever suits. That has never been a question for me. I would not accept the situation when champion’s future is decided on paper, not in the ring,” Gassiev said.
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
SEPT. 25, 2026: Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua is officially happening. The British heavyweights, both former champions, will fight for the first time on Friday, Dec. 11th, live on Netflix from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Ahead of the December showdown, Fury and Joshua will participate in a press conference on September 30th. Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) and Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) have both previously headlined live boxing events on Netflix. Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in December 2025, while Fury defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision in April 2026. Now, the former heavyweight champions will meet in one of the biggest all-British heavyweight fights in history.
“Fury vs. Joshua is a fight years in the making between two of boxing’s biggest stars,” Gabe Spitzer, vice president of sports at Netflix, said. “It has the rivalry, the stakes and the scale to capture the attention of sports fans around the world.”
The matchup was officially confirmed by Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority and President of the Saudi Boxing Federation. “Two of the best heavyweights of this generation, finally in the ring together,” says Alalshikh. “This will be one of the biggest fights in boxing history.”
Alalshikh’s The Ring and Dana White will collaborate to promote the event. White points to the fighters’ combined records — and what a win could mean for either man’s legacy. “Together, [Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua] bring 66 wins, 52 knockouts and multiple heavyweight world titles into the ring,” White says. “On December 11th, two of the biggest heavyweights of this generation finally collide– and the winner will take a significant place in heavyweight history.”
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Heather Hardy files a sad and ugly lawsuit |
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Former WBO featherweight champion Heather Hardy has filed a federal lawsuit against Jake Paul, Most Valuable Promotions, Bryce Holden and Holden Boxing, alleging that they placed her in an unnecessarily dangerous 2023 rematch with Amanda Serrano and contributed to the brain injuries that ended her career. The 54-page lawsuit, filed last week in Dallas, portrays the Serrano rematch as something considerably more troubling than a boxer accepting the risks inherent in her profession. Hardy alleges that the defendants knew, or should have known, that the matchup presented an unusually high risk of neurological injury but proceeded because the fight served their financial and promotional interests. Hardy had previously lost a one-sided decision to Serrano in 2019.
NOTE: This is part two of Boxingtalk's coverage. Part one covers Hardy's appeal for contributions for her support, which has raised over $46,000. Part three will cover Hardy's prior lawsuit against differen parties for the same injuries.
After the 2023 loss to Serrano, Hardy was training for a $50,000 bare knuckle fight in 2024, when she suddenly lost her vision during light sparring. She allegedly remained partially blind for several days before seeing an ophthalmologist, who told her that the problem was not with her eyes but with her brain. She then withdrew from the fight and retired. Her longtime ophthalmologist, Dr. Anthony Curreri, concluded that Hardy had suffered multiple concussions resulting in cumulative traumatic brain injury and characterized the Serrano rematch as the “tipping point.” Serrano landed 242 punches in the twenty-minute fight, many to Hardy's head and face. According to the complaint, Curreri concluded that Hardy has a permanent disability involving traumatic brain injury, memory loss, double vision, anxiety disorder, spatial confusion, and problems with perception and depth, leaving her unable to concentrate and probably unable to maintain regular employment.
The complaint then alleges that Hardy suffers from chronic headaches, double vision, spatial confusion, tremors, vertigo, insomnia and severe anxiety. It says ordinary activities such as reading a map, crossing a street and distinguishing left from right are difficult and sometimes impossible. Hardy allegedly can coach at a Brooklyn boxing gym for only a few hours each day before her symptoms force her to stop, and she relies on prescription medication and Medicaid for care. Finally, Hardy describes as her formal diagnoses: a history of traumatic brain injury, vision changes, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), post-concussion syndrome, severe recurrent major depressive disorder, psychophysiological insomnia, PTSD and alcohol use disorder.
Hardy seeks more than $10 million in damages, including compensatory and punitive damages, as well as an injunction intended to prevent similar alleged conduct involving other fighters.
At this stage, the complaint contains Hardy’s allegations only. Paul, MVP, Holden and Holden Boxing have not yet had an opportunity in the litigation to answer those allegations, and the court has made no findings concerning their merits.
According to the lawsuit, Hardy's longtime promoter Lou DiBella opposed a rematch because of concerns for Hardy’s safety, as did promoter Larry Goldberg and Gleason’s Gym founder Bruce Silverglade. Hardy alleges that MVP and Paul nevertheless went around DiBella and used Holden Boxing as an intermediary to arrange the fight. Serrano defeated Hardy by unanimous decision in their 2023 rematch in Dallas. Hardy alleges that she subsequently began experiencing vision problems and was eventually diagnosed with neurological injuries that forced her retirement. The complaint says she continues to suffer serious and lasting neurological problems.
The lawsuit contains five claims: gross negligence, negligent undertaking, two negligence claims and violation of the federal Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act. The Ali Act claim is based largely on Hardy’s allegation that MVP and Paul improperly blurred the line between promoter and boxer representative. She contends that Holden was used as a nominal intermediary while Paul and MVP actually exercised control over the transaction, depriving her of genuinely independent representation.
Hardy also uses the complaint to sling unrelated mud at MVP. She cites the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight, the proposed Paul-Gervonta Davis exhibition, serious injuries suffered by Isis Sio and Shadasia Green and MVP's support for three-minute rounds in women's boxing as alleged evidence of a larger pattern. Those assertions are Hardy's allegations and have not been established by a court.
There may also be an important statute-of-limitations battle. Hardy acknowledges that she understood the extent of her injuries by September 24th, 2024, but argues that she did not discover the defendants’ allegedly concealed role in causing them until her attorneys investigated the matter in March 2026. She therefore invokes the “discovery rule” and, alternatively, fraudulent concealment in arguing that her claims were timely filed.
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Heather Hardy files a sad and ugly lawsuit
Former WBO featherweight champion Heather Hardy has filed a federal lawsuit against Jake Paul, Most Valuable Promotions, Bryce Holden and Holden Boxing, alleging that they placed her in an unnecessarily dangerous 2023 rematch with Amanda Serrano and contributed to the brain injuries that ended her career. The 54-page lawsuit, filed last week in Dallas, portrays the Serrano rematch as something considerably more troubling than a boxer accepting the risks inherent in her profession. Hardy alleges that the defendants knew, or should have known, that the matchup presented an unusually high risk of neurological injury but proceeded because the fight served their financial and promotional interests. Hardy had previously lost a one-sided decision to Serrano in 2019.
NOTE: This is part two of Boxingtalk's coverage. Part one covers Hardy's appeal for contributions for her support, which has raised over $46,000. Part three will cover Hardy's prior lawsuit against differen parties for the same injuries.
After the 2023 loss to Serrano, Hardy was training for a $50,000 bare knuckle fight in 2024, when she suddenly lost her vision during light sparring. She allegedly remained partially blind for several days before seeing an ophthalmologist, who told her that the problem was not with her eyes but with her brain. She then withdrew from the fight and retired. Her longtime ophthalmologist, Dr. Anthony Curreri, concluded that Hardy had suffered multiple concussions resulting in cumulative traumatic brain injury and characterized the Serrano rematch as the “tipping point.” Serrano landed 242 punches in the twenty-minute fight, many to Hardy's head and face. According to the complaint, Curreri concluded that Hardy has a permanent disability involving traumatic brain injury, memory loss, double vision, anxiety disorder, spatial confusion, and problems with perception and depth, leaving her unable to concentrate and probably unable to maintain regular employment.
The complaint then alleges that Hardy suffers from chronic headaches, double vision, spatial confusion, tremors, vertigo, insomnia and severe anxiety. It says ordinary activities such as reading a map, crossing a street and distinguishing left from right are difficult and sometimes impossible. Hardy allegedly can coach at a Brooklyn boxing gym for only a few hours each day before her symptoms force her to stop, and she relies on prescription medication and Medicaid for care. Finally, Hardy describes as her formal diagnoses: a history of traumatic brain injury, vision changes, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), post-concussion syndrome, severe recurrent major depressive disorder, psychophysiological insomnia, PTSD and alcohol use disorder.
Hardy seeks more than $10 million in damages, including compensatory and punitive damages, as well as an injunction intended to prevent similar alleged conduct involving other fighters.
At this stage, the complaint contains Hardy’s allegations only. Paul, MVP, Holden and Holden Boxing have not yet had an opportunity in the litigation to answer those allegations, and the court has made no findings concerning their merits.
According to the lawsuit, Hardy's longtime promoter Lou DiBella opposed a rematch because of concerns for Hardy’s safety, as did promoter Larry Goldberg and Gleason’s Gym founder Bruce Silverglade. Hardy alleges that MVP and Paul nevertheless went around DiBella and used Holden Boxing as an intermediary to arrange the fight. Serrano defeated Hardy by unanimous decision in their 2023 rematch in Dallas. Hardy alleges that she subsequently began experiencing vision problems and was eventually diagnosed with neurological injuries that forced her retirement. The complaint says she continues to suffer serious and lasting neurological problems.
The lawsuit contains five claims: gross negligence, negligent undertaking, two negligence claims and violation of the federal Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act. The Ali Act claim is based largely on Hardy’s allegation that MVP and Paul improperly blurred the line between promoter and boxer representative. She contends that Holden was used as a nominal intermediary while Paul and MVP actually exercised control over the transaction, depriving her of genuinely independent representation.
Hardy also uses the complaint to sling unrelated mud at MVP. She cites the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight, the proposed Paul-Gervonta Davis exhibition, serious injuries suffered by Isis Sio and Shadasia Green and MVP's support for three-minute rounds in women's boxing as alleged evidence of a larger pattern. Those assertions are Hardy's allegations and have not been established by a court.
There may also be an important statute-of-limitations battle. Hardy acknowledges that she understood the extent of her injuries by September 24th, 2024, but argues that she did not discover the defendants’ allegedly concealed role in causing them until her attorneys investigated the matter in March 2026. She therefore invokes the “discovery rule” and, alternatively, fraudulent concealment in arguing that her claims were timely filed.
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Figueroa prepares to defend vs. ex-champ Kameda |
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On Saturday, October 17th at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Brandon Figueroa (pictured) will defend his WBA featherweight championship against Tomoki Kameda, who reigned as the WBO bantamweight champion from 2013-2014. Figueroa-Kameda takes place in support of Sebastian Fundora's 154-pound title defense against Ermal Hadribeaj on the fourth installment of the live monthly boxing series “The Fight”, broadcast co-exclusively in the U.S. on TNT, truTV and DAZN. Here is what Figueroa, a two-division champion and Kameda had to say to the press last week:
BRANDON FIGUEROA
“I came out here to L.A. for a reason. I wanted to make sure that winning is inevitable. I worked my butt off and I’m gonna keep doing so. I love boxing because you can always reinvent yourself and come out stronger. On October 17 I’m going to demonstrate why I’m the best 126-pounder in the world.
“I’ve been training here in L.A. for three months now and I’m ready to defend my title on October 17. I can’t wait to get back in the ring and showcase my skills again.
“I always come to fight. I prepare myself 110% and always give my all in the ring. Now with Manny Robles guiding me and honing my skills I’ve shown that I can keep improving with every fight. That’s what I want to keep on doing.
“Come October 17 I’m gonna stamp why I’m the best 126-pounder in the world. I’m ready to fight whoever. I want to fight the best. It’s not just about the belts, it’s about fighting the big names. That’s most important to me.
“Japanese and Mexican fighters always make a great fight. They’re going to try to implement their strategy, but I’ve seen it all. I feel like I’m a young veteran in this sport. I’m excited to get in there and mix it up.
“I’m preparing myself like I’m fighting Nick Ball again. Whether I’m the challenger or not, I’m coming with everything. I know fight fans are gonna fall in love with my style again and again, because I’m never in a boring fight.
“Manny Robles has a lot of experience and I learn from him and his team every day. After the loss to Fulton I said that I wanted to make some changes. I want to be one of the best fighters on the planet. I feel like Manny and I are just getting started.”
TOMOKI KAMEDA
“I’m really happy here training in Mexico. We’re going to be ready to roll and give fans a great fight on October 17th.
“My experience speaks for itself. I have a lot of experience and October 17th is going to be no different than what I’ve shown throughout my career. I’m stepping into the ring to become world champion once again.
“The Kameda family has a long and storied history in boxing [his brothers Kiki and Daiki are former champions]. Now it’s about expanding that legacy and winning another world title. That’s what’s motivated me and has me ready to go on October 17th.
“I was initially training in Japan and then we came to Mexico six weeks ago. We’ll head to Las Vegas a week before the fight and be ready to go on October 17th. I can’t wait to get in the ring.
“My last fight was very close and very tight for sure [a majority decision loss to IBF featherweight champion Angelo Leo]. But right now I just want to turn the page and focus on October 17th. I have a great opportunity in front of me to become world champion again.”
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Figueroa prepares to defend vs. ex-champ Kameda
On Saturday, October 17th at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Brandon Figueroa (pictured) will defend his WBA featherweight championship against Tomoki Kameda, who reigned as the WBO bantamweight champion from 2013-2014. Figueroa-Kameda takes place in support of Sebastian Fundora's 154-pound title defense against Ermal Hadribeaj on the fourth installment of the live monthly boxing series “The Fight”, broadcast co-exclusively in the U.S. on TNT, truTV and DAZN. Here is what Figueroa, a two-division champion and Kameda had to say to the press last week:
BRANDON FIGUEROA
“I came out here to L.A. for a reason. I wanted to make sure that winning is inevitable. I worked my butt off and I’m gonna keep doing so. I love boxing because you can always reinvent yourself and come out stronger. On October 17 I’m going to demonstrate why I’m the best 126-pounder in the world.
“I’ve been training here in L.A. for three months now and I’m ready to defend my title on October 17. I can’t wait to get back in the ring and showcase my skills again.
“I always come to fight. I prepare myself 110% and always give my all in the ring. Now with Manny Robles guiding me and honing my skills I’ve shown that I can keep improving with every fight. That’s what I want to keep on doing.
“Come October 17 I’m gonna stamp why I’m the best 126-pounder in the world. I’m ready to fight whoever. I want to fight the best. It’s not just about the belts, it’s about fighting the big names. That’s most important to me.
“Japanese and Mexican fighters always make a great fight. They’re going to try to implement their strategy, but I’ve seen it all. I feel like I’m a young veteran in this sport. I’m excited to get in there and mix it up.
“I’m preparing myself like I’m fighting Nick Ball again. Whether I’m the challenger or not, I’m coming with everything. I know fight fans are gonna fall in love with my style again and again, because I’m never in a boring fight.
“Manny Robles has a lot of experience and I learn from him and his team every day. After the loss to Fulton I said that I wanted to make some changes. I want to be one of the best fighters on the planet. I feel like Manny and I are just getting started.”
TOMOKI KAMEDA
“I’m really happy here training in Mexico. We’re going to be ready to roll and give fans a great fight on October 17th.
“My experience speaks for itself. I have a lot of experience and October 17th is going to be no different than what I’ve shown throughout my career. I’m stepping into the ring to become world champion once again.
“The Kameda family has a long and storied history in boxing [his brothers Kiki and Daiki are former champions]. Now it’s about expanding that legacy and winning another world title. That’s what’s motivated me and has me ready to go on October 17th.
“I was initially training in Japan and then we came to Mexico six weeks ago. We’ll head to Las Vegas a week before the fight and be ready to go on October 17th. I can’t wait to get in the ring.
“My last fight was very close and very tight for sure [a majority decision loss to IBF featherweight champion Angelo Leo]. But right now I just want to turn the page and focus on October 17th. I have a great opportunity in front of me to become world champion again.”
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Star Boxing reveals Oct. 10th line-up |
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Star Boxing returns to The Paramount on Saturday, October 10th for Rockin’ Fights 55 in Huntington (Long Island), New York for Columbus Day Weekend. Undefeated New York City firefighter Raymond Cuadrado and Huntington’s unbeaten Ralph Clemente lead a lineup featuring neighborhood pride, knockout power and fighters looking to make their next statement. Cuadrado (8-0, 3 KOs) from Ridgewood, Queens, meets Efstathios Antonas (13-3-2, 4 KOs) from Greece in a 140-pound contest. Balancing his work as a New York City firefighter with his pursuit of success inside the ropes, Cuadrado puts his perfect record on the line against an opponent with more than twice his professional experience.
The matchup also offers an interesting local intra-Queens rivalry. While Cuadrado anticipates a large fan base from Ridgewood, New York’s Greek community in Astoria, Queens, will also be strongly invested in Antonas, who is currently living and training there for this bout. The stage is set for an atmosphere fueled by both neighborhood and national pride.
For Clemente (5-0, 5 KOs), October 10th represents another opportunity to deliver in front of his hometown fans. The Huntington fighter has ended each of his first five professional bouts by knockout and will face Brooklyn’s Kamron Humphrey (5-3, 3 KOs) in a cross-Long Island rivalry.
Humphrey is familiar with the Star Boxing stage, having appeared on three of the promoter’s cards, including two at The Paramount and another at St. John’s University. He returns to Huntington looking to halt Clemente’s knockout streak and hand the hometown favorite his first professional defeat. Clemente has also fought at the Paramount twice before and is looking for his third win on a Star Boxing card.
Another firefighter donnin the glovers will be Louis Maietta (6-6-2, 2 KOs), a Bronx fan favorite, who'll battle Eduardo Monrreal (3-6, 3 KOs), of El Paso, Texas at 170 pounds. Monrreal has already shown he can spoil a homecoming, knocking out previously unbeaten Austin Cassese at the Westchester County Center last year. With all three of Monrreal’s victories coming by knockout, Maietta will need to be alert against an KO artist opponent whose record tells only part of the story.
In a four-round, 154-pound contest, Yousaf Zazai (1-0, 1 KO), of Kabul, Afghanistan, faces Sharif One (1-0, 1 KO), of the Bronx. Both fighters enter following knockout victories in their professional debuts.
Brooklyn’s Ra-Leek Born (4-0, 4 KOs) also faces Markus Bowes (6-12) in a four-round bout. Born enters with a perfect record, having stopped all four of his professional opponents.
“Rockin’ Fights 55 brings together everything we love about boxing at The Paramount: hometown pride, hungry prospects and opponents coming to win,” said Joe DeGuardia, CEO of Star Boxing. “Cuadrado and Clemente are putting their undefeated records on the line, and there’s something at stake in every matchup. We look forward to giving our fans an exciting night of boxing on October 10th.” Tickets are available now at Starboxing.com.
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Star Boxing reveals Oct. 10th line-up
Star Boxing returns to The Paramount on Saturday, October 10th for Rockin’ Fights 55 in Huntington (Long Island), New York for Columbus Day Weekend. Undefeated New York City firefighter Raymond Cuadrado and Huntington’s unbeaten Ralph Clemente lead a lineup featuring neighborhood pride, knockout power and fighters looking to make their next statement. Cuadrado (8-0, 3 KOs) from Ridgewood, Queens, meets Efstathios Antonas (13-3-2, 4 KOs) from Greece in a 140-pound contest. Balancing his work as a New York City firefighter with his pursuit of success inside the ropes, Cuadrado puts his perfect record on the line against an opponent with more than twice his professional experience.
The matchup also offers an interesting local intra-Queens rivalry. While Cuadrado anticipates a large fan base from Ridgewood, New York’s Greek community in Astoria, Queens, will also be strongly invested in Antonas, who is currently living and training there for this bout. The stage is set for an atmosphere fueled by both neighborhood and national pride.
For Clemente (5-0, 5 KOs), October 10th represents another opportunity to deliver in front of his hometown fans. The Huntington fighter has ended each of his first five professional bouts by knockout and will face Brooklyn’s Kamron Humphrey (5-3, 3 KOs) in a cross-Long Island rivalry.
Humphrey is familiar with the Star Boxing stage, having appeared on three of the promoter’s cards, including two at The Paramount and another at St. John’s University. He returns to Huntington looking to halt Clemente’s knockout streak and hand the hometown favorite his first professional defeat. Clemente has also fought at the Paramount twice before and is looking for his third win on a Star Boxing card.
Another firefighter donnin the glovers will be Louis Maietta (6-6-2, 2 KOs), a Bronx fan favorite, who'll battle Eduardo Monrreal (3-6, 3 KOs), of El Paso, Texas at 170 pounds. Monrreal has already shown he can spoil a homecoming, knocking out previously unbeaten Austin Cassese at the Westchester County Center last year. With all three of Monrreal’s victories coming by knockout, Maietta will need to be alert against an KO artist opponent whose record tells only part of the story.
In a four-round, 154-pound contest, Yousaf Zazai (1-0, 1 KO), of Kabul, Afghanistan, faces Sharif One (1-0, 1 KO), of the Bronx. Both fighters enter following knockout victories in their professional debuts.
Brooklyn’s Ra-Leek Born (4-0, 4 KOs) also faces Markus Bowes (6-12) in a four-round bout. Born enters with a perfect record, having stopped all four of his professional opponents.
“Rockin’ Fights 55 brings together everything we love about boxing at The Paramount: hometown pride, hungry prospects and opponents coming to win,” said Joe DeGuardia, CEO of Star Boxing. “Cuadrado and Clemente are putting their undefeated records on the line, and there’s something at stake in every matchup. We look forward to giving our fans an exciting night of boxing on October 10th.” Tickets are available now at Starboxing.com.
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Atlantic City show booked for Nov. 13th |
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Boxing Insider Promotions brings professional boxing back to the Tropicana Showroom in Altantic City, New Jersey on Friday, November 13th. The card features a lineup of local and regional favorites. John "Body Shot" Leonardo (13-1-1, 6 KOs) of Manalapan, NJ faces Puerto Rico's Kevin "El Gallo" Nunez (6-4, 3 KOs) over eight rounds at 122 pounds. Leonardo, trained by his father Donald, is coming off a thrilling March decision over Edgar Joe Cortes.
Also scheduled to appear: Justin "Mr. Atlantic City" Figueroa (14-0, 11 KOs), a local junior welterweight who has stopped 11 of his 14 opponents... Junior lgithweight Iman Lee (15-0-1, 8 KOs) of Yonkers, New York... Pleasantville, NJ's Julio "Julez" Sanchez III (5-1, 3 KOs), one of the series' biggest local favorites... The Bronx's Jahanzeb Rizwan (3-0, 2 KOs), a former Pakistani Olympic qualifier and... Brooklyn southpaw Koby Williams (8-1, 6 KOs), who made his pro debut on Boxing Insider's first Tropicana card in May 2024. Additional bouts and boxers will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster:
Founded in 2022 by Larry Goldberg, publisher of BoxingInsider.com since 1998, Boxing Insider Promotions is a two-time New York State Boxing Hall of Fame Promoter of the Year (2023, 2024). Its club boxing series brought professional boxing back to the Tropicana Atlantic City in May 2024 after a seven-year absence.
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Atlantic City show booked for Nov. 13th
Boxing Insider Promotions brings professional boxing back to the Tropicana Showroom in Altantic City, New Jersey on Friday, November 13th. The card features a lineup of local and regional favorites. John "Body Shot" Leonardo (13-1-1, 6 KOs) of Manalapan, NJ faces Puerto Rico's Kevin "El Gallo" Nunez (6-4, 3 KOs) over eight rounds at 122 pounds. Leonardo, trained by his father Donald, is coming off a thrilling March decision over Edgar Joe Cortes.
Also scheduled to appear: Justin "Mr. Atlantic City" Figueroa (14-0, 11 KOs), a local junior welterweight who has stopped 11 of his 14 opponents... Junior lgithweight Iman Lee (15-0-1, 8 KOs) of Yonkers, New York... Pleasantville, NJ's Julio "Julez" Sanchez III (5-1, 3 KOs), one of the series' biggest local favorites... The Bronx's Jahanzeb Rizwan (3-0, 2 KOs), a former Pakistani Olympic qualifier and... Brooklyn southpaw Koby Williams (8-1, 6 KOs), who made his pro debut on Boxing Insider's first Tropicana card in May 2024. Additional bouts and boxers will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster:
Founded in 2022 by Larry Goldberg, publisher of BoxingInsider.com since 1998, Boxing Insider Promotions is a two-time New York State Boxing Hall of Fame Promoter of the Year (2023, 2024). Its club boxing series brought professional boxing back to the Tropicana Atlantic City in May 2024 after a seven-year absence.
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Big wins for Jack Cullen and Darren Till in BKFC action |
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Darren “The Gorilla” Till and Yoel “The Soldier of God” Romero did battle at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 94 on Saturday, with Till reigning supreme at the sold-out AO Arena in Manchester, UK. After five rounds of action between two former UFC contenders, all three judges agreed on the 49-46 scorecard in favor of the Liverpool, England product Till, who’s now 2-0 in the BKFC squared circle. Romero, a former Olympic silver medalist, is now 1-1 under the BKFC banner. Till called out professional gloved boxing star Tommy Fury and (predictably) BKFC King of Violence “Platinum” Mike Perry in his post-fight interview before facing off with BKFC ironweight (225-pound, a/k/a bridgerweight) champion Lorenzo "The Juggernaut" Hunt.
Bolton, England’s Jack “Little Lever's Meat Clever” Cullen dethroned BKFC middleweight champion David “The Redneck” Mundell in a back-and-forth, six-round battle. Mundell was looking to successfully defend his championship for the fifth time, but Cullen had other ideas, defeating Mundell via split-decision. The fight was declared a draw after five rounds and went to the judges’ scorecards after the sixth-and-final, sudden-death overtime round. Two judges scored the fight for Cullen (58-55, 57-56) and one scored it for Mundell (57-56). Cullen is now undefeated in his first three trips to the squared circle, while the Florida product Mundell is now 10-3 under the BKFC banner.
Darwen, England’s Gaz “The Crusher” Corran defeated Mac Bygraves in their battle for the inaugural BKFC UK middleweight title. Corran picked himself up off his back and rallied for three knockdowns of his own, leading to the stoppage 26 seconds into the third round. Corran is now 3-0 under the BKFC banner, while the Ramsgate, England product Bygraves is now 2-1.
Sedgefield, England’s Karl “The Wasp” Thompson defended his BKFC UK cruiserweight title with a dominant unanimous decision victory over previously unbeaten Andy Thornton. All three judges agreed on the 50-45 decision in favor of Thompson, who is now 5-1 in BKFC. Thornton, who hails from Bolton, England, is now 2-1.
Doncaster, England’s Joe Lister picked himself up off the canvas and rallied for a TKO win over Harry Bray in middleweight action. The bout was stopped with two seconds left in the second round. Lister is now 3-1 in BKFC. Bray, who hails from Leicester, England, is now 1-1.
Liverpool’s Mikey “El Animal” Henderson cruised to 4-0 by stopping Matt “The Mechanic” Wiwczaryk in a welterweight showdown. Henderson dropped Wiwczaryk, prompting the ringside physician to call a stop to the fight at the conclusion of the opening round. Wiwczaryk, who represents Stoke-on-Trent, England, is now 1-2-1.
Bolton’s Stew “Tank” Martin climbed to 2-1 by defeating Joshy Williams in featherweight action. Martin floored Williams three times before the ringside doctor called a stop to the fight at the conclusion of the second round. Williams, who represents Porth, Wales, was making his BKFC debut.
Polish welterweight Bartlomiej “The Last Polish King” Krol needed just 55 seconds to roll through Luke “The Headache” Vaughan. Krol sent Vaughan to the canvas twice en route to upping his BKFC record to 6-2. The Manchester, England product Vaughan was making his BKFC debut.
Leigh “The Boom” Cohoon defeated Ste “The Spartan” Wallwork in their battle of Manchester, England-based middleweights. The ringside doctor called a stop to the contest at the conclusion of the second round. Cohoon is now 4-1 under the BKFC banner; Wallwork was making his promotional debut.
Manchester, England’s Benjamin “The Butler” Lowe earned his first BKFC victory at the expense of Dan McGraffin in a middleweight bout. Lowe entered fight night 0-2 but he dropped McGraffin twice, leading to the TKO stoppage at 1:42 of the opening frame. McGraffin, a product of Newcastle, England, was making his BKFC debut.
Manchester’s Tyrone “The Bare Knuckle Barber” Hamer turned heads in his BKFC debut by knocking out Liam Dooley in welterweight action. Hamer dropped Dooley twice, leading to the stoppage with just one second left in the third stanza. Dooley, who also represents Manchester, is now 1-2 under the BKFC banner.
Liverpool’s Luke “Basso” Bassnett was victorious in his BKFC debut in the opening fight of the night, defeating Darren Willians in the welterweight division. Bassnett recorded three knockdowns before the fight was stopped with three seconds left in the second round. Willians, who hails from Stockton-on-Tees, England, was also making his BKFC debut.
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Big wins for Jack Cullen and Darren Till in BKFC action
Darren “The Gorilla” Till and Yoel “The Soldier of God” Romero did battle at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 94 on Saturday, with Till reigning supreme at the sold-out AO Arena in Manchester, UK. After five rounds of action between two former UFC contenders, all three judges agreed on the 49-46 scorecard in favor of the Liverpool, England product Till, who’s now 2-0 in the BKFC squared circle. Romero, a former Olympic silver medalist, is now 1-1 under the BKFC banner. Till called out professional gloved boxing star Tommy Fury and (predictably) BKFC King of Violence “Platinum” Mike Perry in his post-fight interview before facing off with BKFC ironweight (225-pound, a/k/a bridgerweight) champion Lorenzo "The Juggernaut" Hunt.
Bolton, England’s Jack “Little Lever's Meat Clever” Cullen dethroned BKFC middleweight champion David “The Redneck” Mundell in a back-and-forth, six-round battle. Mundell was looking to successfully defend his championship for the fifth time, but Cullen had other ideas, defeating Mundell via split-decision. The fight was declared a draw after five rounds and went to the judges’ scorecards after the sixth-and-final, sudden-death overtime round. Two judges scored the fight for Cullen (58-55, 57-56) and one scored it for Mundell (57-56). Cullen is now undefeated in his first three trips to the squared circle, while the Florida product Mundell is now 10-3 under the BKFC banner.
Darwen, England’s Gaz “The Crusher” Corran defeated Mac Bygraves in their battle for the inaugural BKFC UK middleweight title. Corran picked himself up off his back and rallied for three knockdowns of his own, leading to the stoppage 26 seconds into the third round. Corran is now 3-0 under the BKFC banner, while the Ramsgate, England product Bygraves is now 2-1.
Sedgefield, England’s Karl “The Wasp” Thompson defended his BKFC UK cruiserweight title with a dominant unanimous decision victory over previously unbeaten Andy Thornton. All three judges agreed on the 50-45 decision in favor of Thompson, who is now 5-1 in BKFC. Thornton, who hails from Bolton, England, is now 2-1.
Doncaster, England’s Joe Lister picked himself up off the canvas and rallied for a TKO win over Harry Bray in middleweight action. The bout was stopped with two seconds left in the second round. Lister is now 3-1 in BKFC. Bray, who hails from Leicester, England, is now 1-1.
Liverpool’s Mikey “El Animal” Henderson cruised to 4-0 by stopping Matt “The Mechanic” Wiwczaryk in a welterweight showdown. Henderson dropped Wiwczaryk, prompting the ringside physician to call a stop to the fight at the conclusion of the opening round. Wiwczaryk, who represents Stoke-on-Trent, England, is now 1-2-1.
Bolton’s Stew “Tank” Martin climbed to 2-1 by defeating Joshy Williams in featherweight action. Martin floored Williams three times before the ringside doctor called a stop to the fight at the conclusion of the second round. Williams, who represents Porth, Wales, was making his BKFC debut.
Polish welterweight Bartlomiej “The Last Polish King” Krol needed just 55 seconds to roll through Luke “The Headache” Vaughan. Krol sent Vaughan to the canvas twice en route to upping his BKFC record to 6-2. The Manchester, England product Vaughan was making his BKFC debut.
Leigh “The Boom” Cohoon defeated Ste “The Spartan” Wallwork in their battle of Manchester, England-based middleweights. The ringside doctor called a stop to the contest at the conclusion of the second round. Cohoon is now 4-1 under the BKFC banner; Wallwork was making his promotional debut.
Manchester, England’s Benjamin “The Butler” Lowe earned his first BKFC victory at the expense of Dan McGraffin in a middleweight bout. Lowe entered fight night 0-2 but he dropped McGraffin twice, leading to the TKO stoppage at 1:42 of the opening frame. McGraffin, a product of Newcastle, England, was making his BKFC debut.
Manchester’s Tyrone “The Bare Knuckle Barber” Hamer turned heads in his BKFC debut by knocking out Liam Dooley in welterweight action. Hamer dropped Dooley twice, leading to the stoppage with just one second left in the third stanza. Dooley, who also represents Manchester, is now 1-2 under the BKFC banner.
Liverpool’s Luke “Basso” Bassnett was victorious in his BKFC debut in the opening fight of the night, defeating Darren Willians in the welterweight division. Bassnett recorded three knockdowns before the fight was stopped with three seconds left in the second round. Willians, who hails from Stockton-on-Tees, England, was also making his BKFC debut.
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Minimumweight Aaron De la Cruz reaches 15-0 |
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Aaron de la Cruz KO1 Pedro Alarcon... Mexican minimumweight Aaron de la Cruz needed only one round to score a big win in Hidalgo, Mexico. De la Cruz knocked out Colombia's Pedro Alarcon (13-2-1) in the main event of a show that was part of the San Francisco Fair. De la Cruz landed the decisive blow with his right hand, sending his opponent to the canvas. The fight ended 2 minutes and 13 seconds into the first round. De la Cruz is now 15-0 for his career, with the last six wins coming against quality opposition.
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Minimumweight Aaron De la Cruz reaches 15-0
Aaron de la Cruz KO1 Pedro Alarcon... Mexican minimumweight Aaron de la Cruz needed only one round to score a big win in Hidalgo, Mexico. De la Cruz knocked out Colombia's Pedro Alarcon (13-2-1) in the main event of a show that was part of the San Francisco Fair. De la Cruz landed the decisive blow with his right hand, sending his opponent to the canvas. The fight ended 2 minutes and 13 seconds into the first round. De la Cruz is now 15-0 for his career, with the last six wins coming against quality opposition.
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Whittaker vs. Wallace eliminator is this weekend |
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Ben Whittaker looks to lock in his status as the IBF #1 contender in the light heavyweight division this weekend when he faces Conor Wallace in his home city of Birmingham, England, live worldwide on DAZN. The Midlands’ native (12-0-1, 9 KOs) will top the bill at the Utilita Arena on Saturday night in what promises to be his toughest test to date against IBF #2 ranked Wallace (17-1, 12 KOs). The Australian-born Wallace is on a strong run, andhas not lost in more than five years.
Matchroom Boxing’s latest recruit Odel Kamara joins the stacked card as the junior welterweight from Liverpool makes his professional debut... Walsall’s Hamza Uddin battles Sean Bruce for the British & Commonwealth flyweight titles... Bilal Fawaz defends his British & Commonwealth junir middleweight titles against Eithan James.... Ibraheem Sulaimaan, meanwhile, meets Sonny Hardy at 130 pounds... Aaron Bowen collides with Klint Baptiste in the same weight division and...undefeated young guns Adam Maca and Harley Burrows are in action too.
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Whittaker vs. Wallace eliminator is this weekend
Ben Whittaker looks to lock in his status as the IBF #1 contender in the light heavyweight division this weekend when he faces Conor Wallace in his home city of Birmingham, England, live worldwide on DAZN. The Midlands’ native (12-0-1, 9 KOs) will top the bill at the Utilita Arena on Saturday night in what promises to be his toughest test to date against IBF #2 ranked Wallace (17-1, 12 KOs). The Australian-born Wallace is on a strong run, andhas not lost in more than five years.
Matchroom Boxing’s latest recruit Odel Kamara joins the stacked card as the junior welterweight from Liverpool makes his professional debut... Walsall’s Hamza Uddin battles Sean Bruce for the British & Commonwealth flyweight titles... Bilal Fawaz defends his British & Commonwealth junir middleweight titles against Eithan James.... Ibraheem Sulaimaan, meanwhile, meets Sonny Hardy at 130 pounds... Aaron Bowen collides with Klint Baptiste in the same weight division and...undefeated young guns Adam Maca and Harley Burrows are in action too.
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The rematch demanded by Washngton boxing fans |
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It all started on a cold, whipping January night at Legends Casino in Toppenish, Washington in 2024. The crowd was buzzing, and tension filled the air. The atmosphere was electric. Devontae McDonald, of Wenatchee, Washington, just 4-3 at the time, was about to go against an undefeated Andrew “White Lightning” Murphy, of Yakima, Washington. The blue and white sparks flew as Devonte crossed the point of no return with his team. Then, all eyes turned to Andrew. With thye great Roy Jones Jr. guiding him, “White Lightning” walked the same path only a few have gone before him. As they stepped into the ring, the crowd could feel the hunger in the air. They could see the firmness of purpose in both of their eyes. McDonald, with a fragment of amateur experience, stood across from the decorated and accomplished Murphy. The bell rang, and the two super middleweights clashed like titans in the ring. This was unexpected to many who had the notion that Murphy, the RJJ protege and knockout savant, should demolish McDonald. However, at the end of round eight, there was room for interpretation - which is never a good thing in boxing. Little did either of them know that people would still be talking about this fight two years later.
Although Murphy walked away with a unanimous decision, one lingering question remained in the minds of the fans who watched it: Did he deserve to win? Was McDonald simply the underdog people were rooting for? Should the fight have been scored a draw? Or did McDonald deserve the win outright?
McDonald wanted the rematch, that's for certain. In the years that followed, the rivals clashed online. People began calling Murphy a “duck.” At one point, even Roy Jones Jr. had to address a crowd yelling, “We want Devontae!” From Murphy’s side, this was a bridge they had already crossed. There was no need to prove what had already been done. But this fight didn’t disappear. Instead, it created a wave of division in Washington. Half of Washington believes McDonald won and deserves the chance to win officially. The other half wants Murphy to fight him again just to shut him up, once and for all. Now they're finally going to get their answer. McDonald comes into the rematch more mature after several toilsome fights against tough competitors, including exchanging blows with one of Murphy’s stablemates, Shady Gilmour. He now enters this fight with 14 total professional fights behind him and a record of 8-6. Andrew enters still undefeated after thirteen pro fights, including multiple first-round knockouts.
One could say McDonald has gained more experience in fighting through to the final bell, while Murphy has repeatedly ended fights before those later rounds ever arrived. Does that give McDonald an advantage in a long, grueling fight? Is Murphy’s undefeated record as good as it appears to be, or has he not been tested enough? Those are questions that can only be answered on October 3rd, the night they meet again? The two are scheduled to go head-to-head in an epic, eight-round rematch in the same venue.
And that brings us to perhaps the biggest inquisition of all: Who is in the more dangerous position? The boxer who says, "I know I won, and I will do anything to prove it" or the boxer who says, "proving it will be the last thing you do"?
The rivalry has now reached beyond Washington. What began as a regional battle has reached boxing fans from the Pacific Northwest all the way to Pensacola and the South. Because this rivalry has reached an intrastate level, the Roy Jones Jr. team wants it accessible to all of us invested; That's why it will be shown on TikTok live. Boxing commentator Christian Schmidt, a Boxingtalk regular, says “This will be the most watched boxing fight on the planet on that day.” This coming Saturday, October 3rd at Legends Casino Hotel, (or virtually, on TikTok live) Devontae gets another chance to prove what he has believed since that icy January night. Andrew gets a chance to prove there was never anything to doubt in the first place. If you want a preview of the kind of fight this rivalry has the potential to produce, do me a favor and watch the fifteenth round of Larry Holmes vs. Ken Norton. Then, imagine witnessing it yourself at Legends Casino on October 3rd.
Boxingtalk welcomes the author, Emmerscyn Grigsby, a former amateur boxer and US Army member who co-founded the 509 Boxing Gym in Yakima, Washingtom
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The rematch demanded by Washngton boxing fans
It all started on a cold, whipping January night at Legends Casino in Toppenish, Washington in 2024. The crowd was buzzing, and tension filled the air. The atmosphere was electric. Devontae McDonald, of Wenatchee, Washington, just 4-3 at the time, was about to go against an undefeated Andrew “White Lightning” Murphy, of Yakima, Washington. The blue and white sparks flew as Devonte crossed the point of no return with his team. Then, all eyes turned to Andrew. With thye great Roy Jones Jr. guiding him, “White Lightning” walked the same path only a few have gone before him. As they stepped into the ring, the crowd could feel the hunger in the air. They could see the firmness of purpose in both of their eyes. McDonald, with a fragment of amateur experience, stood across from the decorated and accomplished Murphy. The bell rang, and the two super middleweights clashed like titans in the ring. This was unexpected to many who had the notion that Murphy, the RJJ protege and knockout savant, should demolish McDonald. However, at the end of round eight, there was room for interpretation - which is never a good thing in boxing. Little did either of them know that people would still be talking about this fight two years later.
Although Murphy walked away with a unanimous decision, one lingering question remained in the minds of the fans who watched it: Did he deserve to win? Was McDonald simply the underdog people were rooting for? Should the fight have been scored a draw? Or did McDonald deserve the win outright?
McDonald wanted the rematch, that's for certain. In the years that followed, the rivals clashed online. People began calling Murphy a “duck.” At one point, even Roy Jones Jr. had to address a crowd yelling, “We want Devontae!” From Murphy’s side, this was a bridge they had already crossed. There was no need to prove what had already been done. But this fight didn’t disappear. Instead, it created a wave of division in Washington. Half of Washington believes McDonald won and deserves the chance to win officially. The other half wants Murphy to fight him again just to shut him up, once and for all. Now they're finally going to get their answer. McDonald comes into the rematch more mature after several toilsome fights against tough competitors, including exchanging blows with one of Murphy’s stablemates, Shady Gilmour. He now enters this fight with 14 total professional fights behind him and a record of 8-6. Andrew enters still undefeated after thirteen pro fights, including multiple first-round knockouts.
One could say McDonald has gained more experience in fighting through to the final bell, while Murphy has repeatedly ended fights before those later rounds ever arrived. Does that give McDonald an advantage in a long, grueling fight? Is Murphy’s undefeated record as good as it appears to be, or has he not been tested enough? Those are questions that can only be answered on October 3rd, the night they meet again? The two are scheduled to go head-to-head in an epic, eight-round rematch in the same venue.
And that brings us to perhaps the biggest inquisition of all: Who is in the more dangerous position? The boxer who says, "I know I won, and I will do anything to prove it" or the boxer who says, "proving it will be the last thing you do"?
The rivalry has now reached beyond Washington. What began as a regional battle has reached boxing fans from the Pacific Northwest all the way to Pensacola and the South. Because this rivalry has reached an intrastate level, the Roy Jones Jr. team wants it accessible to all of us invested; That's why it will be shown on TikTok live. Boxing commentator Christian Schmidt, a Boxingtalk regular, says “This will be the most watched boxing fight on the planet on that day.” This coming Saturday, October 3rd at Legends Casino Hotel, (or virtually, on TikTok live) Devontae gets another chance to prove what he has believed since that icy January night. Andrew gets a chance to prove there was never anything to doubt in the first place. If you want a preview of the kind of fight this rivalry has the potential to produce, do me a favor and watch the fifteenth round of Larry Holmes vs. Ken Norton. Then, imagine witnessing it yourself at Legends Casino on October 3rd.
Boxingtalk welcomes the author, Emmerscyn Grigsby, a former amateur boxer and US Army member who co-founded the 509 Boxing Gym in Yakima, Washingtom
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Heather Hardy seeks donations, alleges brain damage |
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Ex-champ Heather Hardy has received over $46,000 in donations on GoFundMe, including donations from Claressa Shields and Ebanie Bridges. Hardy is seeking public assistance because of, according to her, brain damage suffered in combat sports (through primarily a boxer, Hardy also competed in mixed martial arts). She has filed multiple lawsuits against her former promoters, which Boxingtalk is currently investigating. In the meantime, donations can be made by clicking here.
Here is what Hardy wrote on GoFundMe: "My name is Heather 'The Heat' Hardy, and I gave everything I had to boxing. A Brooklyn fighter, single mother and former WBO featherweight world champion, I built my career the hard way, round by round, fight by fight, often while working and raising my daughter. I fought in an era when women had to force doors open, and I always tried to give fans championship moments they’d never forget. Now I’m facing the hardest fight of my life outside the ring. After years of taking punches for the sport I loved, I suffered a traumatic brain injury. The damage has affected my health, my vision, and my ability to work consistently enough to cover basic living expenses and necessities. If my fights ever inspired you, if you cheered for my championships, or if you've ever given everything to a job only to have it take your health and leave you without help, please consider donating and sharing this fundraiser. Every contribution helps me to meet my immediate living needs while I focus on my health, stability, and the next chapter of my life after boxing. To everyone who has ever cheered for me, stood by me, or shares this today, your support means the world to me, and I’m grateful beyond words. Thank you."
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Heather Hardy seeks donations, alleges brain damage
Ex-champ Heather Hardy has received over $46,000 in donations on GoFundMe, including donations from Claressa Shields and Ebanie Bridges. Hardy is seeking public assistance because of, according to her, brain damage suffered in combat sports (through primarily a boxer, Hardy also competed in mixed martial arts). She has filed multiple lawsuits against her former promoters, which Boxingtalk is currently investigating. In the meantime, donations can be made by clicking here.
Here is what Hardy wrote on GoFundMe: "My name is Heather 'The Heat' Hardy, and I gave everything I had to boxing. A Brooklyn fighter, single mother and former WBO featherweight world champion, I built my career the hard way, round by round, fight by fight, often while working and raising my daughter. I fought in an era when women had to force doors open, and I always tried to give fans championship moments they’d never forget. Now I’m facing the hardest fight of my life outside the ring. After years of taking punches for the sport I loved, I suffered a traumatic brain injury. The damage has affected my health, my vision, and my ability to work consistently enough to cover basic living expenses and necessities. If my fights ever inspired you, if you cheered for my championships, or if you've ever given everything to a job only to have it take your health and leave you without help, please consider donating and sharing this fundraiser. Every contribution helps me to meet my immediate living needs while I focus on my health, stability, and the next chapter of my life after boxing. To everyone who has ever cheered for me, stood by me, or shares this today, your support means the world to me, and I’m grateful beyond words. Thank you."
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Ex-MMA champ Cejudo wins pro boxing debut |
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Henry Cejudo W4 Javon Walton ... Henry Cejudo made a winning start in pro boxing with Misfits Boxing as he edged past late-replacement Javon "Wanna" Walton in four-round encounter held in Miami. Now 39 years old, Cejudo is a 2008 Olympic gold medalist wrestler and former two-division UFC champion in mixed martial arts. picked up a split decision in Miami after coming through a tough series of opening exchanges. Official scores were 39-37 (twice f0oe Cejudo) and 39-37 for Walton. Age 20, Walton, was a solid opponent for Cejudo. Walton had a solid amateur background and entered the fight with a 3-0-1 record.
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Ex-MMA champ Cejudo wins pro boxing debut
Henry Cejudo W4 Javon Walton ... Henry Cejudo made a winning start in pro boxing with Misfits Boxing as he edged past late-replacement Javon "Wanna" Walton in four-round encounter held in Miami. Now 39 years old, Cejudo is a 2008 Olympic gold medalist wrestler and former two-division UFC champion in mixed martial arts. picked up a split decision in Miami after coming through a tough series of opening exchanges. Official scores were 39-37 (twice f0oe Cejudo) and 39-37 for Walton. Age 20, Walton, was a solid opponent for Cejudo. Walton had a solid amateur background and entered the fight with a 3-0-1 record.
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Undercard details for Chicago's Oct. 10th show |
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The undercard is set for the WBA vacant lightweight championship showdown between undefeated contenders Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield III (19-0, 13 KOs) and “Prince” Lucas Bahdi (20-0, 15 KOs). The show takes place Saturday, October 10th, live worldwide on DAZN from Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. WBA / WBC flyweight champion Ricardo “El Niño” Sandoval (27-2, 18 KOs) of Rialto, Calif., will make the first defense of his unified titles against Sergio “Yoreme” Mendoza (27-1, 23 KOs) of Hermosillo, Mexico. Mendoza stepped in when 105-poud champion Oscar Collazo withdrew from the bout after sustaining a rib injury. Rounding out the DAZN broadcast, U.S. Olympian Jahmal Harvey (4-0, 3 KOs) of Oxon Hill, Maryland, will compete in an eight-round lightweight fight against Pedro Castaneda (9-1-1, 5 KOs) of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. In a ten-round junior lightweight fight, Puerto Rico’s Jan Paul Rivera (16-0, 7 KOs) will face Mexico’s Abraham Perfecto (14-2, 9 KOs).
The event is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in co-promotion with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP).
Sandoval said: “I’m very excited to still be fighting in Chicago and to have the opportunity to defend my titles for the first time. I’ve been training extremely hard and I’m ready to put on a great performance. I know the fans can expect an exciting fight, and I’m looking forward to stepping into the ring and giving them a show.”
Mendoza said:“I want to thank the people who made this fight possible. I’m going to leave my soul in the ring to become world champion.”
Harvey said: “I’m excited to be back again so quickly, on another great card! I’m keen to be really active and continue to excite the fans with dominant performances and viral KO’s. Come see me shine in Chicago, Saturday, October 10th live on DAZN.”
Rivera said: “I’m very happy to be stepping back into the ring in a new city like Chicago. This time, you’ll see the Jan Paul of old—with strong defense and fast hands. I’ve added a nutritionist to my team and will be better conditioned than ever before. Many thanks to MVP, Golden Boy, and Universal Promotions who made it possible to return to the ring, this time on DAZN.”
On the preliminary card, which will stream live on the Golden Boy YouTube channel and sponsored by Scotch Porter, U.S. Olympian Joshua “The Rocket” Edwards (7-0, 6 KOs) of Houston, will face Detroit’s Craig Lewis (15-9-1, 8 KOs) in an eight-round heavyweight bout. In a ten-round cruiserweight contest, Tristan “Sweet T” Kalkreuth (17-1, 12 KOs) will face Puerto Rico’s Ivan Rosado (12-0, 9 KOs). Opening fight night, Thermal, Calif.’s Grant Flores (13-0, 9 KOs) will take on Chicago’s Mikey Dahlman (19-2, 17 KOs) in a ten-round middleweight fight. Also joining the card, MVP’s Naomy Valle (15-1, 9 KOs) from Costa Rica returns to the ring to face Sheyla Moreno (5-1-1, 1 KO) from Mexico City in an eight-round flyweight bout.
Valle said: “Making my U.S. debut in a city like Chicago, with MVP, is an opportunity that could change my future. I’ve learned so much from my trainer, José Benavidez Sr., during this camp, and now it’s time to show it in the ring. I know this is a huge test, and I’m preparing to give the best performance of my career. That night, I want to show everyone who Naomy Valle is and how far I’m determined to go.”
Golden Boy and Most Valuable Promotions have also announced a new partnership with Movember for the October 10 event, bringing the fight community together to raise awareness and funds for men’s health.
As part of the partnership, Golden Boy, MVP and Movember will host Back Your Fighter, a live fundraising stream during fight week and following the ceremonial weigh-in on Friday, Oct. 9, at Wind Creek Chicago Southland. Fans will be able to donate in real time to back their fighter, with the fundraising totals determining which fighters take the clippers in a live shave-off. The shave-off and a free pop-up barbershop for fans are presented by Scotch Porter, the grooming brand born in the barbershop and made with clean ingredients. Fighters will participate alongside young athletes from Movember-funded youth sports programs in Chicago. The stream will be available on Golden Boy’s YouTube channel, with every dollar raised supporting Movember’s work in prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.
Additionally, young athletes from The Bloc, a West Side Chicago youth boxing program funded by Movember, will join the fighters on fight night. The Bloc is one of several Chicago youth sports programs Movember funds and implements Game Changers, a curriculum designed to build mental resilience and life skills in boys and young men — the same qualities of discipline, perseverance and resilience that the sport demands from every fighter stepping into the ring on October 10.
Tim Gnaneswaran, U.S. Director for Movember, said: “Boxing is a sport built on discipline and having good people in your corner, the people who are there for you when it gets hard. That is exactly what men’s health needs more of. From the boxers, to the fans, to the youth athletes from Movember’s Chicago programs who will be joining us, fight week in Chicago gives us a chance to turn one of the biggest nights in boxing into real awareness and support for men’s health.”
Ben Speelman, CEO, Scotch Porter, said: “The barbershop and the boxing gym have a lot in common. They’re where young men learn it’s okay to talk. Through Game Changers, The Bloc gives Chicago kids the tools to handle what happens outside the ring, and we’re proud to stand next to them and the fighters during fight week.”
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Undercard details for Chicago's Oct. 10th show
The undercard is set for the WBA vacant lightweight championship showdown between undefeated contenders Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield III (19-0, 13 KOs) and “Prince” Lucas Bahdi (20-0, 15 KOs). The show takes place Saturday, October 10th, live worldwide on DAZN from Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. WBA / WBC flyweight champion Ricardo “El Niño” Sandoval (27-2, 18 KOs) of Rialto, Calif., will make the first defense of his unified titles against Sergio “Yoreme” Mendoza (27-1, 23 KOs) of Hermosillo, Mexico. Mendoza stepped in when 105-poud champion Oscar Collazo withdrew from the bout after sustaining a rib injury. Rounding out the DAZN broadcast, U.S. Olympian Jahmal Harvey (4-0, 3 KOs) of Oxon Hill, Maryland, will compete in an eight-round lightweight fight against Pedro Castaneda (9-1-1, 5 KOs) of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. In a ten-round junior lightweight fight, Puerto Rico’s Jan Paul Rivera (16-0, 7 KOs) will face Mexico’s Abraham Perfecto (14-2, 9 KOs).
The event is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in co-promotion with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP).
Sandoval said: “I’m very excited to still be fighting in Chicago and to have the opportunity to defend my titles for the first time. I’ve been training extremely hard and I’m ready to put on a great performance. I know the fans can expect an exciting fight, and I’m looking forward to stepping into the ring and giving them a show.”
Mendoza said:“I want to thank the people who made this fight possible. I’m going to leave my soul in the ring to become world champion.”
Harvey said: “I’m excited to be back again so quickly, on another great card! I’m keen to be really active and continue to excite the fans with dominant performances and viral KO’s. Come see me shine in Chicago, Saturday, October 10th live on DAZN.”
Rivera said: “I’m very happy to be stepping back into the ring in a new city like Chicago. This time, you’ll see the Jan Paul of old—with strong defense and fast hands. I’ve added a nutritionist to my team and will be better conditioned than ever before. Many thanks to MVP, Golden Boy, and Universal Promotions who made it possible to return to the ring, this time on DAZN.”
On the preliminary card, which will stream live on the Golden Boy YouTube channel and sponsored by Scotch Porter, U.S. Olympian Joshua “The Rocket” Edwards (7-0, 6 KOs) of Houston, will face Detroit’s Craig Lewis (15-9-1, 8 KOs) in an eight-round heavyweight bout. In a ten-round cruiserweight contest, Tristan “Sweet T” Kalkreuth (17-1, 12 KOs) will face Puerto Rico’s Ivan Rosado (12-0, 9 KOs). Opening fight night, Thermal, Calif.’s Grant Flores (13-0, 9 KOs) will take on Chicago’s Mikey Dahlman (19-2, 17 KOs) in a ten-round middleweight fight. Also joining the card, MVP’s Naomy Valle (15-1, 9 KOs) from Costa Rica returns to the ring to face Sheyla Moreno (5-1-1, 1 KO) from Mexico City in an eight-round flyweight bout.
Valle said: “Making my U.S. debut in a city like Chicago, with MVP, is an opportunity that could change my future. I’ve learned so much from my trainer, José Benavidez Sr., during this camp, and now it’s time to show it in the ring. I know this is a huge test, and I’m preparing to give the best performance of my career. That night, I want to show everyone who Naomy Valle is and how far I’m determined to go.”
Golden Boy and Most Valuable Promotions have also announced a new partnership with Movember for the October 10 event, bringing the fight community together to raise awareness and funds for men’s health.
As part of the partnership, Golden Boy, MVP and Movember will host Back Your Fighter, a live fundraising stream during fight week and following the ceremonial weigh-in on Friday, Oct. 9, at Wind Creek Chicago Southland. Fans will be able to donate in real time to back their fighter, with the fundraising totals determining which fighters take the clippers in a live shave-off. The shave-off and a free pop-up barbershop for fans are presented by Scotch Porter, the grooming brand born in the barbershop and made with clean ingredients. Fighters will participate alongside young athletes from Movember-funded youth sports programs in Chicago. The stream will be available on Golden Boy’s YouTube channel, with every dollar raised supporting Movember’s work in prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.
Additionally, young athletes from The Bloc, a West Side Chicago youth boxing program funded by Movember, will join the fighters on fight night. The Bloc is one of several Chicago youth sports programs Movember funds and implements Game Changers, a curriculum designed to build mental resilience and life skills in boys and young men — the same qualities of discipline, perseverance and resilience that the sport demands from every fighter stepping into the ring on October 10.
Tim Gnaneswaran, U.S. Director for Movember, said: “Boxing is a sport built on discipline and having good people in your corner, the people who are there for you when it gets hard. That is exactly what men’s health needs more of. From the boxers, to the fans, to the youth athletes from Movember’s Chicago programs who will be joining us, fight week in Chicago gives us a chance to turn one of the biggest nights in boxing into real awareness and support for men’s health.”
Ben Speelman, CEO, Scotch Porter, said: “The barbershop and the boxing gym have a lot in common. They’re where young men learn it’s okay to talk. Through Game Changers, The Bloc gives Chicago kids the tools to handle what happens outside the ring, and we’re proud to stand next to them and the fighters during fight week.”
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Nicholson to defend vs. ex-champ Yoshida |
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On Sunday, November 8th, Australia's Skye Nicolson puts her WBC super bantamweight title on the line against former two-time champion Miyo Yoshida (19-5) of Japan. The fight takes lace on neutral ground in Arlington, Texas. Nicolson (16-1), with her polished style, solid defense and surgical southpaw jab, will be making a voluntary defense of her title. The Australian's task demands total focus. The fight presents a contrast of styles: Nicolson’s tactical finesse and distance management pitted against Yoshida’s relentless drive, bravery and punch volume. The card in Texas promises to keep fans on the edge of their seats from the opening bell to the very end.
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Nicholson to defend vs. ex-champ Yoshida
On Sunday, November 8th, Australia's Skye Nicolson puts her WBC super bantamweight title on the line against former two-time champion Miyo Yoshida (19-5) of Japan. The fight takes lace on neutral ground in Arlington, Texas. Nicolson (16-1), with her polished style, solid defense and surgical southpaw jab, will be making a voluntary defense of her title. The Australian's task demands total focus. The fight presents a contrast of styles: Nicolson’s tactical finesse and distance management pitted against Yoshida’s relentless drive, bravery and punch volume. The card in Texas promises to keep fans on the edge of their seats from the opening bell to the very end.
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Takuma Inoue defeats Tenshi Nashukawa again |
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Takuma Inoue W12 Tenshin Nasukawa ... WBC champion Takuma Inoue retained his title by defeating fellow Japaese bantamweight Tenshin Nasukawa by unanimous decision in a highly anticipated rematch held in Tokyo. The judges delivered scorecards of 114–113 and 116–111 (twice) in favor of the reigning champion. The bout featured moments of high tension, especially in the seventh round, when a powerful one-two combination from Nasukawa sent Inoue to the canvas. The challenger seized the moment to pressure the champion against the ropes, leaving him staggering on the verge of a more definitive knockdown, from which he was saved only by the ring ropes themselves. Inoue weathered the storm, recovered in the subsequent rounds, and regained control of the fight by precisely utilizing his right hand and effective jab from mid-to-long range, neutralizing the southpaw Nasukawa’s attempts. Despite a late surge from Nasukawa—including a strong left-handed combination in the eleventh round—Inoue successfully managed the lead he had built during the first half of the encounter. The result was a repeat of Inoue's exciting win over Nashukawa last November. With this victory, Inoue dispels any doubts from a physical and intense battle, firmly maintaining his position as the WBC bantamweight champion while now targeting a unification bout in hopes of following in the footsteps of his brother, Naoya Inoue.
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Takuma Inoue defeats Tenshi Nashukawa again
Takuma Inoue W12 Tenshin Nasukawa ... WBC champion Takuma Inoue retained his title by defeating fellow Japaese bantamweight Tenshin Nasukawa by unanimous decision in a highly anticipated rematch held in Tokyo. The judges delivered scorecards of 114–113 and 116–111 (twice) in favor of the reigning champion. The bout featured moments of high tension, especially in the seventh round, when a powerful one-two combination from Nasukawa sent Inoue to the canvas. The challenger seized the moment to pressure the champion against the ropes, leaving him staggering on the verge of a more definitive knockdown, from which he was saved only by the ring ropes themselves. Inoue weathered the storm, recovered in the subsequent rounds, and regained control of the fight by precisely utilizing his right hand and effective jab from mid-to-long range, neutralizing the southpaw Nasukawa’s attempts. Despite a late surge from Nasukawa—including a strong left-handed combination in the eleventh round—Inoue successfully managed the lead he had built during the first half of the encounter. The result was a repeat of Inoue's exciting win over Nashukawa last November. With this victory, Inoue dispels any doubts from a physical and intense battle, firmly maintaining his position as the WBC bantamweight champion while now targeting a unification bout in hopes of following in the footsteps of his brother, Naoya Inoue.
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New champion alert: Malajika wins on foreign soil |
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Ricardo Malajika W12 Tomoya Tsuboi... South Africa’s Ricardo Malajika (18–2, 12 KOs) accomplished a rare feat in boxing.. a South African winning a world title on foreign soil. Malajika was crowned the new WBC super flyweight champion after earning a points victory over local fighter Tomoya Tsuboi (3–1, 1 NC, 2 KOs) in a bout that filled the vacancy left by American Jesse “Bam” Rodríguez, who has moved up in weight. The fight proved hard fought and dynamic, with Tsuboi driving the offensive initiative for nearly the entirety of the match. For his part, Malajika opted for a sharper counter-punching strategy, capitalizing on his superior agility and reach. Although the duel lacked a dominant force landing explosive, game-changing blows, the South African raised his work rate with greater intensity in the final rounds. After twelve rounds, the judges’ verdict came down as a split decision: the American officials tilted the scales in favor of the visitor with scores of 116–112 and 115–113, while a third judge scored it 115–113 for the home fighter, sealing Malajika’s coronation on Japanese soil.
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New champion alert: Malajika wins on foreign soil
Ricardo Malajika W12 Tomoya Tsuboi... South Africa’s Ricardo Malajika (18–2, 12 KOs) accomplished a rare feat in boxing.. a South African winning a world title on foreign soil. Malajika was crowned the new WBC super flyweight champion after earning a points victory over local fighter Tomoya Tsuboi (3–1, 1 NC, 2 KOs) in a bout that filled the vacancy left by American Jesse “Bam” Rodríguez, who has moved up in weight. The fight proved hard fought and dynamic, with Tsuboi driving the offensive initiative for nearly the entirety of the match. For his part, Malajika opted for a sharper counter-punching strategy, capitalizing on his superior agility and reach. Although the duel lacked a dominant force landing explosive, game-changing blows, the South African raised his work rate with greater intensity in the final rounds. After twelve rounds, the judges’ verdict came down as a split decision: the American officials tilted the scales in favor of the visitor with scores of 116–112 and 115–113, while a third judge scored it 115–113 for the home fighter, sealing Malajika’s coronation on Japanese soil.
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Fisher edges Pirotton by majority decision |
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Johnny Fisher W10 Michael Pirotton... England’s Johnny Fisher delivered a hard-earned victory for his legion of fans at London’s Copper Box Arena at Zuffa Boxing 11. Fisher outbattled Belgium’s Michael Pirotton over ten grueling rounds in the heavyweight main event Fisher was forced to dig deep, but found the shots he needed when it mattered to battle his way to a majority decision victory over the durable Belgian heavyweight. Fisher took a majority decision verdict, with the judges scoring the contest 95-95, 98-92, 96-95 to give an exhausted “The Romford Bull” the 15th victory of his career.
Pirotton got to work immediately and, after Fisher swung and missed with a big shot, clipped “The Romford Bull” with a two-punch combination to serve a warning to the Englishman. In response, Fisher then exploded into a big salvo of his own as he made sure the Belgian got a taste of his power, too.
In the second round, a big left hook from Fisher got through and appeared to stun Pirotton, and while Pirotton’s shots were getting through to Fisher, the Englishman was able to walk through to land some big shots, ripping hard punches to the body, then coming over the top to send Pirotton back to his corner with a cut on his left eyebrow.
Fisher came out for round three looking much more aggressive, and landed some big shots that started to have an effect on Pirotton. The Belgian came back swinging, and connected with a solid right of his own.
By the middle of round four, Pirotton’s cut had started to bleed profusely, and the referee paused the action to let the doctor inspect the cut, as Pirotton begged the medic to let the action continue. The decision was made to proceed, and Fisher turned up the pressure, hammering Pirotton with shots for the rest of the round as the Belgian looked to cover up against the ropes.
Pirotton came back strongly in the fifth as he pushed the pace on Fisher and forced the Englishman to work off the back foot. Fisher’s work started to look a bit labored, and the Belgian sensed an opportunity. He connected with a flashy one-two combination and continued to land good shots. But, in the closing seconds of the round, Fisher connected with a superb short hook that clearly rocked Pirotton just before the bell.
The back-and-forth action continued through the next three rounds, with both men looking to land big shots, but with neither seemingly able to connect with enough power to deter or discombobulate the other, though Pirotton appeared to be punching his way back into the contest through rounds seven and eight with two of his strongest rounds of the contest.
By the ninth, Fisher was starting to look tired, but was still dangerous with his power. And, despite the Englishman’s bobbing and weaving, Pirotton was able to connect more frequently as he continued to push the pace on the hometown fighter.
Remarkably, after nine energy-sapping rounds, the bout went into the final round and, after a strong start from Pirotton, Fisher unloaded a massive right hand that shook the Belgian down to his boots. Fisher looked the more tired fighter, but he continued to throw bombs as he bobbed and weaved away from Pirotton’s hooks. The Belgian was keeping his form much better, but Fisher’s power punches found their mark. Those power shots may have proved decisive in the final reckoning.
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Fisher edges Pirotton by majority decision
Johnny Fisher W10 Michael Pirotton... England’s Johnny Fisher delivered a hard-earned victory for his legion of fans at London’s Copper Box Arena at Zuffa Boxing 11. Fisher outbattled Belgium’s Michael Pirotton over ten grueling rounds in the heavyweight main event Fisher was forced to dig deep, but found the shots he needed when it mattered to battle his way to a majority decision victory over the durable Belgian heavyweight. Fisher took a majority decision verdict, with the judges scoring the contest 95-95, 98-92, 96-95 to give an exhausted “The Romford Bull” the 15th victory of his career.
Pirotton got to work immediately and, after Fisher swung and missed with a big shot, clipped “The Romford Bull” with a two-punch combination to serve a warning to the Englishman. In response, Fisher then exploded into a big salvo of his own as he made sure the Belgian got a taste of his power, too.
In the second round, a big left hook from Fisher got through and appeared to stun Pirotton, and while Pirotton’s shots were getting through to Fisher, the Englishman was able to walk through to land some big shots, ripping hard punches to the body, then coming over the top to send Pirotton back to his corner with a cut on his left eyebrow.
Fisher came out for round three looking much more aggressive, and landed some big shots that started to have an effect on Pirotton. The Belgian came back swinging, and connected with a solid right of his own.
By the middle of round four, Pirotton’s cut had started to bleed profusely, and the referee paused the action to let the doctor inspect the cut, as Pirotton begged the medic to let the action continue. The decision was made to proceed, and Fisher turned up the pressure, hammering Pirotton with shots for the rest of the round as the Belgian looked to cover up against the ropes.
Pirotton came back strongly in the fifth as he pushed the pace on Fisher and forced the Englishman to work off the back foot. Fisher’s work started to look a bit labored, and the Belgian sensed an opportunity. He connected with a flashy one-two combination and continued to land good shots. But, in the closing seconds of the round, Fisher connected with a superb short hook that clearly rocked Pirotton just before the bell.
The back-and-forth action continued through the next three rounds, with both men looking to land big shots, but with neither seemingly able to connect with enough power to deter or discombobulate the other, though Pirotton appeared to be punching his way back into the contest through rounds seven and eight with two of his strongest rounds of the contest.
By the ninth, Fisher was starting to look tired, but was still dangerous with his power. And, despite the Englishman’s bobbing and weaving, Pirotton was able to connect more frequently as he continued to push the pace on the hometown fighter.
Remarkably, after nine energy-sapping rounds, the bout went into the final round and, after a strong start from Pirotton, Fisher unloaded a massive right hand that shook the Belgian down to his boots. Fisher looked the more tired fighter, but he continued to throw bombs as he bobbed and weaved away from Pirotton’s hooks. The Belgian was keeping his form much better, but Fisher’s power punches found their mark. Those power shots may have proved decisive in the final reckoning.
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Zuffa Boxing 11 undercard results |
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Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kaladjzic W10 Craig Richards... On Zuffa Boxing 11 in London, Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kaladjzic battled to a unanimous decision victory over Craig “Spider” Richards in a light heavyweight battle that saw the momentum swing one way, then the other as they fought all the way to the scorecards. All three scorecards read 97-92. Kalajdzic looked sharp from the start, working his jab and briefly appearing to stun Richards in the closing seconds of the opening round. And he continued to box smartly through the second stanza. Richards, meanwhile, had some success with his own jab, and landed a couple of solid shots when Kalajdzic got too close. Richards found his mark in the third round as he got Kalajdzic’s attention with a big shot that appeared to stun “Hot Rod” for a moment. But in the following round, Kalajdzic returned the favor with a big shot that put Richards in trouble.
“Hot Rod” saw his moment and poured on the pressure as he stalked Richards around the ring, landing big shots. But by the end of the round, Richards was the man throwing the heavier punches as he forced Kalajdzic against the ropes in the closing moments.
Business picked up again in the sixth, as Kalajdzic connected with a huge shot that forced Richards to hold on. Kalajdzic kept the pressure on, but Richards fired back with big shots of his own. The final 30 seconds turned into a back-and-forth slugfest, with both men landing big shots before the bell sounded. Richards started fast in the seventh and landed two big right hands that forced Kalajdzic to retreat. “Spider” then switched to the body and buried a crushing left hook to the body that Kalajdzic clearly felt, too. But “Hot Rod” came back again, throwing solid jabs as he took control of the action in the second half of the round.
As the action went into the final round, Richards loaded up and hurt Kalajdzic to the body with a huge left hook. “Spider” stayed on the attack as he pushed forward, looking to land heavy shots to head and body as Kalajdzic looked to hold. Then, with Richards hunting the late knockout, “Hot Rod” hit the accelerator. A blistering combination saw several big shots find their mark, then a big straight right sent Richards backwards into the ropes and down to the canvas for the first time in his career just before the final bell.
That last-gasp knockdown put the seal on Kalajdzic’s second victory in Zuffa Boxing as he claimed a unanimous decision victory, with all three judges scoring the bout 97-92 to take his record to 31-3 and set him up for bigger fights further down the line.
Lee Cutler W10 Louis Greene... The battle of English middleweights was won by Lee “Chaos” Cutler, who eschewed his fighting moniker to deliver a controlled, composed performance to outpoint “The Medway Mauler” Louis Greene over ten rounds. Cutler started looking the sharper man as he let his hands go early, working behind the jab, but staying well out of range. Greene, meanwhile stayed defensively tight and opted not to open up too much through the first two rounds. That changed at the start of the third, as a big right hand from “The Medway Mauler” sent Cutler staggering backwards. It gave encouragement to Greene, who started to trust his shots more, and he walked forward throwing more punches than he did in the early stages.
Things started to get a little scrappy in the fourth, with Greene looking to engage up close, while Cutler looked to tie him up, then strike from range when the fight was out in the open. Greene was having much more joy with his jab, too, with the Medway man noticeably more open with his work than he was in the first two rounds.
After a tricky couple of rounds for Cutler, “Chaos” went back to what worked for him in the first couple of rounds as he looked to box Greene from distance for the remainder of the fight. Greene appeared to be trying to set up something big, but never really managed to land anything clean, with Cutler proving to be just elusive enough to avoid being clipped by Greene’s heavier shots.
Greene tried to find an extra gear in the final round, but Cutler was able to tie him up and stay out of the way of Greene’s heavier punches to ensure he ran out a comfortable decision winner. The scorecards read 98-92and 97-93 (twice) as Cutler claimed his second straight win in Zuffa Boxing to take his career record to 17 wins, two losses. Greene, meanwhile, dropped to 19 wins, five losses.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
The first female fighter signed to Zuffa Boxing captured her first win in style as England’s former amateur standout Kayla Allen claimed a third-round TKO victory over Hungarian veteran Edina Kiss in their juior welterweight matchup. Allen started fast, establishing her jab early and throwing multi-punch combinations behind them as she connected with some big shots through the opening round. She briefly appeared to wobble Kiss in the closing stages of the round, but time ran out before she had chance to follow up. Kiss landed a solid right hand in the early exchanges in Round 2, and tried to weigh heavy on Allen when they tied up. Allen tried to land more big shots, but was guilty of smothering her own work a little. Then as the pair fought out of a clinch, and Kiss tried to turn her back , Allen connected with a couple of clean shots that prompted the referee to apply a standing eight-count. Allen kept the pressure on in Round 3, landing heavy shots at range. Kiss was seemingly unable to provide an answer, and reverted to holding, leading to a strong warning from the referee as a result. Once the action resumed, Allen continued to batter Kiss with heavy punches for the remainder of the round, with very little coming back from the her opposite number. By the end of the round, Kiss’s corner had seen enough to know their fighter wasn’t going to get back into the contest, and mercifully pulled her out of the contest, giving Allen a third-round TKO stoppage on her professional debut.
Leo Ruiz won the battle of Mexican middleweights, as he followed up on his victory over Casey James Streeter on his Zuffa Boxing debut with a unanimous decision victory over previously undefeated Cesar Mateo Tapia. The pair looked well matched through the first few rounds, with Tapia making better use of the range, while Ruiz tried to make his shots count from close quarters. And with both men seemingly prepared to take a shot to land one, the action moved along at a brisk pace through the first three rounds. As the rounds started to tick off, Ruiz started to separate himself from Tapia as he outworked and outboxed his undefeated opponent. Ruiz’s best work came on the inside as he continually broke Tapia down with body shots, and that body work started to have an effect as Tapia struggled to keep pace with the 27-year-old’s work rate. With Ruiz edging the rounds with his work rate and forward aggression, the bout made it to the final bell, with the judges’ scorecards giving him the victory with scores of 97-93, 96-94, 96-94 to take his record to 18-1. Tapia, meanwhile, drops to 18-1-1.
England’s Alex “The Villain” MacMillan delivered another decisive finish inside the Zuffa Boxing ring with a second-round stoppage of French junior middleweight Guillaume Azagier. The previously undefeated Azagier started out working from range using his southpaw jab and being tricky to engage with, but MacMillan quickly adjusted and stepped into range to land heavy punches. And, with a minute remaining in the opening round, a big right hand caught the Frenchman flush and sent him to the canvas. Azagier continued to throw shots in a bid to keep MacMillan at bay, but the Englishman walked through the punches to land a big right hand to drop Azagier again. It seemed a finish was imminent, but the eight-count proved the Frenchman’s saviour, with insufficient time left in the first round for MacMillan to finish the job. However, “The Villain” made sure he completed the assignment at the start of the second round. A big right hand put Azagier in trouble, and a succession of follow-up punches found their mark as the combined intervention of the referee and the towel from Azagier’s corner brought the action to a close at the 32-second mark. It meant MacMillan improved to 5-0 with the fourth finish of his career, with the Morecambe-based fighter showing plenty of potential early on in his career. And, after a typically bullish post-fight interview, it’s clear he plans on making great strides as he looks to make a name for himself under the Zuffa Boxing banner.
Cruiserweight Rogelio Romero extended his perfect record with a third-round TKO of previously unbeaten Aurel Ignat in an all-action cruiserweight clash saw both men hurt as they connected with big shots throughout. It didn’t take long for the leather to start flying, as both fighters stood in the pocket and traded big shots in the first round. Then, later in the round, a solid left to the body from Romero forced Ignat to temporarily back away in pain as the Mexican found his mark with a liver shot. There was still time for Romero to score again, with a big right hand over the top finding its mark on the Moldovan before the bell sounded to end a frantic opening three minutes. Romero resumed his body attack early in the second round and appeared to hurt Ignat twice in quick succession with lefts to the same area he’d connected to in the first. But, despite being hurt to the midsection, the Moldovan continued to fire back with heavy shots as he pushed the pace on Romero, who started to tire towards the end of the round. Round three started with both fighters being hurt, with Romero clipping Ignat with a big shot in the opening exchanges, only for Ignat to come storming back to hurt Romero in reply. A timely pause in the action to replace Romero’s mouthpiece gave the Mexican some much-needed respite, but Ignat resumed his assault when the action restarted. But, with both men exchanging big shots, Romero unloaded a huge two-punch combination that put Ignat on wobbly legs. Romero stepped in and landed another big left hook that connected clean. The punch was enough to force the referee to step in and wave off the contest at the 2:12 mark.
Featherweight Alexis de la Cerda defeats Cain Lewis via unanimous decision. Scores were 80-72, 79-73, 79-74. The undefeated featherweights went head-to-head, and de la Cerda claimed a hard-earned decision victory after a competitive eight-round battle with Ireland’s “King” Cain Lewis. The pair clearly had respect for the other’s abilities in a cagey start to the contest, but through the first half of the fight, de la Cerda seemed to edge the rounds with more effective work, particularly to the body. With his corner urging him to up the pressure a little heading into the fifth, Lewis started to load up more on his shots, and the Irishman connected with a solid right hand, but de la Cerda immediately fired back with a flurry of shots that saw some big shots land on Lewis in reply. It highlighted the difference the pair, with de la Cerda working showing a little bit more in the exchanges, and through the rounds, despite the action being competitive throughout the contest. An accidental clash of heads in the sixth saw Lewis sustain a nasty cut on his brow that leaked blood into his eye, and that seemed to spur Lewis on as he loaded up and drove forward in a bid to break his opponent down the stretch. De la Cerda showed good defensive skills, however, and responded with excellent work to the body as the pair scrapped it out for the final two rounds.
Lightweight Fred Pullen defeated Leonardo Faretina via decision (40-35), outboxing the Italian veteran over four rounds. Pullen settled into his work from the southpaw stance, and as the round wore on, he started to read the Italian’s feints as he landed some decent shots late in the round. Then, with the first punch of Round 2, Pullen connected with a peach of a left hand to drop Faretina and force an eight-count after the Italian bounced straight back up. Pullen had found his range, and started to draw the Faretina forward, looking for that counter shot, and a similar shot seemed to send him to touch down again, but this time it was ruled a slip. Pullen continued to dominate the exchanges through the third round, with Faretina looking a little more wary to step in, and in the fourth and final frame, he started to tee off on the Italian from range, both with his southpaw right hand, and with a fast, snappy straight left. Faretina connected with a couple of solid right hands as he kept Pullen honest for the full four-round distance. It was a solid first runout for Pullen on his pro debut, as he earned a shutout victory, with the referee scoring the fight 40-35 to get the 22-year-old prospect’s pro career off to a winning start.
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Zuffa Boxing 11 undercard results
Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kaladjzic W10 Craig Richards... On Zuffa Boxing 11 in London, Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kaladjzic battled to a unanimous decision victory over Craig “Spider” Richards in a light heavyweight battle that saw the momentum swing one way, then the other as they fought all the way to the scorecards. All three scorecards read 97-92. Kalajdzic looked sharp from the start, working his jab and briefly appearing to stun Richards in the closing seconds of the opening round. And he continued to box smartly through the second stanza. Richards, meanwhile, had some success with his own jab, and landed a couple of solid shots when Kalajdzic got too close. Richards found his mark in the third round as he got Kalajdzic’s attention with a big shot that appeared to stun “Hot Rod” for a moment. But in the following round, Kalajdzic returned the favor with a big shot that put Richards in trouble.
“Hot Rod” saw his moment and poured on the pressure as he stalked Richards around the ring, landing big shots. But by the end of the round, Richards was the man throwing the heavier punches as he forced Kalajdzic against the ropes in the closing moments.
Business picked up again in the sixth, as Kalajdzic connected with a huge shot that forced Richards to hold on. Kalajdzic kept the pressure on, but Richards fired back with big shots of his own. The final 30 seconds turned into a back-and-forth slugfest, with both men landing big shots before the bell sounded. Richards started fast in the seventh and landed two big right hands that forced Kalajdzic to retreat. “Spider” then switched to the body and buried a crushing left hook to the body that Kalajdzic clearly felt, too. But “Hot Rod” came back again, throwing solid jabs as he took control of the action in the second half of the round.
As the action went into the final round, Richards loaded up and hurt Kalajdzic to the body with a huge left hook. “Spider” stayed on the attack as he pushed forward, looking to land heavy shots to head and body as Kalajdzic looked to hold. Then, with Richards hunting the late knockout, “Hot Rod” hit the accelerator. A blistering combination saw several big shots find their mark, then a big straight right sent Richards backwards into the ropes and down to the canvas for the first time in his career just before the final bell.
That last-gasp knockdown put the seal on Kalajdzic’s second victory in Zuffa Boxing as he claimed a unanimous decision victory, with all three judges scoring the bout 97-92 to take his record to 31-3 and set him up for bigger fights further down the line.
Lee Cutler W10 Louis Greene... The battle of English middleweights was won by Lee “Chaos” Cutler, who eschewed his fighting moniker to deliver a controlled, composed performance to outpoint “The Medway Mauler” Louis Greene over ten rounds. Cutler started looking the sharper man as he let his hands go early, working behind the jab, but staying well out of range. Greene, meanwhile stayed defensively tight and opted not to open up too much through the first two rounds. That changed at the start of the third, as a big right hand from “The Medway Mauler” sent Cutler staggering backwards. It gave encouragement to Greene, who started to trust his shots more, and he walked forward throwing more punches than he did in the early stages.
Things started to get a little scrappy in the fourth, with Greene looking to engage up close, while Cutler looked to tie him up, then strike from range when the fight was out in the open. Greene was having much more joy with his jab, too, with the Medway man noticeably more open with his work than he was in the first two rounds.
After a tricky couple of rounds for Cutler, “Chaos” went back to what worked for him in the first couple of rounds as he looked to box Greene from distance for the remainder of the fight. Greene appeared to be trying to set up something big, but never really managed to land anything clean, with Cutler proving to be just elusive enough to avoid being clipped by Greene’s heavier shots.
Greene tried to find an extra gear in the final round, but Cutler was able to tie him up and stay out of the way of Greene’s heavier punches to ensure he ran out a comfortable decision winner. The scorecards read 98-92and 97-93 (twice) as Cutler claimed his second straight win in Zuffa Boxing to take his career record to 17 wins, two losses. Greene, meanwhile, dropped to 19 wins, five losses.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS
The first female fighter signed to Zuffa Boxing captured her first win in style as England’s former amateur standout Kayla Allen claimed a third-round TKO victory over Hungarian veteran Edina Kiss in their juior welterweight matchup. Allen started fast, establishing her jab early and throwing multi-punch combinations behind them as she connected with some big shots through the opening round. She briefly appeared to wobble Kiss in the closing stages of the round, but time ran out before she had chance to follow up. Kiss landed a solid right hand in the early exchanges in Round 2, and tried to weigh heavy on Allen when they tied up. Allen tried to land more big shots, but was guilty of smothering her own work a little. Then as the pair fought out of a clinch, and Kiss tried to turn her back , Allen connected with a couple of clean shots that prompted the referee to apply a standing eight-count. Allen kept the pressure on in Round 3, landing heavy shots at range. Kiss was seemingly unable to provide an answer, and reverted to holding, leading to a strong warning from the referee as a result. Once the action resumed, Allen continued to batter Kiss with heavy punches for the remainder of the round, with very little coming back from the her opposite number. By the end of the round, Kiss’s corner had seen enough to know their fighter wasn’t going to get back into the contest, and mercifully pulled her out of the contest, giving Allen a third-round TKO stoppage on her professional debut.
Leo Ruiz won the battle of Mexican middleweights, as he followed up on his victory over Casey James Streeter on his Zuffa Boxing debut with a unanimous decision victory over previously undefeated Cesar Mateo Tapia. The pair looked well matched through the first few rounds, with Tapia making better use of the range, while Ruiz tried to make his shots count from close quarters. And with both men seemingly prepared to take a shot to land one, the action moved along at a brisk pace through the first three rounds. As the rounds started to tick off, Ruiz started to separate himself from Tapia as he outworked and outboxed his undefeated opponent. Ruiz’s best work came on the inside as he continually broke Tapia down with body shots, and that body work started to have an effect as Tapia struggled to keep pace with the 27-year-old’s work rate. With Ruiz edging the rounds with his work rate and forward aggression, the bout made it to the final bell, with the judges’ scorecards giving him the victory with scores of 97-93, 96-94, 96-94 to take his record to 18-1. Tapia, meanwhile, drops to 18-1-1.
England’s Alex “The Villain” MacMillan delivered another decisive finish inside the Zuffa Boxing ring with a second-round stoppage of French junior middleweight Guillaume Azagier. The previously undefeated Azagier started out working from range using his southpaw jab and being tricky to engage with, but MacMillan quickly adjusted and stepped into range to land heavy punches. And, with a minute remaining in the opening round, a big right hand caught the Frenchman flush and sent him to the canvas. Azagier continued to throw shots in a bid to keep MacMillan at bay, but the Englishman walked through the punches to land a big right hand to drop Azagier again. It seemed a finish was imminent, but the eight-count proved the Frenchman’s saviour, with insufficient time left in the first round for MacMillan to finish the job. However, “The Villain” made sure he completed the assignment at the start of the second round. A big right hand put Azagier in trouble, and a succession of follow-up punches found their mark as the combined intervention of the referee and the towel from Azagier’s corner brought the action to a close at the 32-second mark. It meant MacMillan improved to 5-0 with the fourth finish of his career, with the Morecambe-based fighter showing plenty of potential early on in his career. And, after a typically bullish post-fight interview, it’s clear he plans on making great strides as he looks to make a name for himself under the Zuffa Boxing banner.
Cruiserweight Rogelio Romero extended his perfect record with a third-round TKO of previously unbeaten Aurel Ignat in an all-action cruiserweight clash saw both men hurt as they connected with big shots throughout. It didn’t take long for the leather to start flying, as both fighters stood in the pocket and traded big shots in the first round. Then, later in the round, a solid left to the body from Romero forced Ignat to temporarily back away in pain as the Mexican found his mark with a liver shot. There was still time for Romero to score again, with a big right hand over the top finding its mark on the Moldovan before the bell sounded to end a frantic opening three minutes. Romero resumed his body attack early in the second round and appeared to hurt Ignat twice in quick succession with lefts to the same area he’d connected to in the first. But, despite being hurt to the midsection, the Moldovan continued to fire back with heavy shots as he pushed the pace on Romero, who started to tire towards the end of the round. Round three started with both fighters being hurt, with Romero clipping Ignat with a big shot in the opening exchanges, only for Ignat to come storming back to hurt Romero in reply. A timely pause in the action to replace Romero’s mouthpiece gave the Mexican some much-needed respite, but Ignat resumed his assault when the action restarted. But, with both men exchanging big shots, Romero unloaded a huge two-punch combination that put Ignat on wobbly legs. Romero stepped in and landed another big left hook that connected clean. The punch was enough to force the referee to step in and wave off the contest at the 2:12 mark.
Featherweight Alexis de la Cerda defeats Cain Lewis via unanimous decision. Scores were 80-72, 79-73, 79-74. The undefeated featherweights went head-to-head, and de la Cerda claimed a hard-earned decision victory after a competitive eight-round battle with Ireland’s “King” Cain Lewis. The pair clearly had respect for the other’s abilities in a cagey start to the contest, but through the first half of the fight, de la Cerda seemed to edge the rounds with more effective work, particularly to the body. With his corner urging him to up the pressure a little heading into the fifth, Lewis started to load up more on his shots, and the Irishman connected with a solid right hand, but de la Cerda immediately fired back with a flurry of shots that saw some big shots land on Lewis in reply. It highlighted the difference the pair, with de la Cerda working showing a little bit more in the exchanges, and through the rounds, despite the action being competitive throughout the contest. An accidental clash of heads in the sixth saw Lewis sustain a nasty cut on his brow that leaked blood into his eye, and that seemed to spur Lewis on as he loaded up and drove forward in a bid to break his opponent down the stretch. De la Cerda showed good defensive skills, however, and responded with excellent work to the body as the pair scrapped it out for the final two rounds.
Lightweight Fred Pullen defeated Leonardo Faretina via decision (40-35), outboxing the Italian veteran over four rounds. Pullen settled into his work from the southpaw stance, and as the round wore on, he started to read the Italian’s feints as he landed some decent shots late in the round. Then, with the first punch of Round 2, Pullen connected with a peach of a left hand to drop Faretina and force an eight-count after the Italian bounced straight back up. Pullen had found his range, and started to draw the Faretina forward, looking for that counter shot, and a similar shot seemed to send him to touch down again, but this time it was ruled a slip. Pullen continued to dominate the exchanges through the third round, with Faretina looking a little more wary to step in, and in the fourth and final frame, he started to tee off on the Italian from range, both with his southpaw right hand, and with a fast, snappy straight left. Faretina connected with a couple of solid right hands as he kept Pullen honest for the full four-round distance. It was a solid first runout for Pullen on his pro debut, as he earned a shutout victory, with the referee scoring the fight 40-35 to get the 22-year-old prospect’s pro career off to a winning start.
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Uldedaj to defend IBO cruiserweight title vs. Caparello in Albania |
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Albania's Juergen Uldedaj defends his IBO cruiserweight championship against Australia's Blake Caparello in Tirana, Albania on October 23rd, presented by SES Boxing / Blanko Sports in association with Crown Boxing International. The show will be broadcast live on Digitalb and Klan Kosova, with international broadcast coverage around the world. The venue will be the Feti Borova Olympic Park in Tirana. Uldedaj (22-1) turned pro with SES Boxing in Germany in 2015. His journey ultimately took him to Manchester, UK where he defeated Rolly Lambert Fogoum to win the vacant IBO cruiserweight title in front of 10,000 boxing fans at the 02 Arena in London in October 2025. Uldedaj returned to the UK’s capital in May of this year to successfully defend his crown against Austine Nnamdi at Wembley Arena. Now, more than a decade after turning professional, he brings the title home to Albania.
Uldedaj said: “I’m delighted to finally return home to Tirana to defend my world title. Blake Caparello is coming to Albania to conquer my belt, but he has made the wrong decision. I am the champion - this is my time, my territory and my title.“
A former IBO light heavyweight champion, this will not be the first time Caparello (34-4-1) has stood in the way of Albanian boxing ambitions. In 2014, the Australian defeated Elvir Muriqi in the United States. The experienced Caparello has shared the ring with elite world champions Sergey Kovalev and Andre Direll. Caparello said: “Congratulations, Champ, but he [Uldeddaj] hasn’t fought anyone of my caliber. I’ve been in the ring with world-class fighters and that experience is going to show come fight night. I won my first IBO title October 2013 and now 13 years later I’m going to claim my second. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in the gym, we will come out victorious on October 23rd.”
Brendan Bourke, Caparello’s manager, said: “I’d like to thank Blanko Sports and Crown Boxing International for putting this fight together, and also Blake’s promoter Joe DeGuardia from Star Boxing for being on board with the fight. Blake is ready, Juergen is a worthy champion - I’m looking forward to this fight!”
Caparello's promoter Joe DeGuardia, CEO of Star Boxing, said: “Blake is a former IBO light heavyweight champion, and he is excited to have the opportunity to become a two-division World Champion by challenging Juergen Uldedaj for the IBO Cruiserweight World Championship. He understands the significance of traveling to Tirana to face the defending champion in his home country and is fully committed to making the most of this opportunity. We appreciate Benedikt Poelchau of Blanko Sports and Crown Boxing International working with us to bring this world-title fight together, and we look forward to an exciting night of boxing on October 23rd.”
SES Boxing of Germany is headed by founder Ulf Steinforth and international boxing operator Benedikt Poelchau, after Poelchau’s Blanko Sports Holding acquired a significant stake in the company. Over more than 25 years in professional boxing, SES Boxing has promoted more than 200 events, developed multiple European and World Champions and established itself among the leading boxing promoters on the international stage.
Benedikt Poelchau, CEO of SES Boxing and Blanko Sports Holding, said: “This is the most significant international fight Albania has hosted so far and on October 23rd the eyes of the boxing world will be on Tirana. After fighting on the biggest stages in Europe, it was always Juergen’s dream to bring a World Title fight back to his home country. In Caparello, Juergen is facing not only the biggest name of his career but also his toughest and most experienced challenger. I’m delighted that we were able to make this happen and I want to thank everyone involved - I’m looking forward to a fantastic night of boxing in Tirana“.
Ulf Steinforth, CEO of SES Boxing said: “We have built Juergen Uldedaj from the very beginning, from a four-round debutant into a 12-round elite fighter. Eight years ago, we brought Juergen’s WBO Youth Title fight to Tirana and now he returns for the first time since - this time as the IBO World Champion. To see his journey is something special to me. Juergen has earned this moment. I’m excepting an exiting fight and I can’t wait for October 23rd in Tirana.“
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Uldedaj to defend IBO cruiserweight title vs. Caparello in Albania
Albania's Juergen Uldedaj defends his IBO cruiserweight championship against Australia's Blake Caparello in Tirana, Albania on October 23rd, presented by SES Boxing / Blanko Sports in association with Crown Boxing International. The show will be broadcast live on Digitalb and Klan Kosova, with international broadcast coverage around the world. The venue will be the Feti Borova Olympic Park in Tirana. Uldedaj (22-1) turned pro with SES Boxing in Germany in 2015. His journey ultimately took him to Manchester, UK where he defeated Rolly Lambert Fogoum to win the vacant IBO cruiserweight title in front of 10,000 boxing fans at the 02 Arena in London in October 2025. Uldedaj returned to the UK’s capital in May of this year to successfully defend his crown against Austine Nnamdi at Wembley Arena. Now, more than a decade after turning professional, he brings the title home to Albania.
Uldedaj said: “I’m delighted to finally return home to Tirana to defend my world title. Blake Caparello is coming to Albania to conquer my belt, but he has made the wrong decision. I am the champion - this is my time, my territory and my title.“
A former IBO light heavyweight champion, this will not be the first time Caparello (34-4-1) has stood in the way of Albanian boxing ambitions. In 2014, the Australian defeated Elvir Muriqi in the United States. The experienced Caparello has shared the ring with elite world champions Sergey Kovalev and Andre Direll. Caparello said: “Congratulations, Champ, but he [Uldeddaj] hasn’t fought anyone of my caliber. I’ve been in the ring with world-class fighters and that experience is going to show come fight night. I won my first IBO title October 2013 and now 13 years later I’m going to claim my second. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in the gym, we will come out victorious on October 23rd.”
Brendan Bourke, Caparello’s manager, said: “I’d like to thank Blanko Sports and Crown Boxing International for putting this fight together, and also Blake’s promoter Joe DeGuardia from Star Boxing for being on board with the fight. Blake is ready, Juergen is a worthy champion - I’m looking forward to this fight!”
Caparello's promoter Joe DeGuardia, CEO of Star Boxing, said: “Blake is a former IBO light heavyweight champion, and he is excited to have the opportunity to become a two-division World Champion by challenging Juergen Uldedaj for the IBO Cruiserweight World Championship. He understands the significance of traveling to Tirana to face the defending champion in his home country and is fully committed to making the most of this opportunity. We appreciate Benedikt Poelchau of Blanko Sports and Crown Boxing International working with us to bring this world-title fight together, and we look forward to an exciting night of boxing on October 23rd.”
SES Boxing of Germany is headed by founder Ulf Steinforth and international boxing operator Benedikt Poelchau, after Poelchau’s Blanko Sports Holding acquired a significant stake in the company. Over more than 25 years in professional boxing, SES Boxing has promoted more than 200 events, developed multiple European and World Champions and established itself among the leading boxing promoters on the international stage.
Benedikt Poelchau, CEO of SES Boxing and Blanko Sports Holding, said: “This is the most significant international fight Albania has hosted so far and on October 23rd the eyes of the boxing world will be on Tirana. After fighting on the biggest stages in Europe, it was always Juergen’s dream to bring a World Title fight back to his home country. In Caparello, Juergen is facing not only the biggest name of his career but also his toughest and most experienced challenger. I’m delighted that we were able to make this happen and I want to thank everyone involved - I’m looking forward to a fantastic night of boxing in Tirana“.
Ulf Steinforth, CEO of SES Boxing said: “We have built Juergen Uldedaj from the very beginning, from a four-round debutant into a 12-round elite fighter. Eight years ago, we brought Juergen’s WBO Youth Title fight to Tirana and now he returns for the first time since - this time as the IBO World Champion. To see his journey is something special to me. Juergen has earned this moment. I’m excepting an exiting fight and I can’t wait for October 23rd in Tirana.“
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Weigh-in report from London |
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Here are the boxers' weights for Zuffa Boxing 11 at Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday. The event will stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. and broadcast via Sky Sports for UK audiences.
Johnny Fisher, 243 pounds -vs.- Michael Pirotton, 240.6 (heavyweight, ten rounds);
Craig Richards, 174.2 -vs.- Radivoje Kalajdzic, 174.5 (light heavyweight, ten rounds);
Lee Cutler, 159.5 -vs.- Louis Greene, 159.1 (middleweight, ten rounds);
Kayla Allen, 142.9 -vs.- Edina Kiss, 142 (junior welterweight, six rounds);
Cesar Mateo Tapia, 159.9 -vs.- Leo Ruiz, 159.2 (middleweight, ten rounds);
Alex MacMillan, 149.9 -vs.- Guillaume Azagier, 151.6 (junior middleweight, six rounds);
Rogelio Romero, 199.2 -vs.- Aurel Ignat, 199.6 (cruiserweight, eight rounds);
Alexis de la Cerda, 125.4 -vs.- Cain Lewis, 125.6 (featherweight, eight rounds); and
Fred Pullen, 131.4 -vs.- Leonardo Faretina, 132.7 (lightweight, four rounds).
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Weigh-in report from London
Here are the boxers' weights for Zuffa Boxing 11 at Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday. The event will stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. and broadcast via Sky Sports for UK audiences.
Johnny Fisher, 243 pounds -vs.- Michael Pirotton, 240.6 (heavyweight, ten rounds);
Craig Richards, 174.2 -vs.- Radivoje Kalajdzic, 174.5 (light heavyweight, ten rounds);
Lee Cutler, 159.5 -vs.- Louis Greene, 159.1 (middleweight, ten rounds);
Kayla Allen, 142.9 -vs.- Edina Kiss, 142 (junior welterweight, six rounds);
Cesar Mateo Tapia, 159.9 -vs.- Leo Ruiz, 159.2 (middleweight, ten rounds);
Alex MacMillan, 149.9 -vs.- Guillaume Azagier, 151.6 (junior middleweight, six rounds);
Rogelio Romero, 199.2 -vs.- Aurel Ignat, 199.6 (cruiserweight, eight rounds);
Alexis de la Cerda, 125.4 -vs.- Cain Lewis, 125.6 (featherweight, eight rounds); and
Fred Pullen, 131.4 -vs.- Leonardo Faretina, 132.7 (lightweight, four rounds).
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Argentine boxing update |
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Argentina will be the site of a major night of boxing today (September 26th) when the action returns to the FAB Stadium in Buenos Aires. The event will be broadcast live on TyC Sports. Josue Agüero, one of Argentina’s top prospects, will challenge Brian González at junior lightweght. The 25 year-old Agüero is unbeaten and determined to keep his winning streak alive, but he faces a stern test... Meanwhile, 21 year-old Argentine stylist Junior Narváez will face 25 year-old Venezuelan Jonathan Cisneros in a bantamweight contest... Senegal’s Touba Niang and Venezuela’s Leonardo Sánchez will square off in a closely contested welterweight matchup that promises action from the opening bell to the final round... The event will also mark the return to professional boxing of Venezuelan Olympic medalist Yoel Finol, who will face Argentina’s Sergio Medina in a bantamweight showdown.
Among the other featured bouts, unbeaten Venezuelan Geremy Vera will take on Argentina’s Matías Medina in a flyweight bout... meanwhile, Argentina’s María Mazzarello will challenge young Venezuelan Albys Larez at bantamweight.
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Argentine boxing update
Argentina will be the site of a major night of boxing today (September 26th) when the action returns to the FAB Stadium in Buenos Aires. The event will be broadcast live on TyC Sports. Josue Agüero, one of Argentina’s top prospects, will challenge Brian González at junior lightweght. The 25 year-old Agüero is unbeaten and determined to keep his winning streak alive, but he faces a stern test... Meanwhile, 21 year-old Argentine stylist Junior Narváez will face 25 year-old Venezuelan Jonathan Cisneros in a bantamweight contest... Senegal’s Touba Niang and Venezuela’s Leonardo Sánchez will square off in a closely contested welterweight matchup that promises action from the opening bell to the final round... The event will also mark the return to professional boxing of Venezuelan Olympic medalist Yoel Finol, who will face Argentina’s Sergio Medina in a bantamweight showdown.
Among the other featured bouts, unbeaten Venezuelan Geremy Vera will take on Argentina’s Matías Medina in a flyweight bout... meanwhile, Argentina’s María Mazzarello will challenge young Venezuelan Albys Larez at bantamweight.
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Fury vs. Joshua official for Friday, Dec. 11th |
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Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua is officially happening. The two British heavyweights, both former champions, will fight for the first time on Friday, Dec. 11th, live on Netflix from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Ahead of the December showdown, Fury and Joshua will participate in a press conference on September 30th. Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) and Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) have both previously headlined live boxing events on Netflix. Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in December 2025, while Fury defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision in April 2026. Now, the former heavyweight champions will meet in one of the biggest all-British heavyweight fights in history.
“Fury vs. Joshua is a fight years in the making between two of boxing’s biggest stars,” Gabe Spitzer, vice president of sports at Netflix, said. “It has the rivalry, the stakes and the scale to capture the attention of sports fans around the world.”
The matchup was officially confirmed by Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority and President of the Saudi Boxing Federation. “Two of the best heavyweights of this generation, finally in the ring together,” says Alalshikh. “This will be one of the biggest fights in boxing history.”
Alalshikh’s The Ring and Dana White will collaborate to promote the event. White points to the fighters’ combined records — and what a win could mean for either man’s legacy. “Together, [Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua] bring 66 wins, 52 knockouts and multiple heavyweight world titles into the ring,” White says. “On December 11th, two of the biggest heavyweights of this generation finally collide– and the winner will take a significant place in heavyweight history.”
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Fury vs. Joshua official for Friday, Dec. 11th
Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua is officially happening. The two British heavyweights, both former champions, will fight for the first time on Friday, Dec. 11th, live on Netflix from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Ahead of the December showdown, Fury and Joshua will participate in a press conference on September 30th. Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) and Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) have both previously headlined live boxing events on Netflix. Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in December 2025, while Fury defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision in April 2026. Now, the former heavyweight champions will meet in one of the biggest all-British heavyweight fights in history.
“Fury vs. Joshua is a fight years in the making between two of boxing’s biggest stars,” Gabe Spitzer, vice president of sports at Netflix, said. “It has the rivalry, the stakes and the scale to capture the attention of sports fans around the world.”
The matchup was officially confirmed by Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority and President of the Saudi Boxing Federation. “Two of the best heavyweights of this generation, finally in the ring together,” says Alalshikh. “This will be one of the biggest fights in boxing history.”
Alalshikh’s The Ring and Dana White will collaborate to promote the event. White points to the fighters’ combined records — and what a win could mean for either man’s legacy. “Together, [Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua] bring 66 wins, 52 knockouts and multiple heavyweight world titles into the ring,” White says. “On December 11th, two of the biggest heavyweights of this generation finally collide– and the winner will take a significant place in heavyweight history.”
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Yan Zak moving up in cruiserweight division |
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Yan Zak KO4 Peter Mysoka... Israeli cruiserweight Yan Zak scored a knockout victory against Tanzania's Peter Mysoka on a show held in Dubai. Competing on Saturday’s BATL Boxing Promotions event, Zak produced a fourth-round knockout that raised his career mark to 8-0 with 6 KOs. He's been fighting a good level of opposition. Mysoka saw an eight-fight KO win streak end, dropping his record to 14-2.
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Yan Zak moving up in cruiserweight division
Yan Zak KO4 Peter Mysoka... Israeli cruiserweight Yan Zak scored a knockout victory against Tanzania's Peter Mysoka on a show held in Dubai. Competing on Saturday’s BATL Boxing Promotions event, Zak produced a fourth-round knockout that raised his career mark to 8-0 with 6 KOs. He's been fighting a good level of opposition. Mysoka saw an eight-fight KO win streak end, dropping his record to 14-2.
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WBC orders Adames to defend vs. Nursultanov |
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Undefeated Kazakh Meiirim Nursultanov is getting his title shot, challenging WBC middleweight monarch Carlos “El Caballo Bronco” Adames (pictured). No date has been set for the fight, but the WBC has officially ordered both boxers' camps to begin negotiations, setting October 20th as the deadline to reach an agreement. If a deal is not finalized within the allotted timeframe, the WBC will call for a purse bid to award the promotional rights for the fight. The path to this long-awaited matchup accelerated directly following the unfortunate withdrawal of the division’s interim champion, Jesus Ramos, who was unable to compete in the scheduled eliminator vs. Nursultanov last weekend due to health reasons. Under these circumstances, the WBC applied its rules and granted Nursultanov the direct right as the division’s official mandatory contender.
Adames, from the Dominican Republic is coming off a successful decision defense against Austin “Ammo” Williams in Orlando, Florida. Carrying power and an increasingly cerebral approach, Adames looks to reaffirm his absolute dominance over the division.
Nursultanov, age 33, earned his mandatory challenger status way back in November 2023 with a decisive victory over Chile’s Julio Álamos. Despite the long layoff away from the squared circle, Nursultanov has maintained constant physical preparation while awaiting the final call to fulfill his dream of becoming a champion.
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WBC orders Adames to defend vs. Nursultanov
Undefeated Kazakh Meiirim Nursultanov is getting his title shot, challenging WBC middleweight monarch Carlos “El Caballo Bronco” Adames (pictured). No date has been set for the fight, but the WBC has officially ordered both boxers' camps to begin negotiations, setting October 20th as the deadline to reach an agreement. If a deal is not finalized within the allotted timeframe, the WBC will call for a purse bid to award the promotional rights for the fight. The path to this long-awaited matchup accelerated directly following the unfortunate withdrawal of the division’s interim champion, Jesus Ramos, who was unable to compete in the scheduled eliminator vs. Nursultanov last weekend due to health reasons. Under these circumstances, the WBC applied its rules and granted Nursultanov the direct right as the division’s official mandatory contender.
Adames, from the Dominican Republic is coming off a successful decision defense against Austin “Ammo” Williams in Orlando, Florida. Carrying power and an increasingly cerebral approach, Adames looks to reaffirm his absolute dominance over the division.
Nursultanov, age 33, earned his mandatory challenger status way back in November 2023 with a decisive victory over Chile’s Julio Álamos. Despite the long layoff away from the squared circle, Nursultanov has maintained constant physical preparation while awaiting the final call to fulfill his dream of becoming a champion.
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Fundora vs. Hadribeaj presser quotes |
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WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora (pictured) and his unbeaten mandatory challenger Ermal Hadribeaj previewed their matchup during a virtual press conference on Thursday. Their twelve-round bout will take place on TNT and DAZN on Saturday, October 17th at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, presented by Premier Boxing Champions. Here is what the fighters had to say on Thursday:
SEBASTIAN FUNDORA
“We’ve been working hard up in the mountains since our last fight and just getting ready for the next one. I’m ready to put on another show in Las Vegas.
“I’ve been getting smarter and wiser. Everything is lining up. The fights are showing the results of everything we’re doing in camp.
“Hadribeaj is undefeated, he’s the mandatory and he’s hungry to win. But it’s nothing we’re unfamiliar with.
“We’re always in the gym 24/7. It’s always working time. The second you step off the gas, that’s when you’re gonna start feeling it.
“Expect the best from Fundora as always. Just like we always do. ‘The Towering Inferno’ is coming to burn down Las Vegas once again.
“We’re only focused on this fight. We know that we can’t overlook anyone. We focus on the work and take it one fight at a time.
“Hadribeaj still has that mechanism that he only knows how to win. He’s protecting that 0. But I’ve taken 0’s before. I’m on a three-fight knockout streak and we intend to keep that going.”
ERMAL HADRIBEAJ
“They call me the Albanian Sniper. I’m new to these big fights, but I’ve worked my way to this position. I’m feeling great. We’re getting ready for war. Fundora is a warrior as well and he likes blood. I can’t wait.
“This fight means that I can become the first Albanian world champion. That’s really important to me and my team.
“Everyone thinks to go to the body against his height. But that’s what everyone has tried. It’s not about bringing something new, it’s about working on specific things that will work. It will be a struggle for both of us. It’s gonna be a hard fight for each of us.
“The way that I came to this moment will help me when the fight finally starts. I got here because I worked for it. I went step by step. The pressure is already gone by now.
“This fight means a lot to me. There are a lot of fighters who want to be in my position. So I’m very grateful. Now it’s not a dream anymore, I’m living it. I’ve been stepping in silence. I’ve just kept working to make it to this point.
“I’m very excited to fight someone like Fundora who is a great guy. I actually met him three years ago, and now here we are fighting for the title.”
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Fundora vs. Hadribeaj presser quotes
WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora (pictured) and his unbeaten mandatory challenger Ermal Hadribeaj previewed their matchup during a virtual press conference on Thursday. Their twelve-round bout will take place on TNT and DAZN on Saturday, October 17th at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, presented by Premier Boxing Champions. Here is what the fighters had to say on Thursday:
SEBASTIAN FUNDORA
“We’ve been working hard up in the mountains since our last fight and just getting ready for the next one. I’m ready to put on another show in Las Vegas.
“I’ve been getting smarter and wiser. Everything is lining up. The fights are showing the results of everything we’re doing in camp.
“Hadribeaj is undefeated, he’s the mandatory and he’s hungry to win. But it’s nothing we’re unfamiliar with.
“We’re always in the gym 24/7. It’s always working time. The second you step off the gas, that’s when you’re gonna start feeling it.
“Expect the best from Fundora as always. Just like we always do. ‘The Towering Inferno’ is coming to burn down Las Vegas once again.
“We’re only focused on this fight. We know that we can’t overlook anyone. We focus on the work and take it one fight at a time.
“Hadribeaj still has that mechanism that he only knows how to win. He’s protecting that 0. But I’ve taken 0’s before. I’m on a three-fight knockout streak and we intend to keep that going.”
ERMAL HADRIBEAJ
“They call me the Albanian Sniper. I’m new to these big fights, but I’ve worked my way to this position. I’m feeling great. We’re getting ready for war. Fundora is a warrior as well and he likes blood. I can’t wait.
“This fight means that I can become the first Albanian world champion. That’s really important to me and my team.
“Everyone thinks to go to the body against his height. But that’s what everyone has tried. It’s not about bringing something new, it’s about working on specific things that will work. It will be a struggle for both of us. It’s gonna be a hard fight for each of us.
“The way that I came to this moment will help me when the fight finally starts. I got here because I worked for it. I went step by step. The pressure is already gone by now.
“This fight means a lot to me. There are a lot of fighters who want to be in my position. So I’m very grateful. Now it’s not a dream anymore, I’m living it. I’ve been stepping in silence. I’ve just kept working to make it to this point.
“I’m very excited to fight someone like Fundora who is a great guy. I actually met him three years ago, and now here we are fighting for the title.”
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Fisher talks about his journey to Zuffa |
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If you’re a combat sports fan from the United Kingdom, you almost certainly know who Johnny Fisher is already. But this week, the big-punching British heavyweight has the chance to introduce himself to an even bigger audience in his Zuffa Boxing debut. “So, I'm Johnny Fisher. I'm known as ‘The Romford Bull,’ born and raised in Romford. My dad's Big John, a big personality over here in the UK, as well,” he began. “But yeah, we just pride ourselves on being real people, being authentic, and what you see is what you get. We'll always try to be honest and be truthful with you. And part of being truthful with yourself is to give 110 percent every time you train, and every time you fight.
“I'm known for my aggressive style, and my best performances have been when I'm aggressive and going for the knockout. I might not be an Oleksandr Usyk or an Agit Kabayel, or a top-level heavyweight right now. But one thing you're guaranteed when you come to watch me fight is entertainment, and it's a privilege and an honor to reach out to this new market of American supporters and American fans. We love going over there when we can, and America is a great place. You don't have to leave that great country. There's so many different biomes and places to explore, and yeah, whether you're on the East Coast, West Coast, or in the middle, we love America. Up the ‘American Bosh Soldiers!’ Bosh!”
No bells and whistles. No outlandish statements. Instead, Fisher is a down-to-earth, straight-talking Englishman who just happens to have a penchant for knocking people out. The hard-hitting heavyweight has finished 12 of his 14 career wins by knockout, and his “live by the sword, die by the sword” approach also led to his one career defeat, in a rematch with fellow Englishman Dave Allen. Since that defeat, Fisher re-evaluated his situation and switched trainers to work with the respected Tony Sims, and after his bounce-back knockout win over Ivan Balaz last December, an opportunity presented itself that was too good for “The Romford Bull” to turn down.
“I was previously with Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn,” Fisher explained. “I was meant to fight for a British title. That fell through because of politics between different promoters, and then I just took a little bit of a holiday, a vacation, when that fight didn't come off, and my contract was running out with Matchroom; it began to run out. We had a negotiation period. We could talk to other guys, and Zuffa Boxing came in with this amazing offer to fight – not only financially a fantastic offer, but to fight on Sky Sports Boxing as well. I've obviously been to Vegas a few times and seen how the UFC world and that side of the combat sports universe works. And now I'm part of it. It's great.”
Being part of Zuffa Boxing has seen a change of environment for Fisher, who is now benefiting from the overall TKO ecosystem, with all of the expertise previously only available to UFC athletes now at the fingertips of Fisher and his fellow Zuffa Boxing athletes. “It's been unbelievable,” he said. “I mean, everything's done for you. I've had about five or six different contacts messaging me, trying to sort this out for me, do this. I've had food offered to me. I've had physiotherapy offered to me. It's just amazing. Everything's run like a well-oiled machine, and it puts you in a good headspace for Fight Week, you know? And it's the same for every fighter, all the way down the card. So, I’m very, very excited to be here. I've got some free gear out of it as well, some merch. So yeah, got some nice sliders which are very comfy, which is great!”
Fisher and his father, known to one and all as “Big John,” have become cult figures in the UK, with their love for Chinese food a feature of some of their social media output over the years. Big John’s ability to fire off a monster Chinese meal order is something to behold, and it was something UFC CEO Dana White got to experience for himself when he joined the pair for a Chinese meal earlier this year.
Fisher was delighted to be able to make that moment happen, as he explained. “So yeah, obviously Dana's a busy man, right? And we were waiting a little bit of time for him,” he said. “We didn't really want to pester him or bother him because he's a busy guy. He’s probably got more important things to do than eat Chinese with me and my fat dad. But here we are, and he really warmed to it, and he enjoyed it. I saw him polishing off a big box of sweet and sour chicken all to himself, or kung pao chicken; he really enjoyed that. We have a really nice restaurant over here called the Blue Orchid in Romford, in our hometown. My mum and dad have been going there since they was 16-17 years old. It's been open since 1963, and hopefully, when Dana comes over here, whether it's this time or next time, we'll get him to come and sample the Chinese food for himself.”
Fisher and his father virtually come as a package deal. Throughout Fisher’s career, he’s had Big John by his side, supporting him through every stage in his career. It’s part of what makes Fisher who he is, and hearing him talk about the importance of family gives you a sense of his grounding as a person, as well as an athlete. As far as Fisher is concerned, this isn’t a journey he’s taking alone. He’s bringing his family, friends and his growing community of fans along for the ride, too.
“For me, family is the most important thing, and the friend network around you, as well – your core support base,” he explained. “This is what it's all really about for me. We do ticket collections in the build-up to fights as well, and it just hits home to you how much of my journey is about a community thing as well. And yeah, it starts in Romford, but that community has grown across the United Kingdom, across Australia. We've got a lot of fans in America starting to build up now as well. But yeah, family is at the center of everything we do. It's bigger than boxing. It's bigger than any financial gain you can make. It's bigger than any other aspect of life. If you've got your family, everything else falls in around that.”
A former student rugby player at Exeter University, Fisher discovered his love for boxing while at university, and eventually took up the sport full-time. But he still talks in glowing terms about his time spent at the establishment, in the South West of England. “Very good memories back at Exeter University, and that's actually where my passion for boxing was reignited,” he recalled. “And I think that's another good thing to say about college and university: Don't go there just for your degree or the qualifications you're going to get, but they can set you on a different journey of life, and you can meet some great people that can bring the best out of you.”
With his toughness built on the rugby field, and a grounding in strength and conditioning developed in the university’s gym, Fisher built himself up, and once he sharpened his boxing tools, he was ready to head out into the world of pro boxing. Now, 15 fights later, Fisher has joined the Zuffa Boxing revolution, and while he’s determined to put on a show every time he steps through the ropes, he does so without any delusions of grandeur about where he stands in the heavyweight pecking order as he gets set to face Belgium’s Michael Pirotton in Saturday night’s main event in London.
“So, Michael Pirotton, he's 12-2, a Belgian guy, never been stopped. So that will be the challenge this weekend,” he said. “He's fought a couple of times in the last few months, so he's going to be up for it, and this is his big opportunity, as well. We talk about this being my opportunity, but he's coming to spoil the party. I'm obviously at a certain level in the heavyweight game – I make no bones about that. I'm honest about where I am, but I have got potential to mix it with some of the top guys. I mean, I was at one point one or two fights off being in with those top guys. I'm only 27 years old. That's all part of this journey and this process of being a combat athlete. And I think the Americans appreciate that as well. They understand that.
“I look at the UFC, looking at guys who take risks and they come back from losses, and it actually makes them better fighters. In this country, I think we suffer from a stigma too much of: if you lose, that's the end of the road. No, that's the start of the road, and it's led me to this point now with a new trainer in Tony Sims, who's a world-class trainer, and a world-class professional outfit in Zuffa Boxing. So, I’m very excited to be part of this.”
With a new trainer pushing him in the gym, and a new promotional company putting him on the biggest platform of his career, on both sides of the Atlantic, Fisher is ready to step up and entertain the world with his own brand of heavyweight boxing. And while he’ll be watched by fans across the planet, he’ll be fighting close to home, at the Copper Box Arena in Stratford, London. “I haven't boxed in London or England for over a year now,” he said. “My last fight was in Monte Carlo in Monaco. So yeah, it's great to be back on familiar ground. Although there's a new aspect of it with a new promoter and new things all [through] this fight week, the outcome's still going to be the same: fighting at the Copper Box in front of my home fans. Hopefully we can build on this from here because it's important to build momentum, and this is the first step. If I put in a good performance, it keeps growing from here. It's very exciting.”
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Fisher talks about his journey to Zuffa
If you’re a combat sports fan from the United Kingdom, you almost certainly know who Johnny Fisher is already. But this week, the big-punching British heavyweight has the chance to introduce himself to an even bigger audience in his Zuffa Boxing debut. “So, I'm Johnny Fisher. I'm known as ‘The Romford Bull,’ born and raised in Romford. My dad's Big John, a big personality over here in the UK, as well,” he began. “But yeah, we just pride ourselves on being real people, being authentic, and what you see is what you get. We'll always try to be honest and be truthful with you. And part of being truthful with yourself is to give 110 percent every time you train, and every time you fight.
“I'm known for my aggressive style, and my best performances have been when I'm aggressive and going for the knockout. I might not be an Oleksandr Usyk or an Agit Kabayel, or a top-level heavyweight right now. But one thing you're guaranteed when you come to watch me fight is entertainment, and it's a privilege and an honor to reach out to this new market of American supporters and American fans. We love going over there when we can, and America is a great place. You don't have to leave that great country. There's so many different biomes and places to explore, and yeah, whether you're on the East Coast, West Coast, or in the middle, we love America. Up the ‘American Bosh Soldiers!’ Bosh!”
No bells and whistles. No outlandish statements. Instead, Fisher is a down-to-earth, straight-talking Englishman who just happens to have a penchant for knocking people out. The hard-hitting heavyweight has finished 12 of his 14 career wins by knockout, and his “live by the sword, die by the sword” approach also led to his one career defeat, in a rematch with fellow Englishman Dave Allen. Since that defeat, Fisher re-evaluated his situation and switched trainers to work with the respected Tony Sims, and after his bounce-back knockout win over Ivan Balaz last December, an opportunity presented itself that was too good for “The Romford Bull” to turn down.
“I was previously with Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn,” Fisher explained. “I was meant to fight for a British title. That fell through because of politics between different promoters, and then I just took a little bit of a holiday, a vacation, when that fight didn't come off, and my contract was running out with Matchroom; it began to run out. We had a negotiation period. We could talk to other guys, and Zuffa Boxing came in with this amazing offer to fight – not only financially a fantastic offer, but to fight on Sky Sports Boxing as well. I've obviously been to Vegas a few times and seen how the UFC world and that side of the combat sports universe works. And now I'm part of it. It's great.”
Being part of Zuffa Boxing has seen a change of environment for Fisher, who is now benefiting from the overall TKO ecosystem, with all of the expertise previously only available to UFC athletes now at the fingertips of Fisher and his fellow Zuffa Boxing athletes. “It's been unbelievable,” he said. “I mean, everything's done for you. I've had about five or six different contacts messaging me, trying to sort this out for me, do this. I've had food offered to me. I've had physiotherapy offered to me. It's just amazing. Everything's run like a well-oiled machine, and it puts you in a good headspace for Fight Week, you know? And it's the same for every fighter, all the way down the card. So, I’m very, very excited to be here. I've got some free gear out of it as well, some merch. So yeah, got some nice sliders which are very comfy, which is great!”
Fisher and his father, known to one and all as “Big John,” have become cult figures in the UK, with their love for Chinese food a feature of some of their social media output over the years. Big John’s ability to fire off a monster Chinese meal order is something to behold, and it was something UFC CEO Dana White got to experience for himself when he joined the pair for a Chinese meal earlier this year.
Fisher was delighted to be able to make that moment happen, as he explained. “So yeah, obviously Dana's a busy man, right? And we were waiting a little bit of time for him,” he said. “We didn't really want to pester him or bother him because he's a busy guy. He’s probably got more important things to do than eat Chinese with me and my fat dad. But here we are, and he really warmed to it, and he enjoyed it. I saw him polishing off a big box of sweet and sour chicken all to himself, or kung pao chicken; he really enjoyed that. We have a really nice restaurant over here called the Blue Orchid in Romford, in our hometown. My mum and dad have been going there since they was 16-17 years old. It's been open since 1963, and hopefully, when Dana comes over here, whether it's this time or next time, we'll get him to come and sample the Chinese food for himself.”
Fisher and his father virtually come as a package deal. Throughout Fisher’s career, he’s had Big John by his side, supporting him through every stage in his career. It’s part of what makes Fisher who he is, and hearing him talk about the importance of family gives you a sense of his grounding as a person, as well as an athlete. As far as Fisher is concerned, this isn’t a journey he’s taking alone. He’s bringing his family, friends and his growing community of fans along for the ride, too.
“For me, family is the most important thing, and the friend network around you, as well – your core support base,” he explained. “This is what it's all really about for me. We do ticket collections in the build-up to fights as well, and it just hits home to you how much of my journey is about a community thing as well. And yeah, it starts in Romford, but that community has grown across the United Kingdom, across Australia. We've got a lot of fans in America starting to build up now as well. But yeah, family is at the center of everything we do. It's bigger than boxing. It's bigger than any financial gain you can make. It's bigger than any other aspect of life. If you've got your family, everything else falls in around that.”
A former student rugby player at Exeter University, Fisher discovered his love for boxing while at university, and eventually took up the sport full-time. But he still talks in glowing terms about his time spent at the establishment, in the South West of England. “Very good memories back at Exeter University, and that's actually where my passion for boxing was reignited,” he recalled. “And I think that's another good thing to say about college and university: Don't go there just for your degree or the qualifications you're going to get, but they can set you on a different journey of life, and you can meet some great people that can bring the best out of you.”
With his toughness built on the rugby field, and a grounding in strength and conditioning developed in the university’s gym, Fisher built himself up, and once he sharpened his boxing tools, he was ready to head out into the world of pro boxing. Now, 15 fights later, Fisher has joined the Zuffa Boxing revolution, and while he’s determined to put on a show every time he steps through the ropes, he does so without any delusions of grandeur about where he stands in the heavyweight pecking order as he gets set to face Belgium’s Michael Pirotton in Saturday night’s main event in London.
“So, Michael Pirotton, he's 12-2, a Belgian guy, never been stopped. So that will be the challenge this weekend,” he said. “He's fought a couple of times in the last few months, so he's going to be up for it, and this is his big opportunity, as well. We talk about this being my opportunity, but he's coming to spoil the party. I'm obviously at a certain level in the heavyweight game – I make no bones about that. I'm honest about where I am, but I have got potential to mix it with some of the top guys. I mean, I was at one point one or two fights off being in with those top guys. I'm only 27 years old. That's all part of this journey and this process of being a combat athlete. And I think the Americans appreciate that as well. They understand that.
“I look at the UFC, looking at guys who take risks and they come back from losses, and it actually makes them better fighters. In this country, I think we suffer from a stigma too much of: if you lose, that's the end of the road. No, that's the start of the road, and it's led me to this point now with a new trainer in Tony Sims, who's a world-class trainer, and a world-class professional outfit in Zuffa Boxing. So, I’m very excited to be part of this.”
With a new trainer pushing him in the gym, and a new promotional company putting him on the biggest platform of his career, on both sides of the Atlantic, Fisher is ready to step up and entertain the world with his own brand of heavyweight boxing. And while he’ll be watched by fans across the planet, he’ll be fighting close to home, at the Copper Box Arena in Stratford, London. “I haven't boxed in London or England for over a year now,” he said. “My last fight was in Monte Carlo in Monaco. So yeah, it's great to be back on familiar ground. Although there's a new aspect of it with a new promoter and new things all [through] this fight week, the outcome's still going to be the same: fighting at the Copper Box in front of my home fans. Hopefully we can build on this from here because it's important to build momentum, and this is the first step. If I put in a good performance, it keeps growing from here. It's very exciting.”
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