Matchroom reaches five-year extension with DAZN |
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DAZN and Matchroom Boxing have extend thier long‑standing partnership for another five years in the U.S. and the U.K. The renewed deal guarantees a year‑round schedule of boxing consisting of more than 30 shows globally per year, combining premium Matchroom Boxing live events with original content. Matchroom also signed a new partnership with DAZN’s Foxtel Group in Australia, which will bring seven major events to Australian audiences on Kayo Sports. Here are further details from Matchroom's press release:
DAZN, the sports entertainment streaming platform, is reinforcing its leadership in global boxing through a new five-year deal with Matchroom Boxing in the United States and the United Kingdom.... DAZN will continue to deliver a non-stop calendar of premium events supported by year-round original content to take fans inside the stories, camps and rivalries.
With more than 30 blockbuster Matchroom Boxing fight nights to be available on DAZN per year, boxing fans can already look forward to watching an explosive all-Mexican unification bout at junior lightweight Saturday, February 28th, as IBF titlist Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Nunez (29-1) collides with WBO king Emanuel Navarrete (39-2) in a huge showdown between two renowned knockout artists.
Also announced is a new partnership between DAZN’s Foxtel Group and Matchroom Boxing in Australia. This agreement will see seven major Matchroom Boxing events broadcast on Kayo Sports and Foxtel in 2026, bringing top-tier global boxing to Australian audiences. Following DAZN’s acquisition of Foxtel Group last year, the company has continued to expand its portfolio of sports content on its Kayo Sports streaming and Foxtel subscription TV platforms. The new partnership with Matchroom Boxing strengthens Foxtel Group’s position as Australia’s leading sports and entertainment media company.
Matchroom Boxing’s roster includes Anthony Joshua, Katie Taylor, Dmitry Bivol and Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez. It also features newly crowned champions in Dalton Smith, Lewis Crocker and Josh Kelly, while Jaron “Boots” Ennis, Conor Benn and Ben Whittaker deliver mainstream attention and huge international pull. In the U.S., the likes of Sugar Nunez and Diego Pacheco bring global star potential. Leading female fighters Sandy Ryan, Elif Turhan, Skye Nicolson and Molly McCann guarantee intensity and draw major fan engagement. And emerging talents through the likes of Pat Brown, Leo Atang, Omari Jones, Teremoana Teremoana, Georgio Visioli, George Liddard, and Tiah Mai Ayton underscore not just the depth of Matchroom Boxing’s stable today, but the foundations of an exciting, lasting legacy for the generations to come.
DAZN is the global home of boxing with established partnerships with the sport’s biggest promoters, a global distribution footprint, and strategic investment in premium storytelling. Shay Segev, DAZN Group CEO, said: “Our new five-year deal with Matchroom Boxing builds on the success of our longstanding partnership and reaffirms DAZN as the global home of boxing. Matchroom Boxing trusts DAZN to deliver the best experiences for the biggest fights for boxing fans everywhere. Together, we’ll continue to raise the bar.”
Eddie Hearn, Chairman of Matchroom Sport, said: “DAZN is the only partner that matches our ambitions for boxing. Their global platform, investment, passion and commitment to boxing make them the perfect partner for Matchroom Boxing’s fighters and events. This new, five-year deal in two of the world’s most important boxing markets reinforces our belief and trust in DAZN, and the scale of what we can achieve together.”
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Matchroom reaches five-year extension with DAZN
DAZN and Matchroom Boxing have extend thier long‑standing partnership for another five years in the U.S. and the U.K. The renewed deal guarantees a year‑round schedule of boxing consisting of more than 30 shows globally per year, combining premium Matchroom Boxing live events with original content. Matchroom also signed a new partnership with DAZN’s Foxtel Group in Australia, which will bring seven major events to Australian audiences on Kayo Sports. Here are further details from Matchroom's press release:
DAZN, the sports entertainment streaming platform, is reinforcing its leadership in global boxing through a new five-year deal with Matchroom Boxing in the United States and the United Kingdom.... DAZN will continue to deliver a non-stop calendar of premium events supported by year-round original content to take fans inside the stories, camps and rivalries.
With more than 30 blockbuster Matchroom Boxing fight nights to be available on DAZN per year, boxing fans can already look forward to watching an explosive all-Mexican unification bout at junior lightweight Saturday, February 28th, as IBF titlist Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Nunez (29-1) collides with WBO king Emanuel Navarrete (39-2) in a huge showdown between two renowned knockout artists.
Also announced is a new partnership between DAZN’s Foxtel Group and Matchroom Boxing in Australia. This agreement will see seven major Matchroom Boxing events broadcast on Kayo Sports and Foxtel in 2026, bringing top-tier global boxing to Australian audiences. Following DAZN’s acquisition of Foxtel Group last year, the company has continued to expand its portfolio of sports content on its Kayo Sports streaming and Foxtel subscription TV platforms. The new partnership with Matchroom Boxing strengthens Foxtel Group’s position as Australia’s leading sports and entertainment media company.
Matchroom Boxing’s roster includes Anthony Joshua, Katie Taylor, Dmitry Bivol and Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez. It also features newly crowned champions in Dalton Smith, Lewis Crocker and Josh Kelly, while Jaron “Boots” Ennis, Conor Benn and Ben Whittaker deliver mainstream attention and huge international pull. In the U.S., the likes of Sugar Nunez and Diego Pacheco bring global star potential. Leading female fighters Sandy Ryan, Elif Turhan, Skye Nicolson and Molly McCann guarantee intensity and draw major fan engagement. And emerging talents through the likes of Pat Brown, Leo Atang, Omari Jones, Teremoana Teremoana, Georgio Visioli, George Liddard, and Tiah Mai Ayton underscore not just the depth of Matchroom Boxing’s stable today, but the foundations of an exciting, lasting legacy for the generations to come.
DAZN is the global home of boxing with established partnerships with the sport’s biggest promoters, a global distribution footprint, and strategic investment in premium storytelling. Shay Segev, DAZN Group CEO, said: “Our new five-year deal with Matchroom Boxing builds on the success of our longstanding partnership and reaffirms DAZN as the global home of boxing. Matchroom Boxing trusts DAZN to deliver the best experiences for the biggest fights for boxing fans everywhere. Together, we’ll continue to raise the bar.”
Eddie Hearn, Chairman of Matchroom Sport, said: “DAZN is the only partner that matches our ambitions for boxing. Their global platform, investment, passion and commitment to boxing make them the perfect partner for Matchroom Boxing’s fighters and events. This new, five-year deal in two of the world’s most important boxing markets reinforces our belief and trust in DAZN, and the scale of what we can achieve together.”
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Manager: Golden Boy's lawsuit is blocking Vergil Ortiz from a $16M deal! |
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As part of Vergil Ortiz's legal efforts to end the court-imposed temporary restraining order that is blocking him from signing a deal to fight Jaron Ennis, Ortiz's manager, Rick Mirigian, submited a sworn declaration to the Nevada federal court. The full text of that declaration, lightly edited, is available below. Ortiz is the WBC interim champion at 154 pounds and is one of the sport’s top undefeated contenders. He has been promoted by Golden Boy since 2016, but in May 2024, the two sides signed a new promotional contract. It was supposed to run for three years, but a termination clause has become the center of this legal dispute. Under the terms of Ortiz’s deal, he could terminate the contract before the three years expired if Golden Boy no longer had a broadcast deal with DAZN. Ortiz and Mirigian usaed that clause to terminate in December, saying Golden Boy's deal with DAZN was over. But Golden Boy fired back, claiming it had a new “agreement in principle” in place. The court issued a temporary restraining order to give it some time to soret out the legal arguments. A hearing on whether to continue the temporary restraining order is scheduled for Friday, with the expectation that the judge will dissolve it and allow Ortiz to sign for a Jaron Ennis fight in April. If that were to happen, Golden Boy could either seek a settlement (although it would have very little leverage) or continue the lawsuit seeking monetarty damages from Ortiz if it can prove he breached his contract.
Here is what Mirigian said in his declaration: "I am a boxing manager and I represent Vergil Ortiz, Jr. ... Following Ortiz’s November 2025 bout against Erickson Lubin, Ortiz instructed his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions and me to negotiate an agreement for a fight between Ortiz and Jaron 'Boots' Ennis."
Mirigian continued, "It was the hope of Ortiz that the bout with Ennis, which was considered to be one of the best matchups in the sport, would attract the eye of Turki Alalshikh, a boxing fan and the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority. At Mr. Alalshikh’s direction, Saudi Arabia has been a significant sponsor of boxing matches in the last few years... However, instead of working 'in good faith with all boxing promoters to assure that Ortiz maximizes his exposure and revenue opportunities' [this appears to be a quote from Ortiz's promotional contract], Golden Boy’s founder Oscar De La Hoya publicly attacked Alalshikh and Zuffa Boxing [Alalshikh’s new partner]. In December 2025, De La Hoya posted to his Instagram an expletive filled rant insulting the project and all involved."
Next, Mirigian laid out part of his case against Golden Boy: "I believe that [through] De La Hoya’s attacks and other actions, Golden Boy actively undercut any opportunity to maximize Ortiz’ potential earnings from Saudi-backed sponsorships. In a December 2025 meeting Eric Gomez, president of Golden Boy, presented me with an offer for the bout with Ennis, and insisted that if Ortiz did not agree to the fight that he would be 'benched' and not presented with any other opportunity. Golden Boy also threatened that if Ortiz did not agree to the sole offer presented, it would publicly blame Ortiz and me for the fight with Ennis not happening. During that same meeting, Gomez, called Dr. Rakan Al Harthy, CEO of the Saudi Arabian entertainment company Sela. With me on speaker phone, Gomez unsuccessfully pitched the fight between Ortiz and Ennis to Sela. On December 12th, I sent a direct message to Alalshikh on Instagram to ask if he had any interest in sponsoring the Ortiz and Ennis bout. He did not acknowledge it or respond... My attempts to communicate with Alalshikh and Sela in December 2025 were done with Gomez’ participation, knowledge, consent, and approval. Although Golden Boy did not disclose it to [me] during the December 2025 meeting, [I] later came to learn, through public comments of Eddie Hearn that there had already been a meeting between Golden Boy, Matchroom Boxing and DAZN that resulted in a written agreement related to terms for the Ortiz/Ennis fight. Golden Boy never presented this document to Ortiz."
Finally, Mirigian gave the court some inside details of the multi-fight deals that are at stake for Ortiz: "Since Ortiz initiated this lawsuit on January 15th, I have been entertaining offers from various boxing promoters on his behalf. Matchroom Boxing offered a three-bout agreement that includes the April 18th bout against Ennis. Although Ortiz’s exact compensation under that offer is dependent on the outcome and economic performance of the bouts, Ortiz would receive at least twelve million dollars and based upon Matchroom’s projections for the economics of the offered bouts, his earnings could approach twenty million dollars for the three fights. Separately, a different promoter offered three-bout deal that guaranteed me sixteen million dollars ($16,000,000), plus upside based on ticket and pay-per-view sales of the bouts. I believe that these agreements were effectively ready to be signed at the time the Court issued the present temporary restraining order on February 13th. [If there was no restraining] order, I believe that one of those agreements would already be signed. I declare under the penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct."
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
FEB. 17, 2026: Edward McCarthy, the chief operating officer of DAZN, submitted the following sworn statement on behalf of Vergil Ortiz, who is seeking to free himself from a contract with Golden Boy Promotions. Ortiz is seeking to sign a fight with former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, but Golden Boy obtained a temporary restraining order blocking the deal from going through. A federal court in Nevada is considering whether to extend or dissolve the restraining order, and here is what McCarthy had to say on behalf of the DAZN streaming service:
"DAZN has been in the U.S. market since 2018. Since that time Golden Boy Promotions (“GBP”) has been a party to a series of exclusive distribution agreements with DAZN, wherein DAZN had the right to be the sole broadcaster of boxing events promoted by GBP in the United States. As part of these agreements, DAZN provided GBP with an annual budget for events to be agreed and aired pursuant to the terms of the relevant long-term distribution agreement. Notably, GBP was not DAZN’s sole provider of boxing events. The various agreements between GBP and DAZN did not restrict DAZN from airing events from other promoters. DAZN has [also] worked with a number of other promoters, including Matchroom Boxing, Queensberry Promotions, Misfits Boxing and Most Valuable Promotions.
"DAZN’s most recent long-term distribution contract with GBP expired on December 31, 2025, despite DAZN’s offer to extend such long-term distribution contract, whilst the new long-term agreement was finalized and agreed. Since January 1, 2026, there has not been a long-term broadcast distribution relationship between DAZN and GBP, although DAZN aired a GBP-promoted event on January 16th and has contracted to distribute a show on March 14th. These events are 'one off' shows and the parties had and have no commitments to each other beyond those specific events. In the agreement, dated February 17th to broadcast the March 14th event, both DAZN and GBP acknowledged and confirmed this fact.
"Beginning in late 2025, through the present, GBP and DAZN have been discussing terms for a new contract under which the parties could continue their long-term broadcast distribution relationship. To date, GBP and DAZN have not agreed on final terms for such long-term broadcast distribution, although material terms and drafts were well progressed. No contract has been formally agreed, approved or signed by the parties. DAZN is aware that, following the filing of proceedings by Mr. Ortiz against GBP and immediately prior to the recent Court Order, Ortiz was negotiating, and close to executing, an agreement with Matchroom Boxing to fight Ennis on April 18th in an event to air on DAZN. DAZN remains open to seeking to agree and enter into a long-term distribution agreement with GBP on commercially reasonable terms, whether or not GBP has Mr. Ortiz under contract."
FEB. 16, 2026: Over the weekend, Eric Gomez, the president of Golden Boy Promotions, submitted a legal declaration in his company's federal lawsuit against Vergil Ortiz, Jr., the star junior middleweight who is seeking to end his promotional contract with Golden Boy and sign for a huge fight against former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis. Here is what Gomez declared: "Notwithstanding Golden Boy’s ongoing [legal] dispute with Ortiz, Golden Boy remains ready and willing to represent Ortiz in negotiating for and promoting a bout between Ortiz and Ennis. Even after Golden Boy discovered that Ortiz’s manager, Rick Mirigian, was having direct communications with third parties regarding the fight, Golden Boy remained committed to its representation of Ortiz with respect to the fight. In early January 2026, I exchanged emails with Mirigian articulating Golden Boy’s negotiation position. Also in early January, Golden Boy’s counsel, Ricardo P. Cestero, sent a letter to Ortiz’s counsel, Gregory M. Smith, confirming that Golden Boy offered Ortiz a $3 million guarantee plus upside for the Ennis fight."
FEB. 14, 2026: On Friday, a federal judge temporarily restrained Vergil Ortiz Jr. from negotiating or signing any deal for a fight with former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, granting an emergency restraining order requested by Golden Boy Promotions. The ruling, issued February 13th in federal court in Nevada, freezes Ortiz’s ability to contract with third parties for the Ennis bout while a contract dispute plays out between Golden Boy and Ortiz. The next court hearing is scheduled for February 20th, when both sides will appear for oral arguments. For boxing fans, the decision immediately puts one of the most anticipated potential matchups in the welterweight division on ice. Until the court or an arbitrator says otherwise, Ortiz is barred from making any independent deal for the Ennis fight, keeping control of his next move firmly tied to the legal battle with Golden Boy, his longtime promoter.
Ortiz is the WBC interim champion at 154 pounds. He is one of the sport’s top undefeated contenders and has been promoted by Golden Boy since 2016. In May 2024, the two sides signed a new promotional rights agreement that was supposed to run for three years, with guaranteed minimum payments of more than $1 million per fight. At the center of the dispute is a clause tied to Golden Boy’s broadcast relationship with DAZN. That contract with DAZN expired at the end of 2025. Under the terms of Ortiz’s deal, he could terminate his agreement with Golden Boy if the promoter no longer had a distribution deal with DAZN—unless Golden Boy already had an “agreement in principle” in place with another broadcaster, or had agreed on all material terms of a new deal and was finalizing paperwork.
Ortiz sent a letter in early January seeking confirmation that the DAZN deal had ended, signaling his intent to terminate his contract. Golden Boy responded that while the formal contract had expired, the company and DAZN had already agreed on the key terms of a new licensing deal for 2026 and 2027 and were exchanging drafts. On that basis, Golden Boy argued Ortiz had no right to walk away.
Ortiz then filed suit, asking the court to declare the contract over. He also accused Golden Boy of breach of contract and interference with his business opportunities. Among Ortiz's claims: that the company undercut chances to maximize his earnings through Saudi-backed sponsorships and interfered with his ability to negotiate future fights. His complaint also points to public statements and actions by Golden Boy head Oscar De La Hoya, which Ortiz says confused other promoters and the boxing public about who controlled his career.
Golden Boy answered with an emergency motion, telling the court it had learned Ortiz was on the verge of signing a deal with third parties for a fight against Ennis. The company argued that such a move would violate the existing contract and cause irreparable harm—especially by damaging broadcast negotiations and business relationships that cannot simply be repaired with money later. The judge agreed with Golden Boy and granted the temporary restraining order, barring Ortiz, his managers, and representatives from negotiating or entering into any third-party contracts for the Ennis bout. The court emphasized that the order is meant to preserve the “status quo” while the dispute is resolved.
Legally, the case is also complicated by an arbitration clause in the contract that staes that any disputes should be handled through arbitration in Las Vegas. Golden Boy has already started arbitration proceedings, accusing Ortiz of breaching the agreement and interfering with its broadcast relationships. The court made clear that the restraining order does not decide who is right—it simply prevents irreversible business moves before arbitration and further court hearings take place.
From a boxing standpoint, the impact is immediate. Ortiz vs. Ennis is widely viewed as one of the most meaningful fights available in the division—a matchup of two elite, undefeated fighters in their prime. The ruling doesn’t kill the fight, but it removes Ortiz’s ability to make it happen independently. For now, the business has overtaken the sport. The February 20th court date will be the next step in deciding whether this freeze continues or changes, but until then, Ortiz’s future—and the Ennis fight—remains locked in a courtroom rather than a ring.
JAN. 19, 2026: WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. has taken his long-time promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, to federal court—claiming that behind-the-scenes chaos, missed opportunities and public blowups derailed his momentum at a critical moment in his career. The lawsuit was filed in Nevada. At the center of the dispute is Ortiz’s promotional agreement with Golden Boy, which he signed in May 2024. The deal extended Golden Boy’s rights for three years, guaranteed Ortiz million-dollar minimum purses, and was built around Golden Boy’s long-term broadcast relationship with DAZN. Here are the key allegations contained in Ortiz's legal complaint, which at this time are treated as unproven allegations:
Ortiz alleges Golden Boy's relatinship with DAZN was a key reason he stayed with Golden Boy in the first place. Fast forward to the end of 2025. Golden Boy’s DAZN deal expired on December 31st, and Ortiz moved quickly. On January 8, 2026, he exercised a clause in his contract allowing him to walk away if Golden Boy lost its exclusive broadcaster. Golden Boy acknowledged that the DAZN deal had ended (this weekend's DAZN show was a one-off with Golden Boy, not part of any long-term deal). Golden Boy took the position that ongoing negotiations for a new DAZN agreement meant Ortiz was still tied to the company. Ortiz disagrees, and the timing is everything. According to the complaint, his team believed that uncertainty over Golden Boy’s broadcast future—and Golden Boy’s strained relationships across the sport—were already costing him major fights and major money.
The biggest missed opportunity, Ortiz claims, was a potential showdown with former welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis. After Ortiz’s November 2025 win over Erickson Lubin, Ennis entered the ring for a face-off, and both fighters publicly said they wanted to fight each other. It was widely viewed as one of the best match-ups the sport of boxing could make across weight classes.
Ortiz wanted Golden Boy to negotiate with Ennis’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, and hoped the bout could attract backing from Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh, the head of the government's General Entertainment Authority. Alalshikh has poured massive money into elite boxing events over the last few years. According to the lawsuit, Ortiz believed a Saudi-backed Ortiz-Ennis fight could have been career-defining.
Instead, Ortiz alleges, Golden Boy sabotaged those possibilities. The complaint points to Golden Boy's principal, Oscar De La Hoya and the public attacks he has made on Alalshikh and the Saudi-backed Zuffa Boxing venture—attacks made on social media during the very period Ortiz’s team was hoping to attract Saudi interest. Ortiz claims those outbursts poisoned the well, making him less attractive to deep-pocketed backers through no fault of his own.
Things escalated in December 2025. Ortiz says Golden Boy presented him with only one fight option—Ennis—despite a contract requirement that required Golden Boy to offer multiple opponents. Worse, Ortiz alleges he was threatened with being “benched” if he didn’t accept the terms and warned that Golden Boy would publicly blame him if the fight fell apart. According to the complaint, Ortiz later learned that Golden Boy, Matchroom and DAZN had already reached written terms for the Ennis fight—terms that were never shared with him, even though his contract required full disclosure and his signature on any deal involving his fights.
After Ortiz terminated the promotional agreement in January, the conflict spilled into public view. De La Hoya posted Instagram videos setting deadlines and monetary demands for the Ennis fight, then declaring negotiations dead when those deadlines passed. Ortiz says none of this was authorized and that Golden Boy no longer had the right to speak for him.
When Ortiz’s manager Rick Mirigian publicly invited other promoters to reach out, De La Hoya responded by asserting control over negotiations and threatening legal action. Ortiz claims these public power plays were designed to create confusion in the industry and scare off potential partners—effectively freezing his career during what should be his prime earning years.
The lawsuit asks the court to confirm that Ortiz is free from Golden Boy and to award damages for lost fights, purses, sponsorships, and momentum. But for boxing fans, the real takeaway is bigger than legal language: this case highlights how promoter politics, broadcast uncertainty, and personal grudges can derail elite fighters—and how even an undefeated champion can find himself fighting outside the ring just to get the biggest fights made.
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Manager: Golden Boy's lawsuit is blocking Vergil Ortiz from a $16M deal!
As part of Vergil Ortiz's legal efforts to end the court-imposed temporary restraining order that is blocking him from signing a deal to fight Jaron Ennis, Ortiz's manager, Rick Mirigian, submited a sworn declaration to the Nevada federal court. The full text of that declaration, lightly edited, is available below. Ortiz is the WBC interim champion at 154 pounds and is one of the sport’s top undefeated contenders. He has been promoted by Golden Boy since 2016, but in May 2024, the two sides signed a new promotional contract. It was supposed to run for three years, but a termination clause has become the center of this legal dispute. Under the terms of Ortiz’s deal, he could terminate the contract before the three years expired if Golden Boy no longer had a broadcast deal with DAZN. Ortiz and Mirigian usaed that clause to terminate in December, saying Golden Boy's deal with DAZN was over. But Golden Boy fired back, claiming it had a new “agreement in principle” in place. The court issued a temporary restraining order to give it some time to soret out the legal arguments. A hearing on whether to continue the temporary restraining order is scheduled for Friday, with the expectation that the judge will dissolve it and allow Ortiz to sign for a Jaron Ennis fight in April. If that were to happen, Golden Boy could either seek a settlement (although it would have very little leverage) or continue the lawsuit seeking monetarty damages from Ortiz if it can prove he breached his contract.
Here is what Mirigian said in his declaration: "I am a boxing manager and I represent Vergil Ortiz, Jr. ... Following Ortiz’s November 2025 bout against Erickson Lubin, Ortiz instructed his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions and me to negotiate an agreement for a fight between Ortiz and Jaron 'Boots' Ennis."
Mirigian continued, "It was the hope of Ortiz that the bout with Ennis, which was considered to be one of the best matchups in the sport, would attract the eye of Turki Alalshikh, a boxing fan and the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority. At Mr. Alalshikh’s direction, Saudi Arabia has been a significant sponsor of boxing matches in the last few years... However, instead of working 'in good faith with all boxing promoters to assure that Ortiz maximizes his exposure and revenue opportunities' [this appears to be a quote from Ortiz's promotional contract], Golden Boy’s founder Oscar De La Hoya publicly attacked Alalshikh and Zuffa Boxing [Alalshikh’s new partner]. In December 2025, De La Hoya posted to his Instagram an expletive filled rant insulting the project and all involved."
Next, Mirigian laid out part of his case against Golden Boy: "I believe that [through] De La Hoya’s attacks and other actions, Golden Boy actively undercut any opportunity to maximize Ortiz’ potential earnings from Saudi-backed sponsorships. In a December 2025 meeting Eric Gomez, president of Golden Boy, presented me with an offer for the bout with Ennis, and insisted that if Ortiz did not agree to the fight that he would be 'benched' and not presented with any other opportunity. Golden Boy also threatened that if Ortiz did not agree to the sole offer presented, it would publicly blame Ortiz and me for the fight with Ennis not happening. During that same meeting, Gomez, called Dr. Rakan Al Harthy, CEO of the Saudi Arabian entertainment company Sela. With me on speaker phone, Gomez unsuccessfully pitched the fight between Ortiz and Ennis to Sela. On December 12th, I sent a direct message to Alalshikh on Instagram to ask if he had any interest in sponsoring the Ortiz and Ennis bout. He did not acknowledge it or respond... My attempts to communicate with Alalshikh and Sela in December 2025 were done with Gomez’ participation, knowledge, consent, and approval. Although Golden Boy did not disclose it to [me] during the December 2025 meeting, [I] later came to learn, through public comments of Eddie Hearn that there had already been a meeting between Golden Boy, Matchroom Boxing and DAZN that resulted in a written agreement related to terms for the Ortiz/Ennis fight. Golden Boy never presented this document to Ortiz."
Finally, Mirigian gave the court some inside details of the multi-fight deals that are at stake for Ortiz: "Since Ortiz initiated this lawsuit on January 15th, I have been entertaining offers from various boxing promoters on his behalf. Matchroom Boxing offered a three-bout agreement that includes the April 18th bout against Ennis. Although Ortiz’s exact compensation under that offer is dependent on the outcome and economic performance of the bouts, Ortiz would receive at least twelve million dollars and based upon Matchroom’s projections for the economics of the offered bouts, his earnings could approach twenty million dollars for the three fights. Separately, a different promoter offered three-bout deal that guaranteed me sixteen million dollars ($16,000,000), plus upside based on ticket and pay-per-view sales of the bouts. I believe that these agreements were effectively ready to be signed at the time the Court issued the present temporary restraining order on February 13th. [If there was no restraining] order, I believe that one of those agreements would already be signed. I declare under the penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct."
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
FEB. 17, 2026: Edward McCarthy, the chief operating officer of DAZN, submitted the following sworn statement on behalf of Vergil Ortiz, who is seeking to free himself from a contract with Golden Boy Promotions. Ortiz is seeking to sign a fight with former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, but Golden Boy obtained a temporary restraining order blocking the deal from going through. A federal court in Nevada is considering whether to extend or dissolve the restraining order, and here is what McCarthy had to say on behalf of the DAZN streaming service:
"DAZN has been in the U.S. market since 2018. Since that time Golden Boy Promotions (“GBP”) has been a party to a series of exclusive distribution agreements with DAZN, wherein DAZN had the right to be the sole broadcaster of boxing events promoted by GBP in the United States. As part of these agreements, DAZN provided GBP with an annual budget for events to be agreed and aired pursuant to the terms of the relevant long-term distribution agreement. Notably, GBP was not DAZN’s sole provider of boxing events. The various agreements between GBP and DAZN did not restrict DAZN from airing events from other promoters. DAZN has [also] worked with a number of other promoters, including Matchroom Boxing, Queensberry Promotions, Misfits Boxing and Most Valuable Promotions.
"DAZN’s most recent long-term distribution contract with GBP expired on December 31, 2025, despite DAZN’s offer to extend such long-term distribution contract, whilst the new long-term agreement was finalized and agreed. Since January 1, 2026, there has not been a long-term broadcast distribution relationship between DAZN and GBP, although DAZN aired a GBP-promoted event on January 16th and has contracted to distribute a show on March 14th. These events are 'one off' shows and the parties had and have no commitments to each other beyond those specific events. In the agreement, dated February 17th to broadcast the March 14th event, both DAZN and GBP acknowledged and confirmed this fact.
"Beginning in late 2025, through the present, GBP and DAZN have been discussing terms for a new contract under which the parties could continue their long-term broadcast distribution relationship. To date, GBP and DAZN have not agreed on final terms for such long-term broadcast distribution, although material terms and drafts were well progressed. No contract has been formally agreed, approved or signed by the parties. DAZN is aware that, following the filing of proceedings by Mr. Ortiz against GBP and immediately prior to the recent Court Order, Ortiz was negotiating, and close to executing, an agreement with Matchroom Boxing to fight Ennis on April 18th in an event to air on DAZN. DAZN remains open to seeking to agree and enter into a long-term distribution agreement with GBP on commercially reasonable terms, whether or not GBP has Mr. Ortiz under contract."
FEB. 16, 2026: Over the weekend, Eric Gomez, the president of Golden Boy Promotions, submitted a legal declaration in his company's federal lawsuit against Vergil Ortiz, Jr., the star junior middleweight who is seeking to end his promotional contract with Golden Boy and sign for a huge fight against former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis. Here is what Gomez declared: "Notwithstanding Golden Boy’s ongoing [legal] dispute with Ortiz, Golden Boy remains ready and willing to represent Ortiz in negotiating for and promoting a bout between Ortiz and Ennis. Even after Golden Boy discovered that Ortiz’s manager, Rick Mirigian, was having direct communications with third parties regarding the fight, Golden Boy remained committed to its representation of Ortiz with respect to the fight. In early January 2026, I exchanged emails with Mirigian articulating Golden Boy’s negotiation position. Also in early January, Golden Boy’s counsel, Ricardo P. Cestero, sent a letter to Ortiz’s counsel, Gregory M. Smith, confirming that Golden Boy offered Ortiz a $3 million guarantee plus upside for the Ennis fight."
FEB. 14, 2026: On Friday, a federal judge temporarily restrained Vergil Ortiz Jr. from negotiating or signing any deal for a fight with former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, granting an emergency restraining order requested by Golden Boy Promotions. The ruling, issued February 13th in federal court in Nevada, freezes Ortiz’s ability to contract with third parties for the Ennis bout while a contract dispute plays out between Golden Boy and Ortiz. The next court hearing is scheduled for February 20th, when both sides will appear for oral arguments. For boxing fans, the decision immediately puts one of the most anticipated potential matchups in the welterweight division on ice. Until the court or an arbitrator says otherwise, Ortiz is barred from making any independent deal for the Ennis fight, keeping control of his next move firmly tied to the legal battle with Golden Boy, his longtime promoter.
Ortiz is the WBC interim champion at 154 pounds. He is one of the sport’s top undefeated contenders and has been promoted by Golden Boy since 2016. In May 2024, the two sides signed a new promotional rights agreement that was supposed to run for three years, with guaranteed minimum payments of more than $1 million per fight. At the center of the dispute is a clause tied to Golden Boy’s broadcast relationship with DAZN. That contract with DAZN expired at the end of 2025. Under the terms of Ortiz’s deal, he could terminate his agreement with Golden Boy if the promoter no longer had a distribution deal with DAZN—unless Golden Boy already had an “agreement in principle” in place with another broadcaster, or had agreed on all material terms of a new deal and was finalizing paperwork.
Ortiz sent a letter in early January seeking confirmation that the DAZN deal had ended, signaling his intent to terminate his contract. Golden Boy responded that while the formal contract had expired, the company and DAZN had already agreed on the key terms of a new licensing deal for 2026 and 2027 and were exchanging drafts. On that basis, Golden Boy argued Ortiz had no right to walk away.
Ortiz then filed suit, asking the court to declare the contract over. He also accused Golden Boy of breach of contract and interference with his business opportunities. Among Ortiz's claims: that the company undercut chances to maximize his earnings through Saudi-backed sponsorships and interfered with his ability to negotiate future fights. His complaint also points to public statements and actions by Golden Boy head Oscar De La Hoya, which Ortiz says confused other promoters and the boxing public about who controlled his career.
Golden Boy answered with an emergency motion, telling the court it had learned Ortiz was on the verge of signing a deal with third parties for a fight against Ennis. The company argued that such a move would violate the existing contract and cause irreparable harm—especially by damaging broadcast negotiations and business relationships that cannot simply be repaired with money later. The judge agreed with Golden Boy and granted the temporary restraining order, barring Ortiz, his managers, and representatives from negotiating or entering into any third-party contracts for the Ennis bout. The court emphasized that the order is meant to preserve the “status quo” while the dispute is resolved.
Legally, the case is also complicated by an arbitration clause in the contract that staes that any disputes should be handled through arbitration in Las Vegas. Golden Boy has already started arbitration proceedings, accusing Ortiz of breaching the agreement and interfering with its broadcast relationships. The court made clear that the restraining order does not decide who is right—it simply prevents irreversible business moves before arbitration and further court hearings take place.
From a boxing standpoint, the impact is immediate. Ortiz vs. Ennis is widely viewed as one of the most meaningful fights available in the division—a matchup of two elite, undefeated fighters in their prime. The ruling doesn’t kill the fight, but it removes Ortiz’s ability to make it happen independently. For now, the business has overtaken the sport. The February 20th court date will be the next step in deciding whether this freeze continues or changes, but until then, Ortiz’s future—and the Ennis fight—remains locked in a courtroom rather than a ring.
JAN. 19, 2026: WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. has taken his long-time promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, to federal court—claiming that behind-the-scenes chaos, missed opportunities and public blowups derailed his momentum at a critical moment in his career. The lawsuit was filed in Nevada. At the center of the dispute is Ortiz’s promotional agreement with Golden Boy, which he signed in May 2024. The deal extended Golden Boy’s rights for three years, guaranteed Ortiz million-dollar minimum purses, and was built around Golden Boy’s long-term broadcast relationship with DAZN. Here are the key allegations contained in Ortiz's legal complaint, which at this time are treated as unproven allegations:
Ortiz alleges Golden Boy's relatinship with DAZN was a key reason he stayed with Golden Boy in the first place. Fast forward to the end of 2025. Golden Boy’s DAZN deal expired on December 31st, and Ortiz moved quickly. On January 8, 2026, he exercised a clause in his contract allowing him to walk away if Golden Boy lost its exclusive broadcaster. Golden Boy acknowledged that the DAZN deal had ended (this weekend's DAZN show was a one-off with Golden Boy, not part of any long-term deal). Golden Boy took the position that ongoing negotiations for a new DAZN agreement meant Ortiz was still tied to the company. Ortiz disagrees, and the timing is everything. According to the complaint, his team believed that uncertainty over Golden Boy’s broadcast future—and Golden Boy’s strained relationships across the sport—were already costing him major fights and major money.
The biggest missed opportunity, Ortiz claims, was a potential showdown with former welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis. After Ortiz’s November 2025 win over Erickson Lubin, Ennis entered the ring for a face-off, and both fighters publicly said they wanted to fight each other. It was widely viewed as one of the best match-ups the sport of boxing could make across weight classes.
Ortiz wanted Golden Boy to negotiate with Ennis’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, and hoped the bout could attract backing from Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh, the head of the government's General Entertainment Authority. Alalshikh has poured massive money into elite boxing events over the last few years. According to the lawsuit, Ortiz believed a Saudi-backed Ortiz-Ennis fight could have been career-defining.
Instead, Ortiz alleges, Golden Boy sabotaged those possibilities. The complaint points to Golden Boy's principal, Oscar De La Hoya and the public attacks he has made on Alalshikh and the Saudi-backed Zuffa Boxing venture—attacks made on social media during the very period Ortiz’s team was hoping to attract Saudi interest. Ortiz claims those outbursts poisoned the well, making him less attractive to deep-pocketed backers through no fault of his own.
Things escalated in December 2025. Ortiz says Golden Boy presented him with only one fight option—Ennis—despite a contract requirement that required Golden Boy to offer multiple opponents. Worse, Ortiz alleges he was threatened with being “benched” if he didn’t accept the terms and warned that Golden Boy would publicly blame him if the fight fell apart. According to the complaint, Ortiz later learned that Golden Boy, Matchroom and DAZN had already reached written terms for the Ennis fight—terms that were never shared with him, even though his contract required full disclosure and his signature on any deal involving his fights.
After Ortiz terminated the promotional agreement in January, the conflict spilled into public view. De La Hoya posted Instagram videos setting deadlines and monetary demands for the Ennis fight, then declaring negotiations dead when those deadlines passed. Ortiz says none of this was authorized and that Golden Boy no longer had the right to speak for him.
When Ortiz’s manager Rick Mirigian publicly invited other promoters to reach out, De La Hoya responded by asserting control over negotiations and threatening legal action. Ortiz claims these public power plays were designed to create confusion in the industry and scare off potential partners—effectively freezing his career during what should be his prime earning years.
The lawsuit asks the court to confirm that Ortiz is free from Golden Boy and to award damages for lost fights, purses, sponsorships, and momentum. But for boxing fans, the real takeaway is bigger than legal language: this case highlights how promoter politics, broadcast uncertainty, and personal grudges can derail elite fighters—and how even an undefeated champion can find himself fighting outside the ring just to get the biggest fights made.
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Collazo books title defense as Golden Boy and DAZN agree to a one-off |
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Southern California pride meets Chicago grit as two elite contenders step into a new division and straight into danger when Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-1, 11 KOs) of South El Monte, CA faces Chicago’s Kenneth “Bossman” Sims Jr. (22-2-1, 8 KOs) in a ten-round welterweight clash at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on March 14th. The co-feature will be a world title fight as Puerto Rico’s undefeated WBA / WBO minimumweight champion Oscar “El Pupilo” Collazo (pictured) will defend his titles against Mexico’s Jesus “Chiquito” Haro (13-3, 2 KOs). The third featured bout has undisputed world flyweight champion Gabriela “Sweet Poison” Fundora (17-0, 9 KOs) facing WBA interim titlist Viviana Ruiz Corredor (10-2, 5 KOs), an Australia-based Venezuelan. The show will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN. [This show is a "one-off" agreement between DAZN and Golden Boy. The long-term deal expired and has not been renwed, but the parties continue to negotiate]. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, Feb. 18th at 10:00 a.m. PT through Ticketmaster.com and GoldenBoy.com.
“I’m officially stepping back into the ring after some much needed time off,” said Barboza, who is coming off a loss to former junior welterweight champi9on Teofimo Lopez. “My first loss didn’t break me, it built me. Built a new team, new gym, new mindset yet still same purpose, same hunger, same goals. I heard the doubters get louder. I saw some opinions change yet nothing about me changed. This is bigger than revenge. This is the Redemption Tour.”
“This is a fight that I’ve been wanting for a long time. Barboza is a good fighter who’s been on the big stage, but I’ve always known that I am a better fighter than him and only wanted the chance to prove it,” said Kenneth Sims Jr. “I’ve been chasing this opportunity for years now and this is a great time for it to finally happen. This is a do or die fight for both of us, and I can’t wait to get in there and handle business on March 14th.”
“I love this fight because neither guy is afraid of the other. Arnold Barboza Jr. and Kenneth Sims Jr. have worked their entire careers to become the best and on March 14 somebody takes a major step toward the top of the division,” said Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “The undercard will be stacked with talent, with the return of Puerto Rican Unified Champ Oscar Collazo and Undisputed Champ Gabriella Fundora both defending their titles. Fans are getting a complete night of high-level Southern California fights!”
Collazo (13-0, 10 KOs) most recently delivered a devastating knockout victory over Jayson Vayson in September 2025 and now returns looking to continue his championship run. “I’m very happy to be returning to the ring this coming March 14th. Unfortunately, we won’t be pursuing a unification bout for reasons beyond my control,” said Collazo. “The company presented us with this opportunity with Jesús Haro. I respect him because I know he comes with the desire and hunger to be champion, but on March 14th he’ll be facing the best in the division. Without a doubt, Puerto Rico vs. Mexico is a guaranteed war. We’re ready to put on a great fight and secure a solid victory for Puerto Rico.”
“It’s going to be a great fight,” said Haro. “The Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry has always been present in this sport, and although I was born in the USA and I love this country, Aztec warrior blood runs through my veins, and I’m not going to let my Mexican people down.”
Fundora had this to say: “There are only two ways of doing something, the right way or the wrong way. We are preparing to put on a great performance on March 14th at the Honda Center in Anaheim California. Save the date to watch on DAZN!”"
Fundora's challenger, Ruiz, responded, “This opportunity to compete for the undisputed world title is an absolute dream come true for me. It represents everything we work toward from the moment we decide to become professional fighters, and I am incredibly grateful for the chance to perform on the biggest stage. We’re coming to America to steal the show. I understand the challenge in front of me, I’ve done the work, and I’m ready. I’m excited for March 14th, and I can’t wait to be crowned the new undisputed world champion.”
More information on the undercard will be released soon.
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Collazo books title defense as Golden Boy and DAZN agree to a one-off
Southern California pride meets Chicago grit as two elite contenders step into a new division and straight into danger when Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-1, 11 KOs) of South El Monte, CA faces Chicago’s Kenneth “Bossman” Sims Jr. (22-2-1, 8 KOs) in a ten-round welterweight clash at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on March 14th. The co-feature will be a world title fight as Puerto Rico’s undefeated WBA / WBO minimumweight champion Oscar “El Pupilo” Collazo (pictured) will defend his titles against Mexico’s Jesus “Chiquito” Haro (13-3, 2 KOs). The third featured bout has undisputed world flyweight champion Gabriela “Sweet Poison” Fundora (17-0, 9 KOs) facing WBA interim titlist Viviana Ruiz Corredor (10-2, 5 KOs), an Australia-based Venezuelan. The show will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN. [This show is a "one-off" agreement between DAZN and Golden Boy. The long-term deal expired and has not been renwed, but the parties continue to negotiate]. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, Feb. 18th at 10:00 a.m. PT through Ticketmaster.com and GoldenBoy.com.
“I’m officially stepping back into the ring after some much needed time off,” said Barboza, who is coming off a loss to former junior welterweight champi9on Teofimo Lopez. “My first loss didn’t break me, it built me. Built a new team, new gym, new mindset yet still same purpose, same hunger, same goals. I heard the doubters get louder. I saw some opinions change yet nothing about me changed. This is bigger than revenge. This is the Redemption Tour.”
“This is a fight that I’ve been wanting for a long time. Barboza is a good fighter who’s been on the big stage, but I’ve always known that I am a better fighter than him and only wanted the chance to prove it,” said Kenneth Sims Jr. “I’ve been chasing this opportunity for years now and this is a great time for it to finally happen. This is a do or die fight for both of us, and I can’t wait to get in there and handle business on March 14th.”
“I love this fight because neither guy is afraid of the other. Arnold Barboza Jr. and Kenneth Sims Jr. have worked their entire careers to become the best and on March 14 somebody takes a major step toward the top of the division,” said Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “The undercard will be stacked with talent, with the return of Puerto Rican Unified Champ Oscar Collazo and Undisputed Champ Gabriella Fundora both defending their titles. Fans are getting a complete night of high-level Southern California fights!”
Collazo (13-0, 10 KOs) most recently delivered a devastating knockout victory over Jayson Vayson in September 2025 and now returns looking to continue his championship run. “I’m very happy to be returning to the ring this coming March 14th. Unfortunately, we won’t be pursuing a unification bout for reasons beyond my control,” said Collazo. “The company presented us with this opportunity with Jesús Haro. I respect him because I know he comes with the desire and hunger to be champion, but on March 14th he’ll be facing the best in the division. Without a doubt, Puerto Rico vs. Mexico is a guaranteed war. We’re ready to put on a great fight and secure a solid victory for Puerto Rico.”
“It’s going to be a great fight,” said Haro. “The Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry has always been present in this sport, and although I was born in the USA and I love this country, Aztec warrior blood runs through my veins, and I’m not going to let my Mexican people down.”
Fundora had this to say: “There are only two ways of doing something, the right way or the wrong way. We are preparing to put on a great performance on March 14th at the Honda Center in Anaheim California. Save the date to watch on DAZN!”"
Fundora's challenger, Ruiz, responded, “This opportunity to compete for the undisputed world title is an absolute dream come true for me. It represents everything we work toward from the moment we decide to become professional fighters, and I am incredibly grateful for the chance to perform on the biggest stage. We’re coming to America to steal the show. I understand the challenge in front of me, I’ve done the work, and I’m ready. I’m excited for March 14th, and I can’t wait to be crowned the new undisputed world champion.”
More information on the undercard will be released soon.
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Dana White speaks out vs. WBC, De La Hoya, Hearn |
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From the moment Zuffa Boxing was formally announced, the organization's plans have come under criticism from several sections of the boxing establishment, including rival promoters and sanctioning bodies. At the Zuffa Boxing 03 post-fight press conference in Las Vegas on Sunday, Zuffa Boxing head Dana White said that he hadn't responded directly to those critics until now. But on Sunday night White expressed surprise at the relative lack of opposition from critics as Zuffa Boxing has gotten underway with its first three shows. "What's been the biggest pushback? [laughs] There hasn't been any pushback. This is like beating up babies," White stated. "I feel like I came in and I'm beating up babies. I expected more. I expected some pushback. I expected them to be more game. They're all way out of their league, like absolutely, positively out of their league. I'm actually a little shocked." The lack of a coordinated response from Zuffa's competition has also been noticed by Boxingtalk's Charles Muniz.
White then addressed some of the bigger names who have taken aim at his plans. "Listen, I don't like coming into these things and talking too much, but at the end of this year, just watch," he said. "I haven't said anything about [Matchroom Boxing's] Eddie Hearn. Me and [Golden Boy Promotions' Oscar] De La Hoya are what we are. The WBC... I haven't said anything about (them). They don't stop talking – the WBC and Eddie Hearn... And all the s*** De La Hoya talks ... The guy is talking all this s***, and his [office building is reportedly] is in foreclosure. He's suing his fighters [Vergil Ortiz, Jr.] to try to stay with him. Has Oscar done a 'Clapback Thursday' recently? I would f***ing love to see an episode of 'Clapback Thursday' this Thursday from Oscar De La Hoya. But yeah. Everybody feels it. It's already happening, and it's going to be a fun year."
And on the topic of the WBC, White also had some words for WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman. "I think that the guy from the WBC is the greatest public relations thing to ever happen for Zuffa Boxing," he smiled. "I mean, that guy should just keep doing interviews every day! Keep talking, it's incredible! Love it!"
White also said that boxing's establishment are welcome to continue doing what they're doing, but he's confident that Zuffa Boxing's approach will prove to be a gamechanger for the sport as things progress and plans start to come to fruition. "Like I said, I'll lay out a body of work this year, and then you can judge me by how this thing plays out," reiterated White. "But, you know, everybody knows that this thing's been broken for a long time. I said what I was going to do. I've never said anything bad about the WBC or the IBF or any of them. I just said I'm not going to do business with them – I'm going to do my own thing." Editor's note: White will soon have a big decision to make about doing business with the IBF. Zuffa Boxing 04 is scheduled to have Jai Opetaia fight for the inaugural Zuffa cruiserweight title -- but Opetaia is the reigning IBF champion and is not expected to give up his title to fight under the Zuffa banner.
"And then I saw Eddie Hearn saying that the belt is cringy and all this stuff. I don't think anybody looks at Eddie Hearn and says, 'Oh, this guy's a visionary.' The guy's been in boxing forever. I look at him like most politicians. You've done nothing in the sport except stay in the lane, and play by all the rules, and ride right along. You ended up becoming part of the problem, is what happened. And I don't want to sit here and smash Eddie Hearn or anything else, but Eddie Hearn works for his dad, you know what I mean? He works for dad. And I don't think he's come in and ever had any type of vision, whereas we do, and we're going to change the entire sport.
"And I understand the people who are the status quo in boxing don't like it, but it doesn't mean they can't still do their thing. If your thing is as good as you think it is, and you are as good as you think you are, then do your thing. Good luck to you. I'm going to do my thing, and they're going to do theirs."
White later added, "The sport has been out there for over 100 years, and there's plenty of guys that are involved in the sport. There's plenty of money in the sport... Eddie Hearn and his dad have a lot of money – not like they can't compete (financially). They can't compete because they don't know how to compete. There's no vision there. I don't know how else to explain it other than that. Listen, I'm sitting here, my third fight in. I'm either right or I'm wrong – we'll find out. I keep saying it over and over again – at the end of the year, judge us by what we've done this year."
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Dana White speaks out vs. WBC, De La Hoya, Hearn
From the moment Zuffa Boxing was formally announced, the organization's plans have come under criticism from several sections of the boxing establishment, including rival promoters and sanctioning bodies. At the Zuffa Boxing 03 post-fight press conference in Las Vegas on Sunday, Zuffa Boxing head Dana White said that he hadn't responded directly to those critics until now. But on Sunday night White expressed surprise at the relative lack of opposition from critics as Zuffa Boxing has gotten underway with its first three shows. "What's been the biggest pushback? [laughs] There hasn't been any pushback. This is like beating up babies," White stated. "I feel like I came in and I'm beating up babies. I expected more. I expected some pushback. I expected them to be more game. They're all way out of their league, like absolutely, positively out of their league. I'm actually a little shocked." The lack of a coordinated response from Zuffa's competition has also been noticed by Boxingtalk's Charles Muniz.
White then addressed some of the bigger names who have taken aim at his plans. "Listen, I don't like coming into these things and talking too much, but at the end of this year, just watch," he said. "I haven't said anything about [Matchroom Boxing's] Eddie Hearn. Me and [Golden Boy Promotions' Oscar] De La Hoya are what we are. The WBC... I haven't said anything about (them). They don't stop talking – the WBC and Eddie Hearn... And all the s*** De La Hoya talks ... The guy is talking all this s***, and his [office building is reportedly] is in foreclosure. He's suing his fighters [Vergil Ortiz, Jr.] to try to stay with him. Has Oscar done a 'Clapback Thursday' recently? I would f***ing love to see an episode of 'Clapback Thursday' this Thursday from Oscar De La Hoya. But yeah. Everybody feels it. It's already happening, and it's going to be a fun year."
And on the topic of the WBC, White also had some words for WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman. "I think that the guy from the WBC is the greatest public relations thing to ever happen for Zuffa Boxing," he smiled. "I mean, that guy should just keep doing interviews every day! Keep talking, it's incredible! Love it!"
White also said that boxing's establishment are welcome to continue doing what they're doing, but he's confident that Zuffa Boxing's approach will prove to be a gamechanger for the sport as things progress and plans start to come to fruition. "Like I said, I'll lay out a body of work this year, and then you can judge me by how this thing plays out," reiterated White. "But, you know, everybody knows that this thing's been broken for a long time. I said what I was going to do. I've never said anything bad about the WBC or the IBF or any of them. I just said I'm not going to do business with them – I'm going to do my own thing." Editor's note: White will soon have a big decision to make about doing business with the IBF. Zuffa Boxing 04 is scheduled to have Jai Opetaia fight for the inaugural Zuffa cruiserweight title -- but Opetaia is the reigning IBF champion and is not expected to give up his title to fight under the Zuffa banner.
"And then I saw Eddie Hearn saying that the belt is cringy and all this stuff. I don't think anybody looks at Eddie Hearn and says, 'Oh, this guy's a visionary.' The guy's been in boxing forever. I look at him like most politicians. You've done nothing in the sport except stay in the lane, and play by all the rules, and ride right along. You ended up becoming part of the problem, is what happened. And I don't want to sit here and smash Eddie Hearn or anything else, but Eddie Hearn works for his dad, you know what I mean? He works for dad. And I don't think he's come in and ever had any type of vision, whereas we do, and we're going to change the entire sport.
"And I understand the people who are the status quo in boxing don't like it, but it doesn't mean they can't still do their thing. If your thing is as good as you think it is, and you are as good as you think you are, then do your thing. Good luck to you. I'm going to do my thing, and they're going to do theirs."
White later added, "The sport has been out there for over 100 years, and there's plenty of guys that are involved in the sport. There's plenty of money in the sport... Eddie Hearn and his dad have a lot of money – not like they can't compete (financially). They can't compete because they don't know how to compete. There's no vision there. I don't know how else to explain it other than that. Listen, I'm sitting here, my third fight in. I'm either right or I'm wrong – we'll find out. I keep saying it over and over again – at the end of the year, judge us by what we've done this year."
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Welcome to Wood vs. Warrington II fight week |
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Tucked away at a small table with promoter Eddie Hearn last November, Leigh Wood (pictured) and Josh Warrington are perched with a peculiar air about them. The pair, proud domestic fighters who scaled the world at the peak of their powers, are dressed in their coats, hands jammed into pockets. Without context, without the hoardings selling an imminent rematch, you could be forgiven for assuming this is two men at a breakfast cafe. But this was no cozy catch-up. Boxing has its share of bad blood, and in an era of social media sleuths, it's hard to sometimes separate fact from fiction.vHere, however, are two men who, if at the very least respectful of their reputations, are hell-bent on settling scores before they quit the ring for good. In another world, this might have been a stadium-shifting affair, held at the City Ground or Elland Road, a true celebration of local roots and pride. Instead, Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena will be the room where these two make what could be a last stand - and seek to earn the last laugh. The two ex-champs meet Saturday for a rematch, with DAZN broadcasting live,
Warrington is 32-4-1 and had one win in 2025. Wood is 28-4 but hasn't won a fight since defeating Warrington in 2023.
To understand the brusque air between these two, you have to chart a path back before they even met as professionals, to their tenures at the top. Two years younger than his rival, Warrington nevertheless broke out before Wood, a proud West Yorkshireman who worked the circuit like a pro. Boxing has always had a place in this part of the world, but it has been neighbouring Sheffield, just down the M1, that has produced the real stars. Warrington was something different, a genuine local hero for the LS postcode. He could shift five-figure numbers against names nobody had heard of.
When he claimed the IBF featherweight title by split decision against Lee Selby at Elland Road, it marked the summit of a remarkable, hard-earned rise. A string of successive defences seemed to have him primed for unification, before the coronavirus pandemic hit the brakes - and Warrington stumbled. He lost to Mauricio Lara on his return, then saw their rematch cut short as a technical draw. A victory over Kiko Martinez started a second IBF reign. Defeat to Luis Alberto Lopez, however, meant he headed to Sheffield in 2023 knowing that any hope of a third reign would come through Wood.
At the time, Wood was riding high. After setbacks and near-misses, he had inherited the WBA crown from Leo Santo Cruz and regathered it against Mauricio Lara. Warrington fancied his chances, and across the first six rounds, it looked like he would do the job - before Wood caught him flush in the seventh. Both men had plenty of bite for the other afterwards. Warrington felt the result was unfair to his efforts. Wood thought his rival didn't show him enough.
A rematch has bubbled away in the background ever since, but various factors have conspired to keep it on the back burner and away from their fans. Lengthy injury problems left Wood sidelined for long periods. Warrington moved on to other fish a year later, losing to Anto Cacace at Wembley Stadium. 'The Leeds Warrior' was not the only man felled by the Northern Irishman. Wood himself would come up short in a clash with the star last year.
Finally, the stars aligned to bring them back to each other - and when they met late last year for the aforementioned table chat, it was clear grudges remained. Now, this week, they will have the chance to sort their beef. One thing seems certain: This will be the final word in the matter
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Welcome to Wood vs. Warrington II fight week
Tucked away at a small table with promoter Eddie Hearn last November, Leigh Wood (pictured) and Josh Warrington are perched with a peculiar air about them. The pair, proud domestic fighters who scaled the world at the peak of their powers, are dressed in their coats, hands jammed into pockets. Without context, without the hoardings selling an imminent rematch, you could be forgiven for assuming this is two men at a breakfast cafe. But this was no cozy catch-up. Boxing has its share of bad blood, and in an era of social media sleuths, it's hard to sometimes separate fact from fiction.vHere, however, are two men who, if at the very least respectful of their reputations, are hell-bent on settling scores before they quit the ring for good. In another world, this might have been a stadium-shifting affair, held at the City Ground or Elland Road, a true celebration of local roots and pride. Instead, Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena will be the room where these two make what could be a last stand - and seek to earn the last laugh. The two ex-champs meet Saturday for a rematch, with DAZN broadcasting live,
Warrington is 32-4-1 and had one win in 2025. Wood is 28-4 but hasn't won a fight since defeating Warrington in 2023.
To understand the brusque air between these two, you have to chart a path back before they even met as professionals, to their tenures at the top. Two years younger than his rival, Warrington nevertheless broke out before Wood, a proud West Yorkshireman who worked the circuit like a pro. Boxing has always had a place in this part of the world, but it has been neighbouring Sheffield, just down the M1, that has produced the real stars. Warrington was something different, a genuine local hero for the LS postcode. He could shift five-figure numbers against names nobody had heard of.
When he claimed the IBF featherweight title by split decision against Lee Selby at Elland Road, it marked the summit of a remarkable, hard-earned rise. A string of successive defences seemed to have him primed for unification, before the coronavirus pandemic hit the brakes - and Warrington stumbled. He lost to Mauricio Lara on his return, then saw their rematch cut short as a technical draw. A victory over Kiko Martinez started a second IBF reign. Defeat to Luis Alberto Lopez, however, meant he headed to Sheffield in 2023 knowing that any hope of a third reign would come through Wood.
At the time, Wood was riding high. After setbacks and near-misses, he had inherited the WBA crown from Leo Santo Cruz and regathered it against Mauricio Lara. Warrington fancied his chances, and across the first six rounds, it looked like he would do the job - before Wood caught him flush in the seventh. Both men had plenty of bite for the other afterwards. Warrington felt the result was unfair to his efforts. Wood thought his rival didn't show him enough.
A rematch has bubbled away in the background ever since, but various factors have conspired to keep it on the back burner and away from their fans. Lengthy injury problems left Wood sidelined for long periods. Warrington moved on to other fish a year later, losing to Anto Cacace at Wembley Stadium. 'The Leeds Warrior' was not the only man felled by the Northern Irishman. Wood himself would come up short in a clash with the star last year.
Finally, the stars aligned to bring them back to each other - and when they met late last year for the aforementioned table chat, it was clear grudges remained. Now, this week, they will have the chance to sort their beef. One thing seems certain: This will be the final word in the matter
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Callum Smith to host David Morrell on April 18th |
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Callum ‘Mundo’ Smith defends his WBO interim light heavyweight title against David Morrell on his home turf in Liverpool as part of a huge North-West double for Matchroom Boxing in the UK this April. On Saturday, April 18th, Smith fights in Merseyside for the first time in seven years, with his homecoming set against his dangerous Cuban rival Morrell (12-1, 9 KOs) at the M&S Bank Arena. In that time away from home, Smith has valiantly fought on the road against the likes of Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Artur Beterbiev, before a Fight of the Year contender against fellow Brit Joshua Buatsi in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, twelve months ago, which propelled the 35-year old to the WBO interim crown after an outstanding, unanimous decision.
And an eventual shot against world champion Dmitry Bivol is a possibility for the winner – and Smith is confident. “Fighting back in Liverpool is special for me,” said Smith, the former WBA and World Boxing Super Series super middleweight champion. “This is home – there’s nothing like walking out in front of a home crowd that’s supported you from the very start. It gives me a real lift and I plan to give them a big performance. Morrell is a top fighter, but I’m coming into this fight with a clear goal – to win and take another big step towards becoming a two-weight world champion.”
A hungry Morrell, meanwhile, last fought to a narrow, split decision triumph over Iman Khataev in July 2025 – and he is intent on ruining the homecoming party for Smith as he bids to continue his rebound following the only loss of his career to date against the current WBC ruler David Benavidez aboout a year ago. “First, I want to thank God for this opportunity in my career,” said Morrell. I’m excited to showcase my talent in front of the great boxing fans in the UK. I’m preparing for an all-out war with Callum Smith on April 18th. I’m coming for that belt.”
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Callum Smith to host David Morrell on April 18th
Callum ‘Mundo’ Smith defends his WBO interim light heavyweight title against David Morrell on his home turf in Liverpool as part of a huge North-West double for Matchroom Boxing in the UK this April. On Saturday, April 18th, Smith fights in Merseyside for the first time in seven years, with his homecoming set against his dangerous Cuban rival Morrell (12-1, 9 KOs) at the M&S Bank Arena. In that time away from home, Smith has valiantly fought on the road against the likes of Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Artur Beterbiev, before a Fight of the Year contender against fellow Brit Joshua Buatsi in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, twelve months ago, which propelled the 35-year old to the WBO interim crown after an outstanding, unanimous decision.
And an eventual shot against world champion Dmitry Bivol is a possibility for the winner – and Smith is confident. “Fighting back in Liverpool is special for me,” said Smith, the former WBA and World Boxing Super Series super middleweight champion. “This is home – there’s nothing like walking out in front of a home crowd that’s supported you from the very start. It gives me a real lift and I plan to give them a big performance. Morrell is a top fighter, but I’m coming into this fight with a clear goal – to win and take another big step towards becoming a two-weight world champion.”
A hungry Morrell, meanwhile, last fought to a narrow, split decision triumph over Iman Khataev in July 2025 – and he is intent on ruining the homecoming party for Smith as he bids to continue his rebound following the only loss of his career to date against the current WBC ruler David Benavidez aboout a year ago. “First, I want to thank God for this opportunity in my career,” said Morrell. I’m excited to showcase my talent in front of the great boxing fans in the UK. I’m preparing for an all-out war with Callum Smith on April 18th. I’m coming for that belt.”
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Sanchez vs. Torrez tops PBC March 28th undercard |
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Three high-stakes showdowns have been added to the PBC pay-per-view event available on Saturday, March 28th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. In the previously announced main event, WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora battles former unified welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman. The newly announced fights, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will feature heavyweight contender Frank “The Cuban Flash” Sanchez taking on unbeaten U.S. Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr. in an IBF final eliminator. The lineup will also feature undefeated middleweight Yoenli Hernandez stepping in against battle-tested U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha in a ten-round bout, plus exciting young Elijah Garcia facing veteran super middleweight Kevin Newman II in the ten-round pay-per-view opener.
Tickets for the live event are on sale now through AXS.com. In addition to being available for purchase on Prime Video, regardless of Prime membership, fans will also be able to continue to access the telecast through traditional cable and satellite outlets as well as PPV.com. The event is promoted by TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing.
“Saturday, March 28 will now feature three more exciting pay-per-view undercard matchups that feature young stars and top contenders going toe-to-toe, with the winners putting themselves in position for world title glory,” said Tom Brown, president of TGB Promotions. “Frank Sanchez has long established himself as a threat to anyone at heavyweight and can re-stake his place toward the top of the division against an undefeated U.S. Olympian in Richard Torrez Jr. Plus sensational Cuban middleweight Yoenli Hernandez takes on his most experienced opponent to date in the always dangerous Terrell Gausha, and Elijah Garcia hopes to make a statement at 168-pounds against the highly-skilled Kevin Newman II rounding out this PBC Pay-Per-View event on Prime Video.”
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Sanchez vs. Torrez tops PBC March 28th undercard
Three high-stakes showdowns have been added to the PBC pay-per-view event available on Saturday, March 28th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. In the previously announced main event, WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora battles former unified welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman. The newly announced fights, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will feature heavyweight contender Frank “The Cuban Flash” Sanchez taking on unbeaten U.S. Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr. in an IBF final eliminator. The lineup will also feature undefeated middleweight Yoenli Hernandez stepping in against battle-tested U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha in a ten-round bout, plus exciting young Elijah Garcia facing veteran super middleweight Kevin Newman II in the ten-round pay-per-view opener.
Tickets for the live event are on sale now through AXS.com. In addition to being available for purchase on Prime Video, regardless of Prime membership, fans will also be able to continue to access the telecast through traditional cable and satellite outlets as well as PPV.com. The event is promoted by TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing.
“Saturday, March 28 will now feature three more exciting pay-per-view undercard matchups that feature young stars and top contenders going toe-to-toe, with the winners putting themselves in position for world title glory,” said Tom Brown, president of TGB Promotions. “Frank Sanchez has long established himself as a threat to anyone at heavyweight and can re-stake his place toward the top of the division against an undefeated U.S. Olympian in Richard Torrez Jr. Plus sensational Cuban middleweight Yoenli Hernandez takes on his most experienced opponent to date in the always dangerous Terrell Gausha, and Elijah Garcia hopes to make a statement at 168-pounds against the highly-skilled Kevin Newman II rounding out this PBC Pay-Per-View event on Prime Video.”
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Masternak to defend European title vs. Riley |
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Viddal Riley’s credentials as a cruiserweight hopeful will face an acid test when he challenges respected European champion Mateusz Masternak (50-6) on April 4th, live on DAZN. The British domestic champion, Riley takes on Masternak at London’s O2, on the undercard of the Dereck Chisora vs. Deontay Wilder heavyweight showdown. A win over Masternak opens the door to a world title shot for Riley, but he knows the Polish road warrior will push him to the limit when the cruiserweights collide in the capital. Masternak, a former world title challenger and two-time European champion, knows all about British opposition, having traded punches with former cruiserweight kings Tony Bellew and Chris Billiam-Smith. The 38 year-old Masternak rates Riley (13-0) as better than both of those previous domestic opponents but has still vowed to return to Poland with the famous blue belt around his waist.
Riley is under no illusions as to the size of the task in front of him yet expects to take a giant leap towards the top echelons of the sport, with the biggest win of his career. Riley said: “It’s a new dawn. It’s a new chapter. MF PRO is the launch of a new beginning in my career and there’s no better way to enter this stage than with another difficult test. I’ve decided to challenge a seasoned veteran and former world title contender for his EBU cruiserweight title, this is pivotal on the climb into world honours, and I expect a test but one I am more than capable of shining through. Chisora vs Wilder is a massive event and I’m excited to display my skills under my new promotion who are truly invested in assisting me to the top.”
Masternak said: “I’m really pleased this fight is happening. It’s a tough challenge, and in my opinion he’s a better fighter than Billam-Smith — even better than Bellew. I took this fight because I truly believe he’s the best British cruiserweight out there right now. I’m excited to be part of such a big event and to have the chance to perform in front of a large audience. I’m fully motivated and ready — I’m going there to defend my title and bring my belt back home.”
Promoter Kalle Sauerland said: “Strap yourselves in because Viddal Riley is about to take his career to a whole new level. Challenging Masternak, the hardman of the cruiserweight division, officially launches Viddal’s assault towards world titles. A fight with Masternak has been a rite of passage for so many of the best cruiserweights of the last decade or more, and we believe that Viddal is destined to get to the very top. But be under no illusions, there is no easy way to get there and he must be better than he’s ever been before, in order to get past the European champ. The cruiserweight division is one of my favourites in the sport and on April 4, at a packed out O2 and live on DAZN, will we witness to birth of a new star.”
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Masternak to defend European title vs. Riley
Viddal Riley’s credentials as a cruiserweight hopeful will face an acid test when he challenges respected European champion Mateusz Masternak (50-6) on April 4th, live on DAZN. The British domestic champion, Riley takes on Masternak at London’s O2, on the undercard of the Dereck Chisora vs. Deontay Wilder heavyweight showdown. A win over Masternak opens the door to a world title shot for Riley, but he knows the Polish road warrior will push him to the limit when the cruiserweights collide in the capital. Masternak, a former world title challenger and two-time European champion, knows all about British opposition, having traded punches with former cruiserweight kings Tony Bellew and Chris Billiam-Smith. The 38 year-old Masternak rates Riley (13-0) as better than both of those previous domestic opponents but has still vowed to return to Poland with the famous blue belt around his waist.
Riley is under no illusions as to the size of the task in front of him yet expects to take a giant leap towards the top echelons of the sport, with the biggest win of his career. Riley said: “It’s a new dawn. It’s a new chapter. MF PRO is the launch of a new beginning in my career and there’s no better way to enter this stage than with another difficult test. I’ve decided to challenge a seasoned veteran and former world title contender for his EBU cruiserweight title, this is pivotal on the climb into world honours, and I expect a test but one I am more than capable of shining through. Chisora vs Wilder is a massive event and I’m excited to display my skills under my new promotion who are truly invested in assisting me to the top.”
Masternak said: “I’m really pleased this fight is happening. It’s a tough challenge, and in my opinion he’s a better fighter than Billam-Smith — even better than Bellew. I took this fight because I truly believe he’s the best British cruiserweight out there right now. I’m excited to be part of such a big event and to have the chance to perform in front of a large audience. I’m fully motivated and ready — I’m going there to defend my title and bring my belt back home.”
Promoter Kalle Sauerland said: “Strap yourselves in because Viddal Riley is about to take his career to a whole new level. Challenging Masternak, the hardman of the cruiserweight division, officially launches Viddal’s assault towards world titles. A fight with Masternak has been a rite of passage for so many of the best cruiserweights of the last decade or more, and we believe that Viddal is destined to get to the very top. But be under no illusions, there is no easy way to get there and he must be better than he’s ever been before, in order to get past the European champ. The cruiserweight division is one of my favourites in the sport and on April 4, at a packed out O2 and live on DAZN, will we witness to birth of a new star.”
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DAZN wants Ortiz vs. Ennis for April 18th; will do it with or without Golden Boy |
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Edward McCarthy, the chief operating officer of DAZN, submitted the following sworn statement on behalf of Vergil Ortiz, who is seeking to free himself from a contract with Golden Boy Promotions. Ortiz is seeking to sign a fight with former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, but Golden Boy obtained a temporary restraining order blocking the deal from going through. A federal court in Nevada is considering whether to extend or dissolve the restraining order, and here is what McCarthy had to say on behalf of the DAZN streaming service:
"DAZN has been in the U.S. market since 2018. Since that time Golden Boy Promotions (“GBP”) has been a party to a series of exclusive distribution agreements with DAZN, wherein DAZN had the right to be the sole broadcaster of boxing events promoted by GBP in the United States. As part of these agreements, DAZN provided GBP with an annual budget for events to be agreed and aired pursuant to the terms of the relevant long-term distribution agreement. Notably, GBP was not DAZN’s sole provider of boxing events. The various agreements between GBP and DAZN did not restrict DAZN from airing events from other promoters. DAZN has [also] worked with a number of other promoters, including Matchroom Boxing, Queensberry Promotions, Misfits Boxing and Most Valuable Promotions.
"DAZN’s most recent long-term distribution contract with GBP expired on December 31, 2025, despite DAZN’s offer to extend such long-term distribution contract, whilst the new long-term agreement was finalized and agreed. Since January 1, 2026, there has not been a long-term broadcast distribution relationship between DAZN and GBP, although DAZN aired a GBP-promoted event on January 16th and has contracted to distribute a show on March 14th. These events are 'one off' shows and the parties had and have no commitments to each other beyond those specific events. In the agreement, dated February 17th to broadcast the March 14th event, both DAZN and GBP acknowledged and confirmed this fact.
"Beginning in late 2025, through the present, GBP and DAZN have been discussing terms for a new contract under which the parties could continue their long-term broadcast distribution relationship. To date, GBP and DAZN have not agreed on final terms for such long-term broadcast distribution, although material terms and drafts were well progressed. No contract has been formally agreed, approved or signed by the parties. DAZN is aware that, following the filing of proceedings by Mr. Ortiz against GBP and immediately prior to the recent Court Order, Ortiz was negotiating, and close to executing, an agreement with Matchroom Boxing to fight Ennis on April 18th in an event to air on DAZN. DAZN remains open to seeking to agree and enter into a long-term distribution agreement with GBP on commercially reasonable terms, whether or not GBP has Mr. Ortiz under contract."
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DAZN wants Ortiz vs. Ennis for April 18th; will do it with or without Golden Boy
Edward McCarthy, the chief operating officer of DAZN, submitted the following sworn statement on behalf of Vergil Ortiz, who is seeking to free himself from a contract with Golden Boy Promotions. Ortiz is seeking to sign a fight with former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, but Golden Boy obtained a temporary restraining order blocking the deal from going through. A federal court in Nevada is considering whether to extend or dissolve the restraining order, and here is what McCarthy had to say on behalf of the DAZN streaming service:
"DAZN has been in the U.S. market since 2018. Since that time Golden Boy Promotions (“GBP”) has been a party to a series of exclusive distribution agreements with DAZN, wherein DAZN had the right to be the sole broadcaster of boxing events promoted by GBP in the United States. As part of these agreements, DAZN provided GBP with an annual budget for events to be agreed and aired pursuant to the terms of the relevant long-term distribution agreement. Notably, GBP was not DAZN’s sole provider of boxing events. The various agreements between GBP and DAZN did not restrict DAZN from airing events from other promoters. DAZN has [also] worked with a number of other promoters, including Matchroom Boxing, Queensberry Promotions, Misfits Boxing and Most Valuable Promotions.
"DAZN’s most recent long-term distribution contract with GBP expired on December 31, 2025, despite DAZN’s offer to extend such long-term distribution contract, whilst the new long-term agreement was finalized and agreed. Since January 1, 2026, there has not been a long-term broadcast distribution relationship between DAZN and GBP, although DAZN aired a GBP-promoted event on January 16th and has contracted to distribute a show on March 14th. These events are 'one off' shows and the parties had and have no commitments to each other beyond those specific events. In the agreement, dated February 17th to broadcast the March 14th event, both DAZN and GBP acknowledged and confirmed this fact.
"Beginning in late 2025, through the present, GBP and DAZN have been discussing terms for a new contract under which the parties could continue their long-term broadcast distribution relationship. To date, GBP and DAZN have not agreed on final terms for such long-term broadcast distribution, although material terms and drafts were well progressed. No contract has been formally agreed, approved or signed by the parties. DAZN is aware that, following the filing of proceedings by Mr. Ortiz against GBP and immediately prior to the recent Court Order, Ortiz was negotiating, and close to executing, an agreement with Matchroom Boxing to fight Ennis on April 18th in an event to air on DAZN. DAZN remains open to seeking to agree and enter into a long-term distribution agreement with GBP on commercially reasonable terms, whether or not GBP has Mr. Ortiz under contract."
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Golden Boy fighting hard to stay involved in potential Ortiz vs. Ennis fight |
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Over the weekend, Eric Gomez, the president of Golden Boy Promotions, submitted a legal declaration in his company's federal lawsuit against Vergil Ortiz, Jr., the star junior middleweight who is seeking to end his promotional contract with Golden Boy and sign for a huge fight against former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis. Here is what Gomez declared: "Notwithstanding Golden Boy’s ongoing [legal] dispute with Ortiz, Golden Boy remains ready and willing to represent Ortiz in negotiating for and promoting a bout between Ortiz and Ennis. Even after Golden Boy discovered that Ortiz’s manager, Rick Mirigian, was having direct communications with third parties regarding the fight, Golden Boy remained committed to its representation of Ortiz with respect to the fight. In early January 2026, I exchanged emails with Mirigian articulating Golden Boy’s negotiation position. Also in early January, Golden Boy’s counsel, Ricardo P. Cestero, sent a letter to Ortiz’s counsel, Gregory M. Smith, confirming that Golden Boy offered Ortiz a $3 million guarantee plus upside for the Ennis fight."
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
FEB. 14, 2026: On Friday, a federal judge temporarily restrained Vergil Ortiz Jr. from negotiating or signing any deal for a fight with former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, granting an emergency restraining order requested by Golden Boy Promotions. The ruling, issued February 13th in federal court in Nevada, freezes Ortiz’s ability to contract with third parties for the Ennis bout while a contract dispute plays out between Golden Boy and Ortiz. The next court hearing is scheduled for February 20th, when both sides will appear for oral arguments. For boxing fans, the decision immediately puts one of the most anticipated potential matchups in the welterweight division on ice. Until the court or an arbitrator says otherwise, Ortiz is barred from making any independent deal for the Ennis fight, keeping control of his next move firmly tied to the legal battle with Golden Boy, his longtime promoter.
Ortiz is the WBC interim champion at 154 pounds. He is one of the sport’s top undefeated contenders, has been promoted by Golden Boy since 2016. In May 2024, the two sides signed a new promotional rights agreement that was supposed to run for three years, with guaranteed minimum payments of more than $1 million per fight. At the center of the dispute is a clause tied to Golden Boy’s broadcast relationship with DAZN. That contract with DAZN expired at the end of 2025. Under the terms of Ortiz’s deal, he could terminate his agreement with Golden Boy if the promoter no longer had a distribution deal with DAZN—unless Golden Boy already had an “agreement in principle” in place with another broadcaster, or had agreed on all material terms of a new deal and was finalizing paperwork.
Ortiz sent a letter in early January seeking confirmation that the DAZN deal had ended, signaling his intent to terminate his contract. Golden Boy responded that while the formal contract had expired, the company and DAZN had already agreed on the key terms of a new licensing deal for 2026 and 2027 and were exchanging drafts. On that basis, Golden Boy argued Ortiz had no right to walk away.
Ortiz then filed suit, asking the court to declare the contract over. He also accused Golden Boy of breach of contract and interference with his business opportunities. Among Ortiz's claims: that the company undercut chances to maximize his earnings through Saudi-backed sponsorships and interfered with his ability to negotiate future fights. His complaint also points to public statements and actions by Golden Boy head Oscar De La Hoya, which Ortiz says confused other promoters and the boxing public about who controlled his career.
Golden Boy answered with an emergency motion, telling the court it had learned Ortiz was on the verge of signing a deal with third parties for a fight against Ennis. The company argued that such a move would violate the existing contract and cause irreparable harm—especially by damaging broadcast negotiations and business relationships that cannot simply be repaired with money later. The judge agreed with Golden Boy and granted the temporary restraining order, barring Ortiz, his managers, and representatives from negotiating or entering into any third-party contracts for the Ennis bout. The court emphasized that the order is meant to preserve the “status quo” while the dispute is resolved.
Legally, the case is also complicated by an arbitration clause in the contract that staes that any disputes should be handled through arbitration in Las Vegas. Golden Boy has already started arbitration proceedings, accusing Ortiz of breaching the agreement and interfering with its broadcast relationships. The court made clear that the restraining order does not decide who is right—it simply prevents irreversible business moves before arbitration and further court hearings take place.
From a boxing standpoint, the impact is immediate. Ortiz vs. Ennis is widely viewed as one of the most meaningful fights available in the division—a matchup of two elite, undefeated fighters in their prime. The ruling doesn’t kill the fight, but it removes Ortiz’s ability to make it happen independently. For now, the business has overtaken the sport. The February 20th court date will be the next step in deciding whether this freeze continues or changes, but until then, Ortiz’s future—and the Ennis fight—remains locked in a courtroom rather than a ring.
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Golden Boy fighting hard to stay involved in potential Ortiz vs. Ennis fight
Over the weekend, Eric Gomez, the president of Golden Boy Promotions, submitted a legal declaration in his company's federal lawsuit against Vergil Ortiz, Jr., the star junior middleweight who is seeking to end his promotional contract with Golden Boy and sign for a huge fight against former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis. Here is what Gomez declared: "Notwithstanding Golden Boy’s ongoing [legal] dispute with Ortiz, Golden Boy remains ready and willing to represent Ortiz in negotiating for and promoting a bout between Ortiz and Ennis. Even after Golden Boy discovered that Ortiz’s manager, Rick Mirigian, was having direct communications with third parties regarding the fight, Golden Boy remained committed to its representation of Ortiz with respect to the fight. In early January 2026, I exchanged emails with Mirigian articulating Golden Boy’s negotiation position. Also in early January, Golden Boy’s counsel, Ricardo P. Cestero, sent a letter to Ortiz’s counsel, Gregory M. Smith, confirming that Golden Boy offered Ortiz a $3 million guarantee plus upside for the Ennis fight."
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
FEB. 14, 2026: On Friday, a federal judge temporarily restrained Vergil Ortiz Jr. from negotiating or signing any deal for a fight with former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, granting an emergency restraining order requested by Golden Boy Promotions. The ruling, issued February 13th in federal court in Nevada, freezes Ortiz’s ability to contract with third parties for the Ennis bout while a contract dispute plays out between Golden Boy and Ortiz. The next court hearing is scheduled for February 20th, when both sides will appear for oral arguments. For boxing fans, the decision immediately puts one of the most anticipated potential matchups in the welterweight division on ice. Until the court or an arbitrator says otherwise, Ortiz is barred from making any independent deal for the Ennis fight, keeping control of his next move firmly tied to the legal battle with Golden Boy, his longtime promoter.
Ortiz is the WBC interim champion at 154 pounds. He is one of the sport’s top undefeated contenders, has been promoted by Golden Boy since 2016. In May 2024, the two sides signed a new promotional rights agreement that was supposed to run for three years, with guaranteed minimum payments of more than $1 million per fight. At the center of the dispute is a clause tied to Golden Boy’s broadcast relationship with DAZN. That contract with DAZN expired at the end of 2025. Under the terms of Ortiz’s deal, he could terminate his agreement with Golden Boy if the promoter no longer had a distribution deal with DAZN—unless Golden Boy already had an “agreement in principle” in place with another broadcaster, or had agreed on all material terms of a new deal and was finalizing paperwork.
Ortiz sent a letter in early January seeking confirmation that the DAZN deal had ended, signaling his intent to terminate his contract. Golden Boy responded that while the formal contract had expired, the company and DAZN had already agreed on the key terms of a new licensing deal for 2026 and 2027 and were exchanging drafts. On that basis, Golden Boy argued Ortiz had no right to walk away.
Ortiz then filed suit, asking the court to declare the contract over. He also accused Golden Boy of breach of contract and interference with his business opportunities. Among Ortiz's claims: that the company undercut chances to maximize his earnings through Saudi-backed sponsorships and interfered with his ability to negotiate future fights. His complaint also points to public statements and actions by Golden Boy head Oscar De La Hoya, which Ortiz says confused other promoters and the boxing public about who controlled his career.
Golden Boy answered with an emergency motion, telling the court it had learned Ortiz was on the verge of signing a deal with third parties for a fight against Ennis. The company argued that such a move would violate the existing contract and cause irreparable harm—especially by damaging broadcast negotiations and business relationships that cannot simply be repaired with money later. The judge agreed with Golden Boy and granted the temporary restraining order, barring Ortiz, his managers, and representatives from negotiating or entering into any third-party contracts for the Ennis bout. The court emphasized that the order is meant to preserve the “status quo” while the dispute is resolved.
Legally, the case is also complicated by an arbitration clause in the contract that staes that any disputes should be handled through arbitration in Las Vegas. Golden Boy has already started arbitration proceedings, accusing Ortiz of breaching the agreement and interfering with its broadcast relationships. The court made clear that the restraining order does not decide who is right—it simply prevents irreversible business moves before arbitration and further court hearings take place.
From a boxing standpoint, the impact is immediate. Ortiz vs. Ennis is widely viewed as one of the most meaningful fights available in the division—a matchup of two elite, undefeated fighters in their prime. The ruling doesn’t kill the fight, but it removes Ortiz’s ability to make it happen independently. For now, the business has overtaken the sport. The February 20th court date will be the next step in deciding whether this freeze continues or changes, but until then, Ortiz’s future—and the Ennis fight—remains locked in a courtroom rather than a ring.
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MVP announces MMA event: Rousey vs. Carano |
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Ronda Rousey is back, and she’s ready to return to combat sports. Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Netflix announced the mixed martial arts event that will be headlined by the return of former UFC champion and Olympic medalist Ronda Rousey (12-2, 9 submissions, 3 KOs), who’ll compete in her first fight in nearly a decade against fellow women’s MMA pioneer Gina Carano (7-1, 1 submission, 3 KOs). The five-round fight will take place on May 16th at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, marking Netflix’s first-ever live MMA broadcast and MVP’s inaugural MMA event. Each round will last five minutes, as is typical in MMA. The bout will be contested with a 145-pound weight limit inside a hexagon cage. It will stream live globally on Netflix at no additional cost to subscribers.
“After the record-breaking success in boxing, we wanted our first MMA event to be truly legendary,” Gabe Spitzer, Netflix VP of Sports, says. “These are more than just athletes — they are generational stars, and having them headline our MMA debut at the Intuit Dome is a defining moment for us.”
Rousey shattered the glass ceiling for women’s MMA during a record-setting run from 2011to 2016. An Olympic medalist in judo, Rousey racked up several submission and TKO/KO victories, many of which came within one minute of start time. After a dominant reign as UFC bantamweight champion, Rousey catapulted the WWE women’s division toward its first WrestleMania main event in history. Her star power is also on display via appearances in both the Fast and the Furious and The Expendables franchises.
“Been waiting so long to announce this,” Rousey tells Netflix. “Me and Gina Carano are gonna throw down in the biggest superfight in women’s combat sport history, and we’re partnering with the fighter-first promoter, MVP, as well as the baddest streamer on the planet, Netflix. This is for all MMA fans past, present, and future.”
It’s no coincidence that Rousey’s return will be against another legend of the sport. Carano says, “Ronda came to me and said there is only one person she would make a comeback for, and it’s been her dream to make this fight happen between us.”
Carano is one of the first combat sports stars to cross over into the entertainment industry after her MMA tear from 2006 to 2009 — a time before women were invited to compete in the UFC. Carano’s marketability and mainstream appeal outside of fighting led to an acting career. She earned major roles in Haywire, Fast & Furious 6, Deadpool, and The Mandalorian. She also headlined the first major MMA main event to feature two women in 2009, a landmark moment for the sport.
Though Rousey and Carano are preparing to come to blows, they share a mutual appreciation and admiration. “She thanked me for opening up doors for her career and was respectful in asking for this fight to happen,” Carano recalls. “This is an honor. I believe I will walk out of this fight with the win, and I anticipate it will not come easy, which I welcome. This is as much for Ronda and I as it is for the fans and mixed martial arts community. What a time to be alive.”
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MVP announces MMA event: Rousey vs. Carano
Ronda Rousey is back, and she’s ready to return to combat sports. Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Netflix announced the mixed martial arts event that will be headlined by the return of former UFC champion and Olympic medalist Ronda Rousey (12-2, 9 submissions, 3 KOs), who’ll compete in her first fight in nearly a decade against fellow women’s MMA pioneer Gina Carano (7-1, 1 submission, 3 KOs). The five-round fight will take place on May 16th at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, marking Netflix’s first-ever live MMA broadcast and MVP’s inaugural MMA event. Each round will last five minutes, as is typical in MMA. The bout will be contested with a 145-pound weight limit inside a hexagon cage. It will stream live globally on Netflix at no additional cost to subscribers.
“After the record-breaking success in boxing, we wanted our first MMA event to be truly legendary,” Gabe Spitzer, Netflix VP of Sports, says. “These are more than just athletes — they are generational stars, and having them headline our MMA debut at the Intuit Dome is a defining moment for us.”
Rousey shattered the glass ceiling for women’s MMA during a record-setting run from 2011to 2016. An Olympic medalist in judo, Rousey racked up several submission and TKO/KO victories, many of which came within one minute of start time. After a dominant reign as UFC bantamweight champion, Rousey catapulted the WWE women’s division toward its first WrestleMania main event in history. Her star power is also on display via appearances in both the Fast and the Furious and The Expendables franchises.
“Been waiting so long to announce this,” Rousey tells Netflix. “Me and Gina Carano are gonna throw down in the biggest superfight in women’s combat sport history, and we’re partnering with the fighter-first promoter, MVP, as well as the baddest streamer on the planet, Netflix. This is for all MMA fans past, present, and future.”
It’s no coincidence that Rousey’s return will be against another legend of the sport. Carano says, “Ronda came to me and said there is only one person she would make a comeback for, and it’s been her dream to make this fight happen between us.”
Carano is one of the first combat sports stars to cross over into the entertainment industry after her MMA tear from 2006 to 2009 — a time before women were invited to compete in the UFC. Carano’s marketability and mainstream appeal outside of fighting led to an acting career. She earned major roles in Haywire, Fast & Furious 6, Deadpool, and The Mandalorian. She also headlined the first major MMA main event to feature two women in 2009, a landmark moment for the sport.
Though Rousey and Carano are preparing to come to blows, they share a mutual appreciation and admiration. “She thanked me for opening up doors for her career and was respectful in asking for this fight to happen,” Carano recalls. “This is an honor. I believe I will walk out of this fight with the win, and I anticipate it will not come easy, which I welcome. This is as much for Ronda and I as it is for the fans and mixed martial arts community. What a time to be alive.”
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Leo vs. Aleem purse bid results |
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The IBF held a purse bid today for featherweight champion Angelo Leo’s mandatory defense against Ra’eese Aleem. The winning bid was in the amount of $227,100 and was submitted by Aleem’s promoter, Sean Gibbons of Manny Pacquiao Promotions. Under IBF rules, Manny Pacquiao Promotions must hold the fight within ninety days. Aleem is 23-1 and is riding a streak of three straight high-quality wins since a split decision loss to Sam Goodman in Goodman’s native Australia. Aleem’s last outing was a unanimous decision road win over previously undefeated Mikito Nakano in Tokyo last November. Leo, from New Mexico, is a two-division champion with a 26-1 pro record. He won the title by knocking out the favored Luis Alberto Lopez in 2024. Leo defended his title only once since then, defeating Tomoki Kameda in Japan in May. Leo's only career loss was to then-WBO 122-pound champion Stephen Fulton in 2021.
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Leo vs. Aleem purse bid results
The IBF held a purse bid today for featherweight champion Angelo Leo’s mandatory defense against Ra’eese Aleem. The winning bid was in the amount of $227,100 and was submitted by Aleem’s promoter, Sean Gibbons of Manny Pacquiao Promotions. Under IBF rules, Manny Pacquiao Promotions must hold the fight within ninety days. Aleem is 23-1 and is riding a streak of three straight high-quality wins since a split decision loss to Sam Goodman in Goodman’s native Australia. Aleem’s last outing was a unanimous decision road win over previously undefeated Mikito Nakano in Tokyo last November. Leo, from New Mexico, is a two-division champion with a 26-1 pro record. He won the title by knocking out the favored Luis Alberto Lopez in 2024. Leo defended his title only once since then, defeating Tomoki Kameda in Japan in May. Leo's only career loss was to then-WBO 122-pound champion Stephen Fulton in 2021.
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Zuffa Boxing and the unattended gate |
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History provides an important lesson that boxing entities would be wise to heed: history is unkind to incumbents who mistake possession for permanence. Kodak invented digital photography. It held the patents. It had the brand. It had the distribution. But it protected the old model while the marketplace shifted beneath it. The future did not defeat Kodak-- it bypassed it. In 1940, France built the Maginot Line — a masterpiece of fortification designed to prevent the last war from repeating itself. Germany did not attack it head-on. It went around it. Strength was not absent. The map had changed.
Boxing today does not lack firepower. The sanctioning bodies operate across seventeen or eighteen weight divisions (if you count bridgerweight), with regional titles, international rankings, and decades of recognition. Promoters hold television relationships, capital, and global infrastructure. On paper, the walls are intact. And yet the challenger speaks as though the perimeter is empty.
When Zuffa Boxing's Dana White recently described entering boxing as “like taking candy from a baby,” the phrasing was blunt. But beneath it was something more revealing than bravado: surprise at the absence of coordinated resistance.
Surprise that criticism arrived individually, not collectively.
Surprise that no unified articulation of the existing system’s strengths materialized.
The debate has centered on a single number: three percent.
Three percent is what the four major sanctioning bodies charge boxers fighting for their title. Thefee is visible. It appears on a purse sheet. It can be pointed to, simplified, and criticized. But markets tend to reveal what arguments miss.
When Francis Ngannou stepped into the ring against Tyson Fury, the purse reflected open negotiation. When Conor McGregor boxed Floyd Mayweather Jr., the upside behaved differently than it does inside a centralized promotional contract. When Nate Diaz crossed over to face Jake Paul, the marketplace again demonstrated that flexibility has value. These were not sentimental exhibitions. They were economic decisions.
At the highest level of boxing, one night can generate earnings that many fighters in centralized systems will not approach across years. This is not a comment on toughness. It is a reflection of structure. The toll booth is easy to see.
Ownership of the highway is not. In boxing’s decentralized model, elite fighters negotiate independently. They can secure outside sponsorships. They can move between promoters. They can climb through regional titles toward larger opportunities. The system is imperfect and fragmented — but it is plural.
Zuffa’s model is centralized. Fewer divisions. One promotional ecosystem. Advancement defined internally. Commercial presentation standardized. Contracts that often span dozens of pages and define the entire economic relationship. Contracts do not grow to thirty-six pages by accident. They expand because contingencies are defined. Extension triggers clarified. Exclusivity reinforced. Dispute forums specified. In industries that have faced significant litigation and regulatory scrutiny, drafting becomes meticulous.
Length, by itself, is not the issue. Leverage is. Under the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, fighters operating in the United States retain statutory avenues to challenge certain promotional and sanctioning actions. That leverage exists outside the contract. If Congress revises the law in a manner that formally deems a centralized promotional model compliant, which is the case here, judicial review narrows. Courts interpret statutes; they do not rewrite them. Once compliance is codified, the perimeter shifts.
That is not a moral claim. It is an institutional one. Which brings the conversation back to the gate... The sanctioning bodies and major promoters possess a compelling counterargument to the 3% narrative. They can point to independent negotiation. They can point to crossover paydays. They can point to statutory protections. They can point to plural pathways and regional ladders that allow mobility. The arguments exist... The numbers exist... The precedent exists.
And yet... there has been no unified articulation of those strengths. History suggests that incumbents rarely lose because they lack resources. They lose because they defend the wrong terrain — or fail to defend it together. Fortresses are not surrendered when the walls collapse. They are surrendered when no one is certain who is standing watch. And when this chapter of the sport is revisited, it may not speak of conquest. It may not speak of sudden collapse. It may simply remember a moment when the gates stood open — and someone, almost incredulously, given the unattended gate, described the entry as “like taking candy from a baby.”
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Zuffa Boxing and the unattended gate
History provides an important lesson that boxing entities would be wise to heed: history is unkind to incumbents who mistake possession for permanence. Kodak invented digital photography. It held the patents. It had the brand. It had the distribution. But it protected the old model while the marketplace shifted beneath it. The future did not defeat Kodak-- it bypassed it. In 1940, France built the Maginot Line — a masterpiece of fortification designed to prevent the last war from repeating itself. Germany did not attack it head-on. It went around it. Strength was not absent. The map had changed.
Boxing today does not lack firepower. The sanctioning bodies operate across seventeen or eighteen weight divisions (if you count bridgerweight), with regional titles, international rankings, and decades of recognition. Promoters hold television relationships, capital, and global infrastructure. On paper, the walls are intact. And yet the challenger speaks as though the perimeter is empty.
When Zuffa Boxing's Dana White recently described entering boxing as “like taking candy from a baby,” the phrasing was blunt. But beneath it was something more revealing than bravado: surprise at the absence of coordinated resistance.
Surprise that criticism arrived individually, not collectively.
Surprise that no unified articulation of the existing system’s strengths materialized.
The debate has centered on a single number: three percent.
Three percent is what the four major sanctioning bodies charge boxers fighting for their title. Thefee is visible. It appears on a purse sheet. It can be pointed to, simplified, and criticized. But markets tend to reveal what arguments miss.
When Francis Ngannou stepped into the ring against Tyson Fury, the purse reflected open negotiation. When Conor McGregor boxed Floyd Mayweather Jr., the upside behaved differently than it does inside a centralized promotional contract. When Nate Diaz crossed over to face Jake Paul, the marketplace again demonstrated that flexibility has value. These were not sentimental exhibitions. They were economic decisions.
At the highest level of boxing, one night can generate earnings that many fighters in centralized systems will not approach across years. This is not a comment on toughness. It is a reflection of structure. The toll booth is easy to see.
Ownership of the highway is not. In boxing’s decentralized model, elite fighters negotiate independently. They can secure outside sponsorships. They can move between promoters. They can climb through regional titles toward larger opportunities. The system is imperfect and fragmented — but it is plural.
Zuffa’s model is centralized. Fewer divisions. One promotional ecosystem. Advancement defined internally. Commercial presentation standardized. Contracts that often span dozens of pages and define the entire economic relationship. Contracts do not grow to thirty-six pages by accident. They expand because contingencies are defined. Extension triggers clarified. Exclusivity reinforced. Dispute forums specified. In industries that have faced significant litigation and regulatory scrutiny, drafting becomes meticulous.
Length, by itself, is not the issue. Leverage is. Under the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, fighters operating in the United States retain statutory avenues to challenge certain promotional and sanctioning actions. That leverage exists outside the contract. If Congress revises the law in a manner that formally deems a centralized promotional model compliant, which is the case here, judicial review narrows. Courts interpret statutes; they do not rewrite them. Once compliance is codified, the perimeter shifts.
That is not a moral claim. It is an institutional one. Which brings the conversation back to the gate... The sanctioning bodies and major promoters possess a compelling counterargument to the 3% narrative. They can point to independent negotiation. They can point to crossover paydays. They can point to statutory protections. They can point to plural pathways and regional ladders that allow mobility. The arguments exist... The numbers exist... The precedent exists.
And yet... there has been no unified articulation of those strengths. History suggests that incumbents rarely lose because they lack resources. They lose because they defend the wrong terrain — or fail to defend it together. Fortresses are not surrendered when the walls collapse. They are surrendered when no one is certain who is standing watch. And when this chapter of the sport is revisited, it may not speak of conquest. It may not speak of sudden collapse. It may simply remember a moment when the gates stood open — and someone, almost incredulously, given the unattended gate, described the entry as “like taking candy from a baby.”
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Report: Ryan Garcia has some weight to lose |
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WBC welterweight champion, Mario “Azteca” Barrios, will face Ryan Garcia this coming February 21st at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Barrios (29-2-2, 18 KOs) gained the WBC interim title in 2023 by defeating Yordenis Ugás and defending it against Fabián Maidana. He was then elevated to WBC full champion following Terence Crawford’s departure from the division. His last two defenses ended in draws: first against Abel Ramos in November 2024 and, most recently, this past July against the Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao. Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs) seeks redemption after a turbulent year. Garcia returns to the ring following a defeat against Rolando Romero last May. Both warriors passed the WBC's seven-day pre-fight weigh-in, but one more readily than the other. On or before Feb. 14th, with a looming weight limit of 147 pounds, Barrios tipped the scales at 150.6, while Garcia registered 159.4 pounds.
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Report: Ryan Garcia has some weight to lose
WBC welterweight champion, Mario “Azteca” Barrios, will face Ryan Garcia this coming February 21st at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Barrios (29-2-2, 18 KOs) gained the WBC interim title in 2023 by defeating Yordenis Ugás and defending it against Fabián Maidana. He was then elevated to WBC full champion following Terence Crawford’s departure from the division. His last two defenses ended in draws: first against Abel Ramos in November 2024 and, most recently, this past July against the Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao. Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs) seeks redemption after a turbulent year. Garcia returns to the ring following a defeat against Rolando Romero last May. Both warriors passed the WBC's seven-day pre-fight weigh-in, but one more readily than the other. On or before Feb. 14th, with a looming weight limit of 147 pounds, Barrios tipped the scales at 150.6, while Garcia registered 159.4 pounds.
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Mario Barrios training camp update |
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WBC welterweight champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios (29-2-2, 18 KOs) is in the final stretch of training camp ahead of his twelve-round title defense against Ryan Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs). The bout headlines on Saturday, February 21st at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, promoted by TGB Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions. The event will be available worldwide on DAZN, either as part of a subscription or as a pay-per-view add-on. Barrios has been locked in at training camp since December of 2025, under the guidance of new trainer, Hall of Fame coach, Joe Goossen, whose legendary career continues to shape championship fighters. Barrios emphasized that Goossen's attention to detail and championship mentality have been crucial in preparing for a high-risk, high-reward fight. “Working with Joe Goossen has brought a whole new level to my game,” said Barrios. “His experience, the way he sees the ring, it’s been a huge advantage. Every session, he’s pushing me to refine my strengths and fix every small mistake. I’ve grown more as a fighter in this camp and I’m ready to bring a war to Ryan Garcia.”
On his upcoming challenge against the explosive Ryan Garcia, Barrios remains confident yet respectful. “I give Ryan credit—he’s fast, he’s dangerous, and he’s hungry,” Barrios stated. “But I’ve been in deep waters before, and I know how to stay composed and break my opponents down. This fight is about proving that I’m not just a champion—I’m one of the best in the world at 147. Garcia has power, but I’ve seen it all in the ring. I’m ready to go through fire to keep what’s mine.”
Barrios is the reigning WBC welterweight champion. Initially an interim champ, he was elevated to full champion status in 2024, following victories over Yordenis Ugas and Fabian Maidana. “Defending this title means everything to me,” said Barrios. “I fought my way back to the top, and now that I’m champion, this belt is staying home with me. Every round, every second, I’ll be fighting like a man whose entire spirit is in that ring—like everything I am is on the line.”
Representing San Antonio, Texas, Barrios knows this bout is more than just a title defense—it’s a career-defining moment. “This is bigger than just another fight—this is another opportunity to cement my legacy,” Barrios concluded. “I’m representing my city, my family, and every person who’s believed in me since day one. When I step into that ring, I carry San Antonio on my back—and I’m leaving with my hand raised. A win on February 21 isn’t just another victory—it’s a message to the entire boxing world, I’m here to stay.”
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Mario Barrios training camp update
WBC welterweight champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios (29-2-2, 18 KOs) is in the final stretch of training camp ahead of his twelve-round title defense against Ryan Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs). The bout headlines on Saturday, February 21st at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, promoted by TGB Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions. The event will be available worldwide on DAZN, either as part of a subscription or as a pay-per-view add-on. Barrios has been locked in at training camp since December of 2025, under the guidance of new trainer, Hall of Fame coach, Joe Goossen, whose legendary career continues to shape championship fighters. Barrios emphasized that Goossen's attention to detail and championship mentality have been crucial in preparing for a high-risk, high-reward fight. “Working with Joe Goossen has brought a whole new level to my game,” said Barrios. “His experience, the way he sees the ring, it’s been a huge advantage. Every session, he’s pushing me to refine my strengths and fix every small mistake. I’ve grown more as a fighter in this camp and I’m ready to bring a war to Ryan Garcia.”
On his upcoming challenge against the explosive Ryan Garcia, Barrios remains confident yet respectful. “I give Ryan credit—he’s fast, he’s dangerous, and he’s hungry,” Barrios stated. “But I’ve been in deep waters before, and I know how to stay composed and break my opponents down. This fight is about proving that I’m not just a champion—I’m one of the best in the world at 147. Garcia has power, but I’ve seen it all in the ring. I’m ready to go through fire to keep what’s mine.”
Barrios is the reigning WBC welterweight champion. Initially an interim champ, he was elevated to full champion status in 2024, following victories over Yordenis Ugas and Fabian Maidana. “Defending this title means everything to me,” said Barrios. “I fought my way back to the top, and now that I’m champion, this belt is staying home with me. Every round, every second, I’ll be fighting like a man whose entire spirit is in that ring—like everything I am is on the line.”
Representing San Antonio, Texas, Barrios knows this bout is more than just a title defense—it’s a career-defining moment. “This is bigger than just another fight—this is another opportunity to cement my legacy,” Barrios concluded. “I’m representing my city, my family, and every person who’s believed in me since day one. When I step into that ring, I carry San Antonio on my back—and I’m leaving with my hand raised. A win on February 21 isn’t just another victory—it’s a message to the entire boxing world, I’m here to stay.”
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Arutyunyan and Samedov win interim belts in Russia |
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Vartan Arutyunyan TKO6 Georgiy Yunovidov... On Saturday night at the Traktor Ice Arena in Chelyabinsk, Russia, Armenia’s Vartan Arutyunyan stopped hometown titleholder Georgiy Yunovidov in the sixth round to capture the WBA interim bridgerweight title. Yunovidov (12-3 including IBA pro fights) really wasn't much of a champion, as he was coming off a loss to a little-known heavyweight but was allowed to keep his 224-pound title by the WBA. Yunovidov opened the bout boxing behind technique and range, looking to control distance and tempo. But Arutyunyan disrupted that rhythm early, pressing forward with intent and forcing exchanges that favored his heavier artillery. The turning point came in the fifth round. A sharp combination from Arutyunyan dropped the defending champion, shifting momentum dramatically. Although Yunovidov rose to finish the frame, the fight had clearly swung in the challenger’s direction. At the start of the sixth, Arutyunyan came out with urgency. He backed Yunovidov to the ropes and unleashed a barrage of punishing hooks. With the Russian offering little in return and absorbing clean, unanswered shots, the referee stepped in to wave it off. The win positions Arutyunyan on a direct collision course with the division’s regular champion, Muslim Gadzhimagomedov.
Elnur Samedov TKO11 John Lennon Gutierrez... As part of the same show, hometown fighter Elnur Samedov claimed the WBA interim junior lightweight title with an eleventh-round TKO over Colombia’s John Lennon Gutierrez in a grueling battle defined by pace, persistence, and punishment. From the opening bell, Samedov set a suffocating tempo. He cut off the ring with precision and forced the taller Colombian to fight at close quarters. Gutierrez tried to establish distance behind his reach advantage, but the Russian’s relentless pressure began breaking him down by the middle rounds. The first major breakthrough came in the seventh. Samedov detonated a sharp combination that sent Gutierrez to the canvas for the first time. To his credit, the Colombian rose and showed tremendous grit, remaining competitive over the next few rounds despite absorbing heavy fire. But in the eleventh, the dam finally broke. Samedov unleashed a sustained assault, scoring another knockdown and trapping Gutierrez along the ropes with unanswered shots. Seeing no effective return and with the challenger defenseless, the referee stepped in to halt the contest. With the victory, Samedov improves to 22-1 while Gutierrez falls to 11-1 in his European debut.
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Arutyunyan and Samedov win interim belts in Russia
Vartan Arutyunyan TKO6 Georgiy Yunovidov... On Saturday night at the Traktor Ice Arena in Chelyabinsk, Russia, Armenia’s Vartan Arutyunyan stopped hometown titleholder Georgiy Yunovidov in the sixth round to capture the WBA interim bridgerweight title. Yunovidov (12-3 including IBA pro fights) really wasn't much of a champion, as he was coming off a loss to a little-known heavyweight but was allowed to keep his 224-pound title by the WBA. Yunovidov opened the bout boxing behind technique and range, looking to control distance and tempo. But Arutyunyan disrupted that rhythm early, pressing forward with intent and forcing exchanges that favored his heavier artillery. The turning point came in the fifth round. A sharp combination from Arutyunyan dropped the defending champion, shifting momentum dramatically. Although Yunovidov rose to finish the frame, the fight had clearly swung in the challenger’s direction. At the start of the sixth, Arutyunyan came out with urgency. He backed Yunovidov to the ropes and unleashed a barrage of punishing hooks. With the Russian offering little in return and absorbing clean, unanswered shots, the referee stepped in to wave it off. The win positions Arutyunyan on a direct collision course with the division’s regular champion, Muslim Gadzhimagomedov.
Elnur Samedov TKO11 John Lennon Gutierrez... As part of the same show, hometown fighter Elnur Samedov claimed the WBA interim junior lightweight title with an eleventh-round TKO over Colombia’s John Lennon Gutierrez in a grueling battle defined by pace, persistence, and punishment. From the opening bell, Samedov set a suffocating tempo. He cut off the ring with precision and forced the taller Colombian to fight at close quarters. Gutierrez tried to establish distance behind his reach advantage, but the Russian’s relentless pressure began breaking him down by the middle rounds. The first major breakthrough came in the seventh. Samedov detonated a sharp combination that sent Gutierrez to the canvas for the first time. To his credit, the Colombian rose and showed tremendous grit, remaining competitive over the next few rounds despite absorbing heavy fire. But in the eleventh, the dam finally broke. Samedov unleashed a sustained assault, scoring another knockdown and trapping Gutierrez along the ropes with unanswered shots. Seeing no effective return and with the challenger defenseless, the referee stepped in to halt the contest. With the victory, Samedov improves to 22-1 while Gutierrez falls to 11-1 in his European debut.
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Gabriela Tellez to face Calista Silgado on Friday |
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Boxlab Promotions’ lightweight Gabriela Tellez (6-0, 2 KOs), just wrapped up training camp as she gears up for the biggest fight of her young career. Tellez will face veteran power-puncher Calista Silgado (22-20-4, 16 KOs) in a scheduled ten-round bout on Friday, February 20th at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. The action-packed event will stream live worldwide on the Boxlab Promotions YouTube channel. For Tellez, this isn’t just another fight — it’s an opportunity to announce herself as a serious force in the lightweight division. Tellez held her training camp in San Antonio, Texas under the guidance of head coach Arturo Ramos and her father, Martin Tellez. Speaking on her preparation, Tellez emphasized that the structure and discipline in camp have her feeling stronger and more confident than ever heading into her first 10-round title fight.
“This has been the most intense camp of my career,” said Tellez. “Working with coach Arturo Ramos and my dad in San Antonio pushed me mentally and physically. We focused on sharpening every detail, my footwork, my conditioning, my combinations. I’m not just coming in to win…I’m coming in to dominate. This camp was about preparing to make a statement.”
Tellez understands that Silgado brings experience and knockout power into the ring, but she sees the matchup as the perfect test at the right time. Tellez believes Silgado’s veteran presence will bring out the best in her. “Calista has experience and she’s faced tough competition. Sixteen knockouts shows she can punch,” Tellez said. “But experience doesn’t win fights by itself. Hunger does. Discipline does. I respect what she’s done in the sport, but this is my time. I’m younger, I’m sharper, and I’m evolving every fight. I’m ready for this level. Fighting someone like her motivates me. This is the kind of opponent that proves where you really belong. I’m ready to show that I belong at the top.”
At just 6-0, Tellez knows that a victory on February 20th could accelerate her rise in the lightweight rankings. She closed with a message to fans tuning in worldwide. “A win here changes everything,” said Tellez confidently. “It puts my name in the conversation. It shows I can go 10 rounds, handle a veteran, and perform under pressure. After this fight, people won’t just see me as a prospect, they’ll see me as a contender. On February 20th, I’m going to show the world exactly who Gabriela Tellez is. I’m hungry, I’m focused, and I’m coming to take that title.”
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Gabriela Tellez to face Calista Silgado on Friday
Boxlab Promotions’ lightweight Gabriela Tellez (6-0, 2 KOs), just wrapped up training camp as she gears up for the biggest fight of her young career. Tellez will face veteran power-puncher Calista Silgado (22-20-4, 16 KOs) in a scheduled ten-round bout on Friday, February 20th at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. The action-packed event will stream live worldwide on the Boxlab Promotions YouTube channel. For Tellez, this isn’t just another fight — it’s an opportunity to announce herself as a serious force in the lightweight division. Tellez held her training camp in San Antonio, Texas under the guidance of head coach Arturo Ramos and her father, Martin Tellez. Speaking on her preparation, Tellez emphasized that the structure and discipline in camp have her feeling stronger and more confident than ever heading into her first 10-round title fight.
“This has been the most intense camp of my career,” said Tellez. “Working with coach Arturo Ramos and my dad in San Antonio pushed me mentally and physically. We focused on sharpening every detail, my footwork, my conditioning, my combinations. I’m not just coming in to win…I’m coming in to dominate. This camp was about preparing to make a statement.”
Tellez understands that Silgado brings experience and knockout power into the ring, but she sees the matchup as the perfect test at the right time. Tellez believes Silgado’s veteran presence will bring out the best in her. “Calista has experience and she’s faced tough competition. Sixteen knockouts shows she can punch,” Tellez said. “But experience doesn’t win fights by itself. Hunger does. Discipline does. I respect what she’s done in the sport, but this is my time. I’m younger, I’m sharper, and I’m evolving every fight. I’m ready for this level. Fighting someone like her motivates me. This is the kind of opponent that proves where you really belong. I’m ready to show that I belong at the top.”
At just 6-0, Tellez knows that a victory on February 20th could accelerate her rise in the lightweight rankings. She closed with a message to fans tuning in worldwide. “A win here changes everything,” said Tellez confidently. “It puts my name in the conversation. It shows I can go 10 rounds, handle a veteran, and perform under pressure. After this fight, people won’t just see me as a prospect, they’ll see me as a contender. On February 20th, I’m going to show the world exactly who Gabriela Tellez is. I’m hungry, I’m focused, and I’m coming to take that title.”
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Henry Stewart picks up easy win in Virginia |
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Henry Stewart TKO2 Ulisses Jimenez Munoz... USA-based Canadian Henry Stewart had no trouble defeating Mexico's Ulisses Jimenez Munoz on Saturday in Richmond. Munoz, age 42, is 1-6 over the past two years and 25-39-1 overall. The 31 year-old Stewart stopped Munoz in two rounds of cruiserweight action. With the victory Stewart improved his professional record to 8-0. The fight headlined a show promoted by Game Related Sports Agency.
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Henry Stewart picks up easy win in Virginia
Henry Stewart TKO2 Ulisses Jimenez Munoz... USA-based Canadian Henry Stewart had no trouble defeating Mexico's Ulisses Jimenez Munoz on Saturday in Richmond. Munoz, age 42, is 1-6 over the past two years and 25-39-1 overall. The 31 year-old Stewart stopped Munoz in two rounds of cruiserweight action. With the victory Stewart improved his professional record to 8-0. The fight headlined a show promoted by Game Related Sports Agency.
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Welcome to Barrios vs. Garcia fight week: discount tickets available |
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Mario Barrios and Ryan Garcia meet in Las Vegas this Saturday, and 50%-off tickets are available for this WBC welterweight championship match-up. Set to take place at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Barrios will bid to extend his reign as WBC champion following his majority draw with Manny Pacquiao. But Garcia, seeking a first world strap, will hope he can get the job done after he came up short against Rolly Romero in his last outing. The fight will be streamed live and exclusively on DAZN pay-per-view and Ultimate Tier DAZN has teamed up with AXS, the official ticket provider, to offer customers a unique discount to attend this clash. Right now, fans can enjoy 50% off tickets for Barrios versus Garcia. Click here to get 50% off tickets, using the code DAZN50.
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Welcome to Barrios vs. Garcia fight week: discount tickets available
Mario Barrios and Ryan Garcia meet in Las Vegas this Saturday, and 50%-off tickets are available for this WBC welterweight championship match-up. Set to take place at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Barrios will bid to extend his reign as WBC champion following his majority draw with Manny Pacquiao. But Garcia, seeking a first world strap, will hope he can get the job done after he came up short against Rolly Romero in his last outing. The fight will be streamed live and exclusively on DAZN pay-per-view and Ultimate Tier DAZN has teamed up with AXS, the official ticket provider, to offer customers a unique discount to attend this clash. Right now, fans can enjoy 50% off tickets for Barrios versus Garcia. Click here to get 50% off tickets, using the code DAZN50.
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Ajagba stops Martin in four |
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Efe Ajagba TKO4 Charles Martin... In Zuffa Boxing's main event from Las Vegas, Nigerian heavyweight Efe Ajagba calmly dismantled former IBF champion Charles Martin in just four rounds. Martin started out with a slick one-two as he showed off his speed in the early moments, then used his quickness to counter effectively as the round wore on. But, as the round came to a close, Ajagba started to find a home for his shots as Martin got his first taste of "The Silent Roller's" heavy punch power. Martin boxed smartly from the outside through the second round, scoring frequently as Ajagba tried to walk him down to throw big shots. Then, late in the round, Martin briefly seemed to stun Ajagba with a well-timed left cross, but despite a crisp follow-up combination, he couldn't quite make the breakthrough as the round came to a close.
The bout exploded into life in the third. Martin was boxing well and scoring from the outside, and had connected with a couple of solid left hands when Ajagba stepped in and dropped him hard with a big right hand. Martin beat the count, but looked far from steady on his feet as the bout resumed. But, despite looking close to being finished, Martin showed guts and determination to survive the round.
Ajagba picked up in the fourth where he left off in the third as he stalked Martin around the ring, landing big shots. Another right hand dropped Martin once again and, after the American managed beat the count again, Ajagba eventually forced referee Thomas Taylor to step in after another barrage of heavy shots found their mark. The finish gave Ajagba his 15th career stoppage victory as he improved his record to 21-1-1 to put the rest of the heavyweight division on notice.
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Ajagba stops Martin in four
Efe Ajagba TKO4 Charles Martin... In Zuffa Boxing's main event from Las Vegas, Nigerian heavyweight Efe Ajagba calmly dismantled former IBF champion Charles Martin in just four rounds. Martin started out with a slick one-two as he showed off his speed in the early moments, then used his quickness to counter effectively as the round wore on. But, as the round came to a close, Ajagba started to find a home for his shots as Martin got his first taste of "The Silent Roller's" heavy punch power. Martin boxed smartly from the outside through the second round, scoring frequently as Ajagba tried to walk him down to throw big shots. Then, late in the round, Martin briefly seemed to stun Ajagba with a well-timed left cross, but despite a crisp follow-up combination, he couldn't quite make the breakthrough as the round came to a close.
The bout exploded into life in the third. Martin was boxing well and scoring from the outside, and had connected with a couple of solid left hands when Ajagba stepped in and dropped him hard with a big right hand. Martin beat the count, but looked far from steady on his feet as the bout resumed. But, despite looking close to being finished, Martin showed guts and determination to survive the round.
Ajagba picked up in the fourth where he left off in the third as he stalked Martin around the ring, landing big shots. Another right hand dropped Martin once again and, after the American managed beat the count again, Ajagba eventually forced referee Thomas Taylor to step in after another barrage of heavy shots found their mark. The finish gave Ajagba his 15th career stoppage victory as he improved his record to 21-1-1 to put the rest of the heavyweight division on notice.
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Watch: Dzambekov gets highlight reel KO of Elibali |
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Umar Dzambekov KO2 Ahmed Elbiali... At Zuffa Boxing 03 in Las Vegas, undefeated Austrian light heavyweight Umar Dzambekov scored a jaw-dropping knockout of Egyptian-American Ahmed Elbiali. Dzambekov quickly settled into his work in the opening round, and in the second he exploded with a huge knockout. Dzambekov had already found his mark with a body shot when Elbiali stepped in, looking to find an answer. But all he found was a colossal upper cut from Dzambekov that knocked Elbiali out cold from the moment it landed. Elbiali needed a little time to regain consciousness before being able to sit up. After extending his perfect professional record to 14-0 with his tenth career knockout, Dzambekov said he was ready to take on whatever challenges the Zuffa Boxing matchmakers throw his way. After a win like that, it's sure to be must-see TV, regardless of the opponent.
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Watch: Dzambekov gets highlight reel KO of Elibali
Umar Dzambekov KO2 Ahmed Elbiali... At Zuffa Boxing 03 in Las Vegas, undefeated Austrian light heavyweight Umar Dzambekov scored a jaw-dropping knockout of Egyptian-American Ahmed Elbiali. Dzambekov quickly settled into his work in the opening round, and in the second he exploded with a huge knockout. Dzambekov had already found his mark with a body shot when Elbiali stepped in, looking to find an answer. But all he found was a colossal upper cut from Dzambekov that knocked Elbiali out cold from the moment it landed. Elbiali needed a little time to regain consciousness before being able to sit up. After extending his perfect professional record to 14-0 with his tenth career knockout, Dzambekov said he was ready to take on whatever challenges the Zuffa Boxing matchmakers throw his way. After a win like that, it's sure to be must-see TV, regardless of the opponent.
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Zuffa Boxing 03 undercard results |
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Jaybrio Pe Benito TKO3 Abel Mejia... Undefeated lightweights went head-to-head in the main card opener and served up a spectacular finish as Jaybrio Pe Benito made a mockery of his underdog status to stop Abel Mejia in the third round. Pe Benito showcased his hand speed from the opening bell, and connected with some solid shots early as he used his quickness to consistently beat Mejia to the punch. And, with Mejia stepping in to go toe to toe in a bid to impose himself in the second round, Pe Benito timed a superb short left hook to put Mejia down and onto the seat of his pants right at the end of the round. Mejia came out of the corner for round three looking to re-establish himself, and the pair quickly got involved in another heavy-handed exchange. And, just as we saw at the end of the second round, Pe Benito stood firm, planted his feet, and answered with a huge shot. This time it was a huge right hand that spun Mejia's jaw and sent him down the canvas. Mejia gamely beat the count, but the referee saw that he was in no position to continue and mercifully waved off the contest 48 seconds into the round to spark wild scenes as Pe Benito celebrated a TKO victory. Pe Benito's finish improved his career record to 7-0, with five knockouts as he handed Mejia the first defeat of his career to send him home with his record reading 10-1.
Leo Ruiz TKO4 Casey Streeter ... Experienced middleweights went head to head in the final preliminary card matchup of the night, as Leo Ruiz claimed a fourth-round TKO victory over Casey Streeter in their eight-round 157-pound catchweight matchup. Streeter focused on speed and volume as he worked several multi-punch combinations through the opening rounds, while Mexico's Ruiz looked to dip and duck into range before ripping hard to the body and coming upstairs with clubbing shots. Following a tactical adjustment from his corner, Streeter started Round 3 looking to stay on the outside, but it appeared to have a detrimental effect on the Portland, Maine fighter's effectiveness, as he found himself out of range for his combinations. But, once he stepped back in and started to land his work again, Ruiz loaded up and hurt Streeter badly as he came close to finishing the fight. After a tough third round, Streeter's corner told him in no uncertain terms that if he continued to get clipped hard, he'd be pulled out of the fight, but in the end, it was the referee who made the decision before the corner. Ruiz loaded up and cracked Streeter with a huge straight right, and the official decided he'd seen enough and waved off the fight at the 1:23 mark of Round 4. Ruiz's fight-ending punch was his 100th shot to Streeter's head over those four punishing rounds. It gave Ruiz the ninth stoppage victory of his career as he improved his record to 17-1.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS Texas middleweight Mark Beuke battled all the way to the scorecards with Antonio Woods (14-2) to claim the biggest win of his career. Beuke, whose three career defeats came via either split- or majority decision, battled to the final bell to earn a split-decision verdict that fell in his favor. After eight hard-fought rounds, the judges were called into action to decide the victor, and it was Beuke who got the nod, with the scorecards reading 77-75, 75-77, 77-75 to give the Texan a 13-3 record and extend his active win streak to ten fights.
Undefeated Mexican lightweight Oswaldo Molina used his physical advantages to great effect as he pitched a shutout on the scorecards to comprehensively outbox nineteen-year old Joshua Clark in their six-round lightweight contest. Molina is now 9-0.
Eighteen-year-old Mexican Emiliano Alvarado showed potential as he claimed a fourth round victory over New Jersey's Devin Gantt in their 122-pound matchup. The matchup was Alvarado's first bout against a southpaw, and a thumping left hook to the body quickly told the teenager he would have to keep his defenses in check against Gantt, who started aggressively and outstruck the Mexican through the first three minutes. Alvarado turned up the pressure in the fourth round as he forced Gantt backward with more heavy punches. Gantt attempted to stem the tide with some stiff shots of his own, but he was unable to halt the Mexican's relentless attacks. Eventually, an overwhelmed Gantt took an eight count from the referee and, when asked if he could continue, admitted that he could not. The bout was promptly waved off at the 1:24 mark, with Alvarado claiming the 10th win of his professional career.
In the opening bout of the night, undefeated Russian lightweight Dariial Kuchmenov extended his perfect professional record to 10-0 with a fourth-round TKO victory over Mexico's Jorge Lagunas (19-8)
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Zuffa Boxing 03 undercard results
Jaybrio Pe Benito TKO3 Abel Mejia... Undefeated lightweights went head-to-head in the main card opener and served up a spectacular finish as Jaybrio Pe Benito made a mockery of his underdog status to stop Abel Mejia in the third round. Pe Benito showcased his hand speed from the opening bell, and connected with some solid shots early as he used his quickness to consistently beat Mejia to the punch. And, with Mejia stepping in to go toe to toe in a bid to impose himself in the second round, Pe Benito timed a superb short left hook to put Mejia down and onto the seat of his pants right at the end of the round. Mejia came out of the corner for round three looking to re-establish himself, and the pair quickly got involved in another heavy-handed exchange. And, just as we saw at the end of the second round, Pe Benito stood firm, planted his feet, and answered with a huge shot. This time it was a huge right hand that spun Mejia's jaw and sent him down the canvas. Mejia gamely beat the count, but the referee saw that he was in no position to continue and mercifully waved off the contest 48 seconds into the round to spark wild scenes as Pe Benito celebrated a TKO victory. Pe Benito's finish improved his career record to 7-0, with five knockouts as he handed Mejia the first defeat of his career to send him home with his record reading 10-1.
Leo Ruiz TKO4 Casey Streeter ... Experienced middleweights went head to head in the final preliminary card matchup of the night, as Leo Ruiz claimed a fourth-round TKO victory over Casey Streeter in their eight-round 157-pound catchweight matchup. Streeter focused on speed and volume as he worked several multi-punch combinations through the opening rounds, while Mexico's Ruiz looked to dip and duck into range before ripping hard to the body and coming upstairs with clubbing shots. Following a tactical adjustment from his corner, Streeter started Round 3 looking to stay on the outside, but it appeared to have a detrimental effect on the Portland, Maine fighter's effectiveness, as he found himself out of range for his combinations. But, once he stepped back in and started to land his work again, Ruiz loaded up and hurt Streeter badly as he came close to finishing the fight. After a tough third round, Streeter's corner told him in no uncertain terms that if he continued to get clipped hard, he'd be pulled out of the fight, but in the end, it was the referee who made the decision before the corner. Ruiz loaded up and cracked Streeter with a huge straight right, and the official decided he'd seen enough and waved off the fight at the 1:23 mark of Round 4. Ruiz's fight-ending punch was his 100th shot to Streeter's head over those four punishing rounds. It gave Ruiz the ninth stoppage victory of his career as he improved his record to 17-1.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS Texas middleweight Mark Beuke battled all the way to the scorecards with Antonio Woods (14-2) to claim the biggest win of his career. Beuke, whose three career defeats came via either split- or majority decision, battled to the final bell to earn a split-decision verdict that fell in his favor. After eight hard-fought rounds, the judges were called into action to decide the victor, and it was Beuke who got the nod, with the scorecards reading 77-75, 75-77, 77-75 to give the Texan a 13-3 record and extend his active win streak to ten fights.
Undefeated Mexican lightweight Oswaldo Molina used his physical advantages to great effect as he pitched a shutout on the scorecards to comprehensively outbox nineteen-year old Joshua Clark in their six-round lightweight contest. Molina is now 9-0.
Eighteen-year-old Mexican Emiliano Alvarado showed potential as he claimed a fourth round victory over New Jersey's Devin Gantt in their 122-pound matchup. The matchup was Alvarado's first bout against a southpaw, and a thumping left hook to the body quickly told the teenager he would have to keep his defenses in check against Gantt, who started aggressively and outstruck the Mexican through the first three minutes. Alvarado turned up the pressure in the fourth round as he forced Gantt backward with more heavy punches. Gantt attempted to stem the tide with some stiff shots of his own, but he was unable to halt the Mexican's relentless attacks. Eventually, an overwhelmed Gantt took an eight count from the referee and, when asked if he could continue, admitted that he could not. The bout was promptly waved off at the 1:24 mark, with Alvarado claiming the 10th win of his professional career.
In the opening bout of the night, undefeated Russian lightweight Dariial Kuchmenov extended his perfect professional record to 10-0 with a fourth-round TKO victory over Mexico's Jorge Lagunas (19-8)
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Tonight: Ajagba looks to erase bad memories of Bakole draw |
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Nigerian heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba is still smarting from his controversial draw in his last fight. Now he’s ready to step through the ropes and make a statement at Zuffa Boxing 03. Ajagba is in Las Vegas for his Zuffa Boxing debut where he’ll take on Charles Martin in the main event of Zuffa Boxing 03 at the Meta Apex on February 15th. It’s a chance for Ajagba to put things right after he battled to a majority draw with Martin Bakole last May in a fight many believed Ajagba had done enough to win. Prior to that fight in Riyadh, Ajagba had won five straight to take his career record to 20-1. And while he has a loss on his record from earlier in his career, the draw with Bakole still sticks in his craw, and he’s determined to put it firmly in the rearview mirror with a big performance against Martin on Sunday night.
'Everybody knows that I won my last fight,” he stated. “But we move forward to this fight, and I all can think of is sticking to my gameplan and stuff like that. I’ve been working hard in training camp, in sparring, all that stuff. So my main focus is to just go to the ring and do what I’ve got to do.”
Ajagba thought his plan had worked out well against Bakole, as he used his movement to keep his heavier, less mobile opponent guessing as he made a great start to the matchup. But, as the rounds started to mount up, Ajagba started to slow in the closing rounds, which allowed Bakole enough of an opening to claim enough rounds in the judges’ eyes to earn a draw.
As far as Ajagba saw it, it was a solid execution of his pre-fight plan, and was only let down by the scoring. “My gameplan was perfect,” he said. “Everything we did in that fight was moving around, because the guy loves to fight, he loves to punch. He’s a big guy, so of course, he doesn’t want to move. He wanted me to stand in front of him to fight. My game plan was just to move, move, move; punch, punch, punch. But, at the end of the day, they made the fight a draw. It’s a disappointing result (but) I have to take it. It is what it is.”
Now with his record reading 20-1-1, with 14 knockouts, Ajagba is set to showcase his skills against 35-fight veteran Martin, who hasn’t fought since 2024. As a former IBF champion, Martin has plenty of pedigree, but Ajagba said he’ll just have too much for the American on fight night. “He’s not a tough opponent, but he’s a former champion. So, he’s fought a lot of great fighters, but at the same time, he lost… When he steps into the ring with me, it’s gonna be another defeat for him. That’s it.”
Ajagba knows he has the power to give Martin problems, but he said he wouldn’t go chasing the knockout. Instead, he said he’ll stick to his plan, and the knockout will eventually come. “Sometimes you don’t think about the knockout. I just go in there (and) do my thing,” he said. “Start with the jab to see his reaction, to see his weakness, and then just find his weakness – that’s what a boxer is looking for. When you see the weakness, that’s when you’re going to finish them off. So, my gameplan is just touch him, touch him, touch him. Whatever is hurting him, I can finish him off from there. That’s how the knockout comes.”
With Ajagba determined to rebound from his scorecard woe last time out, and with a former world champion standing across the ring from him, all the ingredients are in place for an exciting fight as “The Silent Roller” looks to let his fists do the talking.
But he did leave us with a quick rallying call to boxing fans to make sure they’re in front of a screen when he steps through the ropes on Sunday night. “You don’t want to miss this fight,” he said. “Buy your ticket, sit on your chair and you’ll be entertained – trust me. This is gonna be a great fight.”
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Tonight: Ajagba looks to erase bad memories of Bakole draw
Nigerian heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba is still smarting from his controversial draw in his last fight. Now he’s ready to step through the ropes and make a statement at Zuffa Boxing 03. Ajagba is in Las Vegas for his Zuffa Boxing debut where he’ll take on Charles Martin in the main event of Zuffa Boxing 03 at the Meta Apex on February 15th. It’s a chance for Ajagba to put things right after he battled to a majority draw with Martin Bakole last May in a fight many believed Ajagba had done enough to win. Prior to that fight in Riyadh, Ajagba had won five straight to take his career record to 20-1. And while he has a loss on his record from earlier in his career, the draw with Bakole still sticks in his craw, and he’s determined to put it firmly in the rearview mirror with a big performance against Martin on Sunday night.
'Everybody knows that I won my last fight,” he stated. “But we move forward to this fight, and I all can think of is sticking to my gameplan and stuff like that. I’ve been working hard in training camp, in sparring, all that stuff. So my main focus is to just go to the ring and do what I’ve got to do.”
Ajagba thought his plan had worked out well against Bakole, as he used his movement to keep his heavier, less mobile opponent guessing as he made a great start to the matchup. But, as the rounds started to mount up, Ajagba started to slow in the closing rounds, which allowed Bakole enough of an opening to claim enough rounds in the judges’ eyes to earn a draw.
As far as Ajagba saw it, it was a solid execution of his pre-fight plan, and was only let down by the scoring. “My gameplan was perfect,” he said. “Everything we did in that fight was moving around, because the guy loves to fight, he loves to punch. He’s a big guy, so of course, he doesn’t want to move. He wanted me to stand in front of him to fight. My game plan was just to move, move, move; punch, punch, punch. But, at the end of the day, they made the fight a draw. It’s a disappointing result (but) I have to take it. It is what it is.”
Now with his record reading 20-1-1, with 14 knockouts, Ajagba is set to showcase his skills against 35-fight veteran Martin, who hasn’t fought since 2024. As a former IBF champion, Martin has plenty of pedigree, but Ajagba said he’ll just have too much for the American on fight night. “He’s not a tough opponent, but he’s a former champion. So, he’s fought a lot of great fighters, but at the same time, he lost… When he steps into the ring with me, it’s gonna be another defeat for him. That’s it.”
Ajagba knows he has the power to give Martin problems, but he said he wouldn’t go chasing the knockout. Instead, he said he’ll stick to his plan, and the knockout will eventually come. “Sometimes you don’t think about the knockout. I just go in there (and) do my thing,” he said. “Start with the jab to see his reaction, to see his weakness, and then just find his weakness – that’s what a boxer is looking for. When you see the weakness, that’s when you’re going to finish them off. So, my gameplan is just touch him, touch him, touch him. Whatever is hurting him, I can finish him off from there. That’s how the knockout comes.”
With Ajagba determined to rebound from his scorecard woe last time out, and with a former world champion standing across the ring from him, all the ingredients are in place for an exciting fight as “The Silent Roller” looks to let his fists do the talking.
But he did leave us with a quick rallying call to boxing fans to make sure they’re in front of a screen when he steps through the ropes on Sunday night. “You don’t want to miss this fight,” he said. “Buy your ticket, sit on your chair and you’ll be entertained – trust me. This is gonna be a great fight.”
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Court Temporarily Blocks Ortiz From Negotiating Ennis Fight as Golden Boy Wins TRO |
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A federal judge has temporarily restrained Vergil Ortiz Jr. from negotiating or signing any deal for a fight with former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, granting an emergency restraining order requested by Golden Boy Promotions. The ruling, issued February 13th in federal court in Nevada, freezes Ortiz’s ability to contract with third parties for the Ennis bout while a contract dispute plays out between Golden Boy and Ortiz. The next court hearing is scheduled for February 20th, when both sides will appear for oral arguments. For boxing fans, the decision immediately puts one of the most anticipated potential matchups in the welterweight division on ice. Until the court or an arbitrator says otherwise, Ortiz is barred from making any independent deal for the Ennis fight, keeping control of his next move firmly tied to the legal battle with Golden Boy, his longtime promoter.
Ortiz is the WBC interim champion at 154 pounds. He is one of the sport’s top undefeated contenders, has been promoted by Golden Boy since 2016. In May 2024, the two sides signed a new promotional rights agreement that was supposed to run for three years, with guaranteed minimum payments of more than $1 million per fight. At the center of the dispute is a clause tied to Golden Boy’s broadcast relationship with DAZN. That contract with DAZN expired at the end of 2025. Under the terms of Ortiz’s deal, he could terminate his agreement with Golden Boy if the promoter no longer had a distribution deal with DAZN—unless Golden Boy already had an “agreement in principle” in place with another broadcaster, or had agreed on all material terms of a new deal and was finalizing paperwork.
Ortiz sent a letter in early January seeking confirmation that the DAZN deal had ended, signaling his intent to terminate his contract. Golden Boy responded that while the formal contract had expired, the company and DAZN had already agreed on the key terms of a new licensing deal for 2026 and 2027 and were exchanging drafts. On that basis, Golden Boy argued Ortiz had no right to walk away.
Ortiz then filed suit, asking the court to declare the contract over. He also accused Golden Boy of breach of contract and interference with his business opportunities. Among Ortiz's claims: that the company undercut chances to maximize his earnings through Saudi-backed sponsorships and interfered with his ability to negotiate future fights. His complaint also points to public statements and actions by Golden Boy head Oscar De La Hoya, which Ortiz says confused other promoters and the boxing public about who controlled his career.
Golden Boy answered with an emergency motion, telling the court it had learned Ortiz was on the verge of signing a deal with third parties for a fight against Ennis. The company argued that such a move would violate the existing contract and cause irreparable harm—especially by damaging broadcast negotiations and business relationships that cannot simply be repaired with money later. The judge agreed with Golden Boy and granted the temporary restraining order, barring Ortiz, his managers, and representatives from negotiating or entering into any third-party contracts for the Ennis bout. The court emphasized that the order is meant to preserve the “status quo” while the dispute is resolved.
Legally, the case is also complicated by an arbitration clause in the contract that staes that any disputes should be handled through arbitration in Las Vegas. Golden Boy has already started arbitration proceedings, accusing Ortiz of breaching the agreement and interfering with its broadcast relationships. The court made clear that the restraining order does not decide who is right—it simply prevents irreversible business moves before arbitration and further court hearings take place.
From a boxing standpoint, the impact is immediate. Ortiz vs. Ennis is widely viewed as one of the most meaningful fights available in the division—a matchup of two elite, undefeated fighters in their prime. The ruling doesn’t kill the fight, but it removes Ortiz’s ability to make it happen independently. For now, the business has overtaken the sport. The February 20th court date will be the next step in deciding whether this freeze continues or changes, but until then, Ortiz’s future—and the Ennis fight—remains locked in a courtroom rather than a ring.
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Court Temporarily Blocks Ortiz From Negotiating Ennis Fight as Golden Boy Wins TRO
A federal judge has temporarily restrained Vergil Ortiz Jr. from negotiating or signing any deal for a fight with former welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, granting an emergency restraining order requested by Golden Boy Promotions. The ruling, issued February 13th in federal court in Nevada, freezes Ortiz’s ability to contract with third parties for the Ennis bout while a contract dispute plays out between Golden Boy and Ortiz. The next court hearing is scheduled for February 20th, when both sides will appear for oral arguments. For boxing fans, the decision immediately puts one of the most anticipated potential matchups in the welterweight division on ice. Until the court or an arbitrator says otherwise, Ortiz is barred from making any independent deal for the Ennis fight, keeping control of his next move firmly tied to the legal battle with Golden Boy, his longtime promoter.
Ortiz is the WBC interim champion at 154 pounds. He is one of the sport’s top undefeated contenders, has been promoted by Golden Boy since 2016. In May 2024, the two sides signed a new promotional rights agreement that was supposed to run for three years, with guaranteed minimum payments of more than $1 million per fight. At the center of the dispute is a clause tied to Golden Boy’s broadcast relationship with DAZN. That contract with DAZN expired at the end of 2025. Under the terms of Ortiz’s deal, he could terminate his agreement with Golden Boy if the promoter no longer had a distribution deal with DAZN—unless Golden Boy already had an “agreement in principle” in place with another broadcaster, or had agreed on all material terms of a new deal and was finalizing paperwork.
Ortiz sent a letter in early January seeking confirmation that the DAZN deal had ended, signaling his intent to terminate his contract. Golden Boy responded that while the formal contract had expired, the company and DAZN had already agreed on the key terms of a new licensing deal for 2026 and 2027 and were exchanging drafts. On that basis, Golden Boy argued Ortiz had no right to walk away.
Ortiz then filed suit, asking the court to declare the contract over. He also accused Golden Boy of breach of contract and interference with his business opportunities. Among Ortiz's claims: that the company undercut chances to maximize his earnings through Saudi-backed sponsorships and interfered with his ability to negotiate future fights. His complaint also points to public statements and actions by Golden Boy head Oscar De La Hoya, which Ortiz says confused other promoters and the boxing public about who controlled his career.
Golden Boy answered with an emergency motion, telling the court it had learned Ortiz was on the verge of signing a deal with third parties for a fight against Ennis. The company argued that such a move would violate the existing contract and cause irreparable harm—especially by damaging broadcast negotiations and business relationships that cannot simply be repaired with money later. The judge agreed with Golden Boy and granted the temporary restraining order, barring Ortiz, his managers, and representatives from negotiating or entering into any third-party contracts for the Ennis bout. The court emphasized that the order is meant to preserve the “status quo” while the dispute is resolved.
Legally, the case is also complicated by an arbitration clause in the contract that staes that any disputes should be handled through arbitration in Las Vegas. Golden Boy has already started arbitration proceedings, accusing Ortiz of breaching the agreement and interfering with its broadcast relationships. The court made clear that the restraining order does not decide who is right—it simply prevents irreversible business moves before arbitration and further court hearings take place.
From a boxing standpoint, the impact is immediate. Ortiz vs. Ennis is widely viewed as one of the most meaningful fights available in the division—a matchup of two elite, undefeated fighters in their prime. The ruling doesn’t kill the fight, but it removes Ortiz’s ability to make it happen independently. For now, the business has overtaken the sport. The February 20th court date will be the next step in deciding whether this freeze continues or changes, but until then, Ortiz’s future—and the Ennis fight—remains locked in a courtroom rather than a ring.
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Tonight: ex-champ Martin returns for first fight since 2024 |
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Former IBF heavyweight champion Charles Martin has been around the block more than a few times, but he’s ready to explore a new avenue with Zuffa Boxing. Martin has been away from the ring for more than a year. But when the opportunity arose to get back into active competition with Zuffa Boxing, he leapt at the chance. “It means everything, man,” said a grateful Martin.“I’m very thankful for Dana White and Zuffa Boxing for putting on these amazing fights, starting something amazing (and) giving back to the guys like me that’s at the end of my career. I could have been done, and it would have been over without the help of him. So, I'm very thankful.”
Martin’s new career opportunity means guaranteed fights, and that’s something he hasn’t been too accustomed to over the last decade of his career. “It means everything, for the most part, because I finally got a fight scheduled. They actually give me something to look forward to,” he explained. “Back when I was with traditional boxing, it was kind of like you fight, and then you're unemployed for two years, so it's hard to be motivated and stay in the gym and stay in shape. So, with this being said, I'm gonna stay in shape, man. You know, I'm a high performance Ferrari car so, you know, we're gonna keep it that way.”
Martin may have been away from the ring, but he’s been rebuilding himself as an athlete. Now aged 39, he knows more than ever the importance of staying in shape, particularly as a heavyweight, and he’s put in countless hours in the gym to ensure that he has arrived in Las Vegas for fight week in tip-top form. “It’s always like that. It’s an up and downhill battle, not knowing when's your next time to get back out there and perform. So that was always a struggle for me,” he said.“But, as I get older, I'm realizing, like, hey, health is wealth, you know? I mean, I stay in shape, I eat healthy. So it kind of ties into what I do for a living. So, yeah, it made it that much easier. For instance, this camp, I came in 70 percent in shape. So that made a world of a difference (compared to) when I’d came in at 272 pounds before fights and I’ve gotta fight the scale and train. It’s f***ing hard.
“The last year I've been training. I've been lifting weights all year (and) doing cardio, so it's easy, man. This camp was a breeze. I remember back when I was like an amateur and how things used to just flow, and I could go right into a fight and execute. I feel like that again… I take accountability fully for everything that happens in my life, because I'm the captain of the ship. This is what it is, and this is me standing here right now today, and I'm just thankful, and I'm gonna keep putting in the work until I hang them up.”
It’s a refreshing mindset from an athlete who is fully aware of his advancing age in the context of his career but has made key changes to give himself the best possible chance of success. The new and improved Martin will step into the ring at the Meta APEX on Sunday night when he headlines against hard-hitting Nigerian contender Efe Ajagba in a matchup that could move the winner towards a shot for the Zuffa heavyweight title further down the line.
As comeback fights go, it’s anything but a tune-up, but it’s a challenge Martin is clearly relishing. “He’s good, dude. But you know, he's just in front of me, and I got to keep moving forward. So with that being said, we go in there, seek and destroy, man. Happy hunting.”
As for the hunt itself, Martin has his plan all mapped out, and it finishes with a knockout, and his hand being raised in victory. "I'm just gonna systematically break him down,” he predicted. “I got a lot of tools in my arsenal, so break him down and get him out of there. We don't plan on going 10 rounds, so we gonna make this a knockout. I gotta get this knockout, a spectacular knockout, because I want all the bonuses, I want all the good shit, I want all the praise, and I want the big fights.”
Martin is confident he can get all of the above, based on the tools he’ll carry into battle on Sunday night. With 27 of his 30 career wins coming by knockout, the punch power is certainly there. But now, with Martin newly dedicated to his fitness and speed, he said he’ll enter the Meta APEX as dangerous as he’s ever been in his professional career.
“I’m so light on my feet, man. I’m like a cruiserweight in a heavyweight body,” he explained. “I'm 255 pounds, but I'm definitely moving like a cruiserweight, and I'm cracking like a heavyweight, so that’s a great combination. You can't hit what you can't see. (I’m) very fleet footed, light on my feet, and I'm punching hard, so y’all get ready, man. Stay tuned.”
Martin has been working on his mindset through reading philosophy, which has given him a fresh perspective on his career. But he’s also more than aware that for any pro fighter to have any sort of success, you still have to put in the hard yards in the gym. On that side of things, he’s confident he’ll step into the ring without any rustiness from his time away.
“Oh, ring rust? Well, I got 129 rounds of sparring in the bank, so I doubt if I have any ring rest,” he smiled. “I'm gonna go in there and get the pop in that jab, and moving and sticking and moving and looking. One thing about it, man, when you got a nice arsenal, you have a lot of tools. So I'm really gonna just make the man miss, and then I'll be able to make him pay. Once I know I can make you miss, I'll make you pay. I guarantee I'll make you pay!”
Martin’s return to the ring offers him the chance to win some new fans, while reminding some of his old ones that he’s still got plenty to offer at the sharp end of the heavyweight division.
“’He's back, and he's better than ever.’ You know what I mean?” he grinned. “I'm focused, I'm older. See, a lot of times, the window shuts on people. You get too old and the window shuts. I was blessed enough, you know, God, genetics, whatever you want to call it, but you know, I'm here, and I have all the knowledge of a 40-year-old man in a 29-year-old body.
“It's a blessing, man. This ain't me. This is God, man. This is destiny, and this is the vehicle that’s gonna get me to where I want to go in life. I have a lot of plans that I want to do and a lot of people that I need to help.”
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Tonight: ex-champ Martin returns for first fight since 2024
Former IBF heavyweight champion Charles Martin has been around the block more than a few times, but he’s ready to explore a new avenue with Zuffa Boxing. Martin has been away from the ring for more than a year. But when the opportunity arose to get back into active competition with Zuffa Boxing, he leapt at the chance. “It means everything, man,” said a grateful Martin.“I’m very thankful for Dana White and Zuffa Boxing for putting on these amazing fights, starting something amazing (and) giving back to the guys like me that’s at the end of my career. I could have been done, and it would have been over without the help of him. So, I'm very thankful.”
Martin’s new career opportunity means guaranteed fights, and that’s something he hasn’t been too accustomed to over the last decade of his career. “It means everything, for the most part, because I finally got a fight scheduled. They actually give me something to look forward to,” he explained. “Back when I was with traditional boxing, it was kind of like you fight, and then you're unemployed for two years, so it's hard to be motivated and stay in the gym and stay in shape. So, with this being said, I'm gonna stay in shape, man. You know, I'm a high performance Ferrari car so, you know, we're gonna keep it that way.”
Martin may have been away from the ring, but he’s been rebuilding himself as an athlete. Now aged 39, he knows more than ever the importance of staying in shape, particularly as a heavyweight, and he’s put in countless hours in the gym to ensure that he has arrived in Las Vegas for fight week in tip-top form. “It’s always like that. It’s an up and downhill battle, not knowing when's your next time to get back out there and perform. So that was always a struggle for me,” he said.“But, as I get older, I'm realizing, like, hey, health is wealth, you know? I mean, I stay in shape, I eat healthy. So it kind of ties into what I do for a living. So, yeah, it made it that much easier. For instance, this camp, I came in 70 percent in shape. So that made a world of a difference (compared to) when I’d came in at 272 pounds before fights and I’ve gotta fight the scale and train. It’s f***ing hard.
“The last year I've been training. I've been lifting weights all year (and) doing cardio, so it's easy, man. This camp was a breeze. I remember back when I was like an amateur and how things used to just flow, and I could go right into a fight and execute. I feel like that again… I take accountability fully for everything that happens in my life, because I'm the captain of the ship. This is what it is, and this is me standing here right now today, and I'm just thankful, and I'm gonna keep putting in the work until I hang them up.”
It’s a refreshing mindset from an athlete who is fully aware of his advancing age in the context of his career but has made key changes to give himself the best possible chance of success. The new and improved Martin will step into the ring at the Meta APEX on Sunday night when he headlines against hard-hitting Nigerian contender Efe Ajagba in a matchup that could move the winner towards a shot for the Zuffa heavyweight title further down the line.
As comeback fights go, it’s anything but a tune-up, but it’s a challenge Martin is clearly relishing. “He’s good, dude. But you know, he's just in front of me, and I got to keep moving forward. So with that being said, we go in there, seek and destroy, man. Happy hunting.”
As for the hunt itself, Martin has his plan all mapped out, and it finishes with a knockout, and his hand being raised in victory. "I'm just gonna systematically break him down,” he predicted. “I got a lot of tools in my arsenal, so break him down and get him out of there. We don't plan on going 10 rounds, so we gonna make this a knockout. I gotta get this knockout, a spectacular knockout, because I want all the bonuses, I want all the good shit, I want all the praise, and I want the big fights.”
Martin is confident he can get all of the above, based on the tools he’ll carry into battle on Sunday night. With 27 of his 30 career wins coming by knockout, the punch power is certainly there. But now, with Martin newly dedicated to his fitness and speed, he said he’ll enter the Meta APEX as dangerous as he’s ever been in his professional career.
“I’m so light on my feet, man. I’m like a cruiserweight in a heavyweight body,” he explained. “I'm 255 pounds, but I'm definitely moving like a cruiserweight, and I'm cracking like a heavyweight, so that’s a great combination. You can't hit what you can't see. (I’m) very fleet footed, light on my feet, and I'm punching hard, so y’all get ready, man. Stay tuned.”
Martin has been working on his mindset through reading philosophy, which has given him a fresh perspective on his career. But he’s also more than aware that for any pro fighter to have any sort of success, you still have to put in the hard yards in the gym. On that side of things, he’s confident he’ll step into the ring without any rustiness from his time away.
“Oh, ring rust? Well, I got 129 rounds of sparring in the bank, so I doubt if I have any ring rest,” he smiled. “I'm gonna go in there and get the pop in that jab, and moving and sticking and moving and looking. One thing about it, man, when you got a nice arsenal, you have a lot of tools. So I'm really gonna just make the man miss, and then I'll be able to make him pay. Once I know I can make you miss, I'll make you pay. I guarantee I'll make you pay!”
Martin’s return to the ring offers him the chance to win some new fans, while reminding some of his old ones that he’s still got plenty to offer at the sharp end of the heavyweight division.
“’He's back, and he's better than ever.’ You know what I mean?” he grinned. “I'm focused, I'm older. See, a lot of times, the window shuts on people. You get too old and the window shuts. I was blessed enough, you know, God, genetics, whatever you want to call it, but you know, I'm here, and I have all the knowledge of a 40-year-old man in a 29-year-old body.
“It's a blessing, man. This ain't me. This is God, man. This is destiny, and this is the vehicle that’s gonna get me to where I want to go in life. I have a lot of plans that I want to do and a lot of people that I need to help.”
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Maihemut gets cruiserweight win in Thailand |
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Muhetaer Maihemut TKO1 Nattapon Plangpimai ... At the Bazaar Hotel in Bangkok, Chinese cruiserweight Muhetaer Maihemut (11-6-1) defeated local fighter Nattapon Plangpimai (24-7) to become the OPBF cruiserweight champion. The card, presented by promoter Wang Fei, lived up to expectations by delivering a very quick finish. Maihemut came out determined to end the fight from the opening bell and the Thai fighter’s resistance was brief against the visitor’s momentum. With a combination, Maihemut managed stopped Plangpimai just 1 minute and 47 seconds into the first round. The referee declared a technical knockout upon seeing that the Thai fighter could not continue.
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Maihemut gets cruiserweight win in Thailand
Muhetaer Maihemut TKO1 Nattapon Plangpimai ... At the Bazaar Hotel in Bangkok, Chinese cruiserweight Muhetaer Maihemut (11-6-1) defeated local fighter Nattapon Plangpimai (24-7) to become the OPBF cruiserweight champion. The card, presented by promoter Wang Fei, lived up to expectations by delivering a very quick finish. Maihemut came out determined to end the fight from the opening bell and the Thai fighter’s resistance was brief against the visitor’s momentum. With a combination, Maihemut managed stopped Plangpimai just 1 minute and 47 seconds into the first round. The referee declared a technical knockout upon seeing that the Thai fighter could not continue.
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Wardley to defend against Dubois on May 9th |
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Two big-punching heavyweights will collide on Saturday May 9th at the Co-op Live in Manchester where WBO champion Fabio Wardley will defend his title against former IBF ruler Daniel Dubois. Wardley and Dubois are two of the most destructive punchers in the whole boxing industry. The final bell is not a familiar sound to either man because they both possess formidable knockout ratios and only one win apiece on each of the two records has come via the scorecards. Now Wardley will defend the WBO world title that was upgraded from Interim status following his October stoppage of Joseph Parker against the man who attempted to become undisputed champion in his last fight against Oleksandr Usyk in July. This Co-op Live occasion is a monumental one for British boxing, with Dubois attempting to become a two-time heavyweight world champion in his second world title fight against a British opponent, following on from his knockout destruction of Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium in September 2024.
Previous all-British heavyweight world title encounters staged on these shores include Tyson Fury defending against Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora, plus David Haye against Audley Harrison. The original Battle of Britain came in 1993 when Lennox Lewis retained his WBC title with a stoppage of Frank Bruno.
“This is another piece of British heavyweight history being made,” said promoter Frank Warren. “This is quite simply the most exciting and explosive fight to be made for Fabio’s first defence of his WBO world title and it is typical of the man that this is the fight he wanted.
“Fabio’s journey has been extraordinary and inspiring and he proves time and time again that you write him off at your peril. He keeps taking on bigger challenges and keeps on delivering the goods, mostly against the odds.
“For Daniel to be bidding to become a two-time world champion at the age of just 28 is also remarkable and he also keeps accepting huge heavyweight missions. This will be his sixth world title fight and only Oleksandr Usyk has inflicted defeat on him across this run.
“It is going to be an incredible night at the amazing Co-op Live and a magnificent showcase for British boxing.”
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Wardley to defend against Dubois on May 9th
Two big-punching heavyweights will collide on Saturday May 9th at the Co-op Live in Manchester where WBO champion Fabio Wardley will defend his title against former IBF ruler Daniel Dubois. Wardley and Dubois are two of the most destructive punchers in the whole boxing industry. The final bell is not a familiar sound to either man because they both possess formidable knockout ratios and only one win apiece on each of the two records has come via the scorecards. Now Wardley will defend the WBO world title that was upgraded from Interim status following his October stoppage of Joseph Parker against the man who attempted to become undisputed champion in his last fight against Oleksandr Usyk in July. This Co-op Live occasion is a monumental one for British boxing, with Dubois attempting to become a two-time heavyweight world champion in his second world title fight against a British opponent, following on from his knockout destruction of Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium in September 2024.
Previous all-British heavyweight world title encounters staged on these shores include Tyson Fury defending against Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora, plus David Haye against Audley Harrison. The original Battle of Britain came in 1993 when Lennox Lewis retained his WBC title with a stoppage of Frank Bruno.
“This is another piece of British heavyweight history being made,” said promoter Frank Warren. “This is quite simply the most exciting and explosive fight to be made for Fabio’s first defence of his WBO world title and it is typical of the man that this is the fight he wanted.
“Fabio’s journey has been extraordinary and inspiring and he proves time and time again that you write him off at your peril. He keeps taking on bigger challenges and keeps on delivering the goods, mostly against the odds.
“For Daniel to be bidding to become a two-time world champion at the age of just 28 is also remarkable and he also keeps accepting huge heavyweight missions. This will be his sixth world title fight and only Oleksandr Usyk has inflicted defeat on him across this run.
“It is going to be an incredible night at the amazing Co-op Live and a magnificent showcase for British boxing.”
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Star Boxing reveals Feb. 28th line-up |
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Star Boxing returns to The Paramount in Huntington, New York on Saturday, February 28th, bringing another night of professional boxing to Long Island’s premier fight venue. Headlining in a ten-round middleweight bout, New York’s Jahi Tucker (15-1-1, 6 KOs) makes his Paramount debut, facing Minnesota’s battle-tested Sona Akale (10-4, 5 KOs). Also featured on the card, Long Island's U.S. Marine veteran, and Hofstra University master’s student Peter Latorre (5-0, 5 KOs) puts his perfect 100% KO ratio on the line in a six-round welterweight showdown against Uruguay’s Jose Edgardo Perdomo (10-9-0, 6 KOs). Perdomo is coming off a knockout upset of a previously undefeated boxer at the Paramount and has proven he has the power to end fights early.
Adding to the night’s fireworks, Polish heavyweight Piotr Lacz (14-0-1, 10 KOs) brings his unbeaten record to The Paramount for an eight-round heavyweight clash against New Orleans’ hard-hitting challenger Dominique "Giant Killer"Valera (9-1-2, 5 KOs) in a collision of size, power, and momentum.
Kicking off the action, Huntington’s own knockout artist Ralph Clemente (2-0, 2 KOs) returns to his hometown crowd in a four-round bout, taking on Spanaway, Washington’s Thomas Turner (1-1).
In a four-round welterweight bout, Queens’ fan favorite David Malul (4-0, 2 KOs) looks to keep his undefeated run alive. Tickets for Rockin’ Fights 53 are available now at: StarBoxing.com, Ticketmaster.com or through The Paramount Box Office.
In a four-round welterweight bout, Queens’ fan favorite David Malul (4-0, 2 KOs) looks to keep his undefeated run alive.
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Star Boxing reveals Feb. 28th line-up
Star Boxing returns to The Paramount in Huntington, New York on Saturday, February 28th, bringing another night of professional boxing to Long Island’s premier fight venue. Headlining in a ten-round middleweight bout, New York’s Jahi Tucker (15-1-1, 6 KOs) makes his Paramount debut, facing Minnesota’s battle-tested Sona Akale (10-4, 5 KOs). Also featured on the card, Long Island's U.S. Marine veteran, and Hofstra University master’s student Peter Latorre (5-0, 5 KOs) puts his perfect 100% KO ratio on the line in a six-round welterweight showdown against Uruguay’s Jose Edgardo Perdomo (10-9-0, 6 KOs). Perdomo is coming off a knockout upset of a previously undefeated boxer at the Paramount and has proven he has the power to end fights early.
Adding to the night’s fireworks, Polish heavyweight Piotr Lacz (14-0-1, 10 KOs) brings his unbeaten record to The Paramount for an eight-round heavyweight clash against New Orleans’ hard-hitting challenger Dominique "Giant Killer"Valera (9-1-2, 5 KOs) in a collision of size, power, and momentum.
Kicking off the action, Huntington’s own knockout artist Ralph Clemente (2-0, 2 KOs) returns to his hometown crowd in a four-round bout, taking on Spanaway, Washington’s Thomas Turner (1-1).
In a four-round welterweight bout, Queens’ fan favorite David Malul (4-0, 2 KOs) looks to keep his undefeated run alive. Tickets for Rockin’ Fights 53 are available now at: StarBoxing.com, Ticketmaster.com or through The Paramount Box Office.
In a four-round welterweight bout, Queens’ fan favorite David Malul (4-0, 2 KOs) looks to keep his undefeated run alive.
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WBC throws Lester Martinez a bone |
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Lester Martinez faces Immanuwel “The Chosen One” Aleem on Saturday, March 21st. The stakes for that match-up have been heightened as the fight's promoter reports that the WBC Board of Governors has voted unanimously to sanction the fight for the vacant WBC interim super middleweight championship. Martinez (19-0-1, 16 KOs) from Guatemala, is hoping to eventually become his country’s first-ever world champion when he takes on Virginia’s Aleem (22-3-3, 14 KOs). ProBoxTV will stream the show as part of its “The Contender Series” at 7 pm EST/4 pm PST from the NOS Event Center in San Bernardino, California.
“I really thought I won the fight [vs. Christian Mbilli] on September 13th, and it’s been frustrating to not get a rematch with Mbilli,” said Martinez. Martinez vs. Mbnilli was scored a draw but the WBC corruptly named Mbilli as its champion, leaving the scraps for Martinez. “I very much appreciate [WBC president] Mauricio [Sulaiman] and the WBC Board of Governors for giving me this opportunity. It’s been my dream to be the first Guatemalan champion ever. I can’t wait for March 21st.”
It’s been a roller coaster ride to get to this fight for Martinez, who hasn’t been in the ring since his Fight of the Year candidate, a split draw with Mbilli in September. Considered a highlight of the entire show, the fight was televised live on Netflix on the undercard of Terence Crawford’s victory over Canelo Alvarez. Because of the competitive nature of the fight, the WBC ordered an immediate rematch between the two, which was effectively canceled earlier this year after Crawford was abruptly stripped of the WBC belt he won beating Alvarez and Mbilli was elevated to full champion.
Martinez personally petitioned the WBC to elevate his fight with Aleem to an interim title fight earlier this week. His efforts appear to have worked, as the approval is granted. “As President of the WBC, I am thrilled to know such an amazing young man as Lester,” said Mauricio Sulaiman, “We are committed to supporting boxing and its development, worldwide.”
ProBoxTV’s Garry Jonas says he’s happy for Lester and his team, who was one point, or two rounds, away from winning a fight many thought he deserved to win. One judge scored it 97-93 for Martinez, one had it 96-94 for Mbilli, and one saw it even at 95-95. Jonas is also excited to be able to present a world championship fight in his March 21 main event.
“I’d like to thank the WBC for granting Lester this opportunity,” said ProBoxTV CEO and Founder Garry Jonas. “I know it’s not easy doing their job with all the twists and turns that can take place at this level of the sport. This is a fair and reasonable outcome that Lester gets a chance to fight for the same belt he competed with Mbilli for. This is a big deal for Lester and his country. Guatemala has never had a world champion and we’re very hopeful he can bring the belt home on March 21st.”
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WBC throws Lester Martinez a bone
Lester Martinez faces Immanuwel “The Chosen One” Aleem on Saturday, March 21st. The stakes for that match-up have been heightened as the fight's promoter reports that the WBC Board of Governors has voted unanimously to sanction the fight for the vacant WBC interim super middleweight championship. Martinez (19-0-1, 16 KOs) from Guatemala, is hoping to eventually become his country’s first-ever world champion when he takes on Virginia’s Aleem (22-3-3, 14 KOs). ProBoxTV will stream the show as part of its “The Contender Series” at 7 pm EST/4 pm PST from the NOS Event Center in San Bernardino, California.
“I really thought I won the fight [vs. Christian Mbilli] on September 13th, and it’s been frustrating to not get a rematch with Mbilli,” said Martinez. Martinez vs. Mbnilli was scored a draw but the WBC corruptly named Mbilli as its champion, leaving the scraps for Martinez. “I very much appreciate [WBC president] Mauricio [Sulaiman] and the WBC Board of Governors for giving me this opportunity. It’s been my dream to be the first Guatemalan champion ever. I can’t wait for March 21st.”
It’s been a roller coaster ride to get to this fight for Martinez, who hasn’t been in the ring since his Fight of the Year candidate, a split draw with Mbilli in September. Considered a highlight of the entire show, the fight was televised live on Netflix on the undercard of Terence Crawford’s victory over Canelo Alvarez. Because of the competitive nature of the fight, the WBC ordered an immediate rematch between the two, which was effectively canceled earlier this year after Crawford was abruptly stripped of the WBC belt he won beating Alvarez and Mbilli was elevated to full champion.
Martinez personally petitioned the WBC to elevate his fight with Aleem to an interim title fight earlier this week. His efforts appear to have worked, as the approval is granted. “As President of the WBC, I am thrilled to know such an amazing young man as Lester,” said Mauricio Sulaiman, “We are committed to supporting boxing and its development, worldwide.”
ProBoxTV’s Garry Jonas says he’s happy for Lester and his team, who was one point, or two rounds, away from winning a fight many thought he deserved to win. One judge scored it 97-93 for Martinez, one had it 96-94 for Mbilli, and one saw it even at 95-95. Jonas is also excited to be able to present a world championship fight in his March 21 main event.
“I’d like to thank the WBC for granting Lester this opportunity,” said ProBoxTV CEO and Founder Garry Jonas. “I know it’s not easy doing their job with all the twists and turns that can take place at this level of the sport. This is a fair and reasonable outcome that Lester gets a chance to fight for the same belt he competed with Mbilli for. This is a big deal for Lester and his country. Guatemala has never had a world champion and we’re very hopeful he can bring the belt home on March 21st.”
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It's almost Shields vs. Crews-Dezurn II fight week |
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Claressa Shields (pictured) holds the most dominant career of any woman in the sport, and this week, her challenge is the former undisputed super middleweight champion, Franchon Crews-Dezurn. Shields met Crews-Dezurn ten years ago and walked away with a unanimous decision victory. That bout was both fighters' first professional fight, and now, a decade later, they complete the circle and will stand face-to-face once again. This time around, Shields' undisputed heavyweight world title is on the line. The bout will take place on Sunday, February 22nd in Little Caesar's Arena in Detroit, Michigan. It will be shown. along with the entire card live on DAZN beginning at 8pm ET, 5pm PT.
Here is the entire fight card:
Claressa Shields vs. Franchon Crews-Dezurn (for Shields' world heavyweight title);
Atif Oberlton vs. Joeseph George (light heavyweights)
Che Kenneally vs. Danielle Perkins (for Kenneally's WBA light heavyweight title);
Pryce Taylor vs. TBD (heavyweights);
Samantha Worthington vs. Edith Soledad Matthysse (WBA interim junior welterweight title);
Savannah Tini vs. Vaida Masiokaite (junior welterweights);
Garrett Rice Jr. vs. Luis Angel Ledesma (junior lightweights);
Jaquan Mcelroy vs. TBD (middleweights); and
Shannel Butler vs. Danila Ramos (featherweights).
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It's almost Shields vs. Crews-Dezurn II fight week
Claressa Shields (pictured) holds the most dominant career of any woman in the sport, and this week, her challenge is the former undisputed super middleweight champion, Franchon Crews-Dezurn. Shields met Crews-Dezurn ten years ago and walked away with a unanimous decision victory. That bout was both fighters' first professional fight, and now, a decade later, they complete the circle and will stand face-to-face once again. This time around, Shields' undisputed heavyweight world title is on the line. The bout will take place on Sunday, February 22nd in Little Caesar's Arena in Detroit, Michigan. It will be shown. along with the entire card live on DAZN beginning at 8pm ET, 5pm PT.
Here is the entire fight card:
Claressa Shields vs. Franchon Crews-Dezurn (for Shields' world heavyweight title);
Atif Oberlton vs. Joeseph George (light heavyweights)
Che Kenneally vs. Danielle Perkins (for Kenneally's WBA light heavyweight title);
Pryce Taylor vs. TBD (heavyweights);
Samantha Worthington vs. Edith Soledad Matthysse (WBA interim junior welterweight title);
Savannah Tini vs. Vaida Masiokaite (junior welterweights);
Garrett Rice Jr. vs. Luis Angel Ledesma (junior lightweights);
Jaquan Mcelroy vs. TBD (middleweights); and
Shannel Butler vs. Danila Ramos (featherweights).
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Spotlight on Zuffa Boxing's two supporting bouts |
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The Meta Apex in Las Vegas is set to host Zuffa Boxing 03 on Sunday night. Prior to the heavyweight main event of Efe Ajagba vs. former IBF champion Charles Martin, these will be the featured main card bouts: Umar Dzambekov vs. Ahmed Elbiali in the light heavyweight division and Abel Mejia vs Jaybrio Pe Benito at lightweight. Here is a preview:
Umar Dzambekov vs. Ahmed Elbiali: Austrian light heavyweight Umar Dzambekov will look to extend his erfect professional record to 14-0 when he takes on "The American Pharaoh" Ahmed Elbiali over ten rounds. Now based in Los Angeles, the southpaw Dzambekov has established a reputation for being dangerous early in his fights – all of his nine career knockouts have come inside the first four rounds – and the 28-year old is aiming to add another victory to his resumé when he takes on Egypt's 24-1 prospect Elbiali.
Elbiali, born in Cairo and now age 35, fights out of Las Vegas. He has 19 knockouts among his 24 career victories, and has only seen the scorecards once in the last nine years. His lone defeat during that time came against former world champion Jean Pascal back in 2017, with Elbiali heading into fight night this weekend on an eight-fight win streak. Both men are in top form, both have knockout power, and both will be keen to make an early statement in the Zuffa Boxing light heavyweight division.
Abel Mejia vs Jaybrio Pe Benito: In the main card opener, undefeated lightweights Abel Mejia and Jaybrio Pe Benito go head to head over eight rounds. Fighting out of El Modena, California, Mejia heads into the bout with real momentum, with his second-round knockout victory in November taking his career record to 10-0. The 22-year old has previously campaigned for most of his young career at junior lightweight, but will make the move up to 135 pounds for his Zuffa Boxing debut on Sunday night
Making that same jump in weight is Pe Benito, whose 6-0 career includes four knockouts. Most recently, he defeated Sebastian Gutierrez via unanimous decision after six rounds. Both men have cut their teeth on the California boxing scene, but now they'll make their first appearances in fight capital of the world as they step up to the eight-round duration for the first time in their careers.
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Spotlight on Zuffa Boxing's two supporting bouts
The Meta Apex in Las Vegas is set to host Zuffa Boxing 03 on Sunday night. Prior to the heavyweight main event of Efe Ajagba vs. former IBF champion Charles Martin, these will be the featured main card bouts: Umar Dzambekov vs. Ahmed Elbiali in the light heavyweight division and Abel Mejia vs Jaybrio Pe Benito at lightweight. Here is a preview:
Umar Dzambekov vs. Ahmed Elbiali: Austrian light heavyweight Umar Dzambekov will look to extend his erfect professional record to 14-0 when he takes on "The American Pharaoh" Ahmed Elbiali over ten rounds. Now based in Los Angeles, the southpaw Dzambekov has established a reputation for being dangerous early in his fights – all of his nine career knockouts have come inside the first four rounds – and the 28-year old is aiming to add another victory to his resumé when he takes on Egypt's 24-1 prospect Elbiali.
Elbiali, born in Cairo and now age 35, fights out of Las Vegas. He has 19 knockouts among his 24 career victories, and has only seen the scorecards once in the last nine years. His lone defeat during that time came against former world champion Jean Pascal back in 2017, with Elbiali heading into fight night this weekend on an eight-fight win streak. Both men are in top form, both have knockout power, and both will be keen to make an early statement in the Zuffa Boxing light heavyweight division.
Abel Mejia vs Jaybrio Pe Benito: In the main card opener, undefeated lightweights Abel Mejia and Jaybrio Pe Benito go head to head over eight rounds. Fighting out of El Modena, California, Mejia heads into the bout with real momentum, with his second-round knockout victory in November taking his career record to 10-0. The 22-year old has previously campaigned for most of his young career at junior lightweight, but will make the move up to 135 pounds for his Zuffa Boxing debut on Sunday night
Making that same jump in weight is Pe Benito, whose 6-0 career includes four knockouts. Most recently, he defeated Sebastian Gutierrez via unanimous decision after six rounds. Both men have cut their teeth on the California boxing scene, but now they'll make their first appearances in fight capital of the world as they step up to the eight-round duration for the first time in their careers.
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Introducing Wales' Croft twins, Ioan and Garan |
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Matchroom Boxing announced the signing of Welsh twins Ioan and Garan Croft, who have both penned long-term promotional deals that will have them fighting on DAZN. Younger by a minute, Ioan struck gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2022 before turning pro under trainer and former champion Anthony Crolla, making the big move to Manchester, England from the small Welsh village of Crymych. Ioan is a southpaw middleweight. With a Commonwealth bronze and two European silvers on his amateur record, Garan aims to state his case in the junior middleweight division. Both young men have pro records of 5-0.
Ioan said, “It’s a dream come true to sign with Matchroom Boxing. I’m grateful for the team around me who have made this possible. I want to bring big nights of boxing to Wales and it’s time to show the world what I can do.”
Garan said, “My apprenticeship is almost over, very soon I’ll be challenging for titles. It’s time to make an impact on the 154-pound division. I can’t wait to get started under Matchroom Boxing,” said Garan, who also trains alongside his brother in the North-West.
Celebrating the latest additions to his elite roster, Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn has high hopes for the 24 year-old duo. “I am pleased to welcome Ioan and Garan to the Matchroom Boxing team,” said Hearn. “With a legend in Anthoiny Crolla in their corner, they are two very talented young fighters who are eager to make their own names in the sport – and hopefully bring some major fight nights to Wales. I can’t wait to see them get up and running, as we look to map out an important 2026 for them both.”
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Introducing Wales' Croft twins, Ioan and Garan
Matchroom Boxing announced the signing of Welsh twins Ioan and Garan Croft, who have both penned long-term promotional deals that will have them fighting on DAZN. Younger by a minute, Ioan struck gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2022 before turning pro under trainer and former champion Anthony Crolla, making the big move to Manchester, England from the small Welsh village of Crymych. Ioan is a southpaw middleweight. With a Commonwealth bronze and two European silvers on his amateur record, Garan aims to state his case in the junior middleweight division. Both young men have pro records of 5-0.
Ioan said, “It’s a dream come true to sign with Matchroom Boxing. I’m grateful for the team around me who have made this possible. I want to bring big nights of boxing to Wales and it’s time to show the world what I can do.”
Garan said, “My apprenticeship is almost over, very soon I’ll be challenging for titles. It’s time to make an impact on the 154-pound division. I can’t wait to get started under Matchroom Boxing,” said Garan, who also trains alongside his brother in the North-West.
Celebrating the latest additions to his elite roster, Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn has high hopes for the 24 year-old duo. “I am pleased to welcome Ioan and Garan to the Matchroom Boxing team,” said Hearn. “With a legend in Anthoiny Crolla in their corner, they are two very talented young fighters who are eager to make their own names in the sport – and hopefully bring some major fight nights to Wales. I can’t wait to see them get up and running, as we look to map out an important 2026 for them both.”
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Marco Antonio Barrera will return to Box Fan Expo |
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Hall of Famer Marco Antonio Barrera, who Boxingtalk recognizes as a four-division champion, will appear at the Ninth Annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday May 2nd at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Expo will coincide with the big cruiserweight fight between Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez and David Benavidez that will take place later that evening at the T-Mobile Arena. Barrera will hold a meet and greet at his booth during the fan event held over the Cinco De Mayo weekend
Barrera will be making his seventh appearance at this years’ Expo and will be signing gloves, photos, personal items and memorabilia. Barrera will also have merchandise to sell. Boxing Fans will also have an opportunity to take pictures with this boxing legend also known as the “Baby Faced Assassin”.
Barrera is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2011. He held multiple world championships, including the WBO super bantamweight title three times from 1995 to 2001; the WBC junior lightweight title from 2004 to 2007; and the IBF super featherweight title from 2005 to 2006. Additionally, he held the IBO featherweight title in 2001; and the lineal and Ring featherweight championships 2001 to 2003. Barrera is well known for his trilogy with fellow Mexican legend Erik Morales, as well as his duology with Manny Pacquiao, and rivalry with Juan Manuel Marquez. ESPN ranked Barrera as number 43 on their list of the 50 greatest boxers of all time. Barrera was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017.
Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online.
The last Box Fan Expo that took place in September 2025. It attracted nearly 4000 boxing fans who came to meet and greet some of their favorite fighters, such as Roy Jones Jr., Teofimo Lopez, Tommy Hearns, Marco Antonio Barrera, Sugar Shane Mosley, James Toney, Riddick Bowe, Shawn Porter, Juan Francisco Estrada and many others …
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Marco Antonio Barrera will return to Box Fan Expo
Hall of Famer Marco Antonio Barrera, who Boxingtalk recognizes as a four-division champion, will appear at the Ninth Annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday May 2nd at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Expo will coincide with the big cruiserweight fight between Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez and David Benavidez that will take place later that evening at the T-Mobile Arena. Barrera will hold a meet and greet at his booth during the fan event held over the Cinco De Mayo weekend
Barrera will be making his seventh appearance at this years’ Expo and will be signing gloves, photos, personal items and memorabilia. Barrera will also have merchandise to sell. Boxing Fans will also have an opportunity to take pictures with this boxing legend also known as the “Baby Faced Assassin”.
Barrera is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2011. He held multiple world championships, including the WBO super bantamweight title three times from 1995 to 2001; the WBC junior lightweight title from 2004 to 2007; and the IBF super featherweight title from 2005 to 2006. Additionally, he held the IBO featherweight title in 2001; and the lineal and Ring featherweight championships 2001 to 2003. Barrera is well known for his trilogy with fellow Mexican legend Erik Morales, as well as his duology with Manny Pacquiao, and rivalry with Juan Manuel Marquez. ESPN ranked Barrera as number 43 on their list of the 50 greatest boxers of all time. Barrera was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017.
Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online.
The last Box Fan Expo that took place in September 2025. It attracted nearly 4000 boxing fans who came to meet and greet some of their favorite fighters, such as Roy Jones Jr., Teofimo Lopez, Tommy Hearns, Marco Antonio Barrera, Sugar Shane Mosley, James Toney, Riddick Bowe, Shawn Porter, Juan Francisco Estrada and many others …
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Sunday: Efe Ajagba battles ex-champ Charles Martin |
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The Meta Apex in Las Vegas is set to host Zuffa Boxing 03 on Sunday night. The main event will feature two hard-hitting heavyweights as Nigeria's Efe Ajagba (pictured) takes on former IBF champion Charles Martin. Ajagba arrives in Las Vegas looking to bounce back into the win column after battling to a majority draw with Martin Bakolie in Riyadh in March 2025. The matchup was a closely-contested affair over ten rounds, and after the majority draw verdict was announced, many felt Ajagba was unlucky not to have edged the decision on the scorecards. Indeed, the one dissenting judge scored the fight Ajagba's way. Now the Houston-based Nigerian plans to ensure there are no such controversies on the scorecards this time when the former Olympian takes on former world champion Martin, who is ending a 455-day hiatus when he returns to action in Las Vegas this weekend.
Martin held a version of the world heavyweight title for a sanctioning body, but his reign was cut short after just 84 days in 2016 when he was stopped by Anthony Joshua. Martin has since revealed that he went into that fight with a rib injury that played its part in him falling to the first defeat of his career. The 35-fight veteran has 30 career wins, with 27 of them coming by knockout, but he hasn't fought since November 2024. With Zuffa Boxing offering a new avenue to championship glory, Martin is bidding to return to championship form.
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Sunday: Efe Ajagba battles ex-champ Charles Martin
The Meta Apex in Las Vegas is set to host Zuffa Boxing 03 on Sunday night. The main event will feature two hard-hitting heavyweights as Nigeria's Efe Ajagba (pictured) takes on former IBF champion Charles Martin. Ajagba arrives in Las Vegas looking to bounce back into the win column after battling to a majority draw with Martin Bakolie in Riyadh in March 2025. The matchup was a closely-contested affair over ten rounds, and after the majority draw verdict was announced, many felt Ajagba was unlucky not to have edged the decision on the scorecards. Indeed, the one dissenting judge scored the fight Ajagba's way. Now the Houston-based Nigerian plans to ensure there are no such controversies on the scorecards this time when the former Olympian takes on former world champion Martin, who is ending a 455-day hiatus when he returns to action in Las Vegas this weekend.
Martin held a version of the world heavyweight title for a sanctioning body, but his reign was cut short after just 84 days in 2016 when he was stopped by Anthony Joshua. Martin has since revealed that he went into that fight with a rib injury that played its part in him falling to the first defeat of his career. The 35-fight veteran has 30 career wins, with 27 of them coming by knockout, but he hasn't fought since November 2024. With Zuffa Boxing offering a new avenue to championship glory, Martin is bidding to return to championship form.
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IBF pushing Bivol to fight Eifert |
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The IBF announced that a purse bid for light heavyweight champion Dimitrii Bivol's mandatory defense against Michael Eifert of Germany has been rescheduled from February 13th to February 20th. Bivol (pictured) is the true world champion of the 175-pound division based on his winning the second of two undisputed championship bouts against fellow Russian Artur Beterbiev. But he has not fought since February of 2025. Eifert is very lightly credentialed at 13-1, with his best win coming in March 2023 in an IBF eliminator vs. former world champion Jean Pascal. Eifert has only fought once since then, against a nondescript opponent, instead choosing to wait for this IBF title shot to come. Bivol is also recognized as champion by the WBA and WBO, so there is little pressure on him to actually fight Eifert if he is not inclined to do so.
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IBF pushing Bivol to fight Eifert
The IBF announced that a purse bid for light heavyweight champion Dimitrii Bivol's mandatory defense against Michael Eifert of Germany has been rescheduled from February 13th to February 20th. Bivol (pictured) is the true world champion of the 175-pound division based on his winning the second of two undisputed championship bouts against fellow Russian Artur Beterbiev. But he has not fought since February of 2025. Eifert is very lightly credentialed at 13-1, with his best win coming in March 2023 in an IBF eliminator vs. former world champion Jean Pascal. Eifert has only fought once since then, against a nondescript opponent, instead choosing to wait for this IBF title shot to come. Bivol is also recognized as champion by the WBA and WBO, so there is little pressure on him to actually fight Eifert if he is not inclined to do so.
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Let It Be: How Silence Has Always Been the Most Dangerous Choice |
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Last month, Boxingtalk published Charles Muniz's cautionary story about the danger of silence in the face of huge regulatory changes that seem to be coming soon to boxing. The warning was met largely with... silence. Here are Muniz's further thoughts on the subject:
There is a reason certain words endure. They sound gentle. Reassuring. Wise.
Let it be.
It feels like patience. Like maturity. Like the calm voice urging restraint when emotions run high. But history shows us that some of the most damaging choices are made not in anger or ignorance—but in calm, collective silence.
We celebrate voices today that once unsettled their own time. We quote them safely, long after the danger has passed. Their words are carved into stone, taught in classrooms, invoked whenever it is convenient to sound principled. What we forget is how often those same figures were told—explicitly or implicitly—to wait, to temper their message, to stop making things uncomfortable. They were told to let it be.
What if they had?
What if Frederick Douglass had accepted slavery as simply the order of things, and decided that measured silence was wiser than moral confrontation? What if he had softened his words to remain acceptable to those who benefited most from quiet?
What if Abraham Lincoln had chosen unity over justice, postponement over principle, concluding that the country was not ready?
What if Martin Luther King Jr. had waited for a better political moment, or Rosa Parks had stood up and moved to the back of the bus because one seat wasn’t worth the trouble?
What if John Lewis had turned back on that bridge?
What if Medgar Evers had decided that survival mattered more than speaking plainly?
What if Winston Churchill, surrounded by voices urging calm and accommodation, had embraced silence when warning felt impolite?
And beyond the United States—
What if Václav Havel had chosen to live within the lie because truth was inconvenient?
What if Nelson Mandela had accepted freedom on the regime’s terms instead of prison on his own?
What if Lech Wałęsa had decided that challenging power was futile, that silence was safer?
What if César Chávez had concluded that exploitation was simply the price of work, and that gratitude should replace dignity?
History does not give us those versions. Not because silence was unavailable—but because someone, somewhere, refused to confuse quiet with wisdom.
None of these figures were celebrated in their moment. They were disruptive. Inconvenient. Accused of moving too fast, pushing too hard, threatening stability. The advice they received was always the same: be patient, be realistic, don’t force it, don’t make things worse... Let it be.
It sounds peaceful. It isn’t. It is the language every system uses when it wants to remain exactly as it is. Whether in sport, government, or any institution entrusted with oversight, silence has always been power’s most reliable ally.
That is why this question matters now.
In boxing, silence is not accidental—it is learned. Fighters understand quickly that questioning the system can cost opportunities. Officials learn that speaking plainly brings consequences. Promoters learn that compliance preserves access. Over time, resignation begins to feel like professionalism. Survival masquerades as wisdom.
And when someone says, “nobody cares,” what they often mean is not that injustice is invisible—but that speaking carries a price few are willing to pay.
That silence is not theoretical. When concerns about the future of boxing were shared privately with those best positioned to respond—leaders of sanctioning bodies and major promoters—there was no objection, no disagreement, and no acknowledgment. Not because the implications were unclear, but because coordination itself now carries risk. Some speak individually. Few stand collectively.
That is how structural change happens without debate. Not through persuasion, but through fragmentation—where each actor waits for someone else to speak first. In that vacuum, a single, unified entity does not need consensus to reshape a sport. It only needs everyone else to remain separate, cautious, and silent long enough for the future to arrive fully formed.
And if that future arrives endorsed—if Congress, after hearings and revisions, signals that the new structure is compliant with its own changes—then the shift will not merely be cultural. It will be codified.
Courts do not rewrite statutes. They interpret them. If lawmakers declare a model acceptable, the judiciary will have little room to say otherwise. Compliance becomes shield. Consolidation becomes lawful. What once might have been challenged becomes precedent.
That is how eras close. Not with outrage, but with legislative language.
And when the framework changes in Washington without coordinated resistance from those it most affects, the outcome will not feel imposed. It will feel authorized.
So when institutions stay quiet, when oversight becomes optional, when rules exist but are no longer enforced, this is not neutrality. It is acquiescence. It is continuity disguised as inevitability.
Chains are replaced by paperwork. Coercion is replaced by contracts. Silence replaces force. We like to quote that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” What is usually omitted is the truth beneath it: the arc does not bend on its own. It bends because people pull it—against comfort, against convenience, against silence.
And when this period is eventually examined—when the facts are exhumed from the graveyard and a fuller autopsy is performed—the cause of death will not be listed as sudden. It will be described as predictable, even inevitable, but only because inevitability is what silence produces in hindsight.
Boxing will not be said to have died by force.
It will be said to have died quietly. Much like the infamous case of Kitty Genovese in March of 1964, when cries for help echoed into the night and were heard—but not answered. No single witness caused the outcome. That was the point. Each assumed someone else would act. Each waited. Each remained still long enough for tragedy to complete its work. The lesson was never about cruelty.
It was about diffusion of responsibility.
When the cry went out, it was not unanswered because it was unheard.
It was unanswered because it belonged to everyone.
And so, when consolidation is later described as unavoidable—when those who remained silent ask how such a drastic change could have happened—the answer will already be written.
When words of warning were spoken, those with the most to lose chose silence.
They chose not to coordinate.
They chose not to stand together.
They chose to let it be.
History’s most enduring failures were never defended.
They were simply allowed to be.
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Let It Be: How Silence Has Always Been the Most Dangerous Choice
Last month, Boxingtalk published Charles Muniz's cautionary story about the danger of silence in the face of huge regulatory changes that seem to be coming soon to boxing. The warning was met largely with... silence. Here are Muniz's further thoughts on the subject:
There is a reason certain words endure. They sound gentle. Reassuring. Wise.
Let it be.
It feels like patience. Like maturity. Like the calm voice urging restraint when emotions run high. But history shows us that some of the most damaging choices are made not in anger or ignorance—but in calm, collective silence.
We celebrate voices today that once unsettled their own time. We quote them safely, long after the danger has passed. Their words are carved into stone, taught in classrooms, invoked whenever it is convenient to sound principled. What we forget is how often those same figures were told—explicitly or implicitly—to wait, to temper their message, to stop making things uncomfortable. They were told to let it be.
What if they had?
What if Frederick Douglass had accepted slavery as simply the order of things, and decided that measured silence was wiser than moral confrontation? What if he had softened his words to remain acceptable to those who benefited most from quiet?
What if Abraham Lincoln had chosen unity over justice, postponement over principle, concluding that the country was not ready?
What if Martin Luther King Jr. had waited for a better political moment, or Rosa Parks had stood up and moved to the back of the bus because one seat wasn’t worth the trouble?
What if John Lewis had turned back on that bridge?
What if Medgar Evers had decided that survival mattered more than speaking plainly?
What if Winston Churchill, surrounded by voices urging calm and accommodation, had embraced silence when warning felt impolite?
And beyond the United States—
What if Václav Havel had chosen to live within the lie because truth was inconvenient?
What if Nelson Mandela had accepted freedom on the regime’s terms instead of prison on his own?
What if Lech Wałęsa had decided that challenging power was futile, that silence was safer?
What if César Chávez had concluded that exploitation was simply the price of work, and that gratitude should replace dignity?
History does not give us those versions. Not because silence was unavailable—but because someone, somewhere, refused to confuse quiet with wisdom.
None of these figures were celebrated in their moment. They were disruptive. Inconvenient. Accused of moving too fast, pushing too hard, threatening stability. The advice they received was always the same: be patient, be realistic, don’t force it, don’t make things worse... Let it be.
It sounds peaceful. It isn’t. It is the language every system uses when it wants to remain exactly as it is. Whether in sport, government, or any institution entrusted with oversight, silence has always been power’s most reliable ally.
That is why this question matters now.
In boxing, silence is not accidental—it is learned. Fighters understand quickly that questioning the system can cost opportunities. Officials learn that speaking plainly brings consequences. Promoters learn that compliance preserves access. Over time, resignation begins to feel like professionalism. Survival masquerades as wisdom.
And when someone says, “nobody cares,” what they often mean is not that injustice is invisible—but that speaking carries a price few are willing to pay.
That silence is not theoretical. When concerns about the future of boxing were shared privately with those best positioned to respond—leaders of sanctioning bodies and major promoters—there was no objection, no disagreement, and no acknowledgment. Not because the implications were unclear, but because coordination itself now carries risk. Some speak individually. Few stand collectively.
That is how structural change happens without debate. Not through persuasion, but through fragmentation—where each actor waits for someone else to speak first. In that vacuum, a single, unified entity does not need consensus to reshape a sport. It only needs everyone else to remain separate, cautious, and silent long enough for the future to arrive fully formed.
And if that future arrives endorsed—if Congress, after hearings and revisions, signals that the new structure is compliant with its own changes—then the shift will not merely be cultural. It will be codified.
Courts do not rewrite statutes. They interpret them. If lawmakers declare a model acceptable, the judiciary will have little room to say otherwise. Compliance becomes shield. Consolidation becomes lawful. What once might have been challenged becomes precedent.
That is how eras close. Not with outrage, but with legislative language.
And when the framework changes in Washington without coordinated resistance from those it most affects, the outcome will not feel imposed. It will feel authorized.
So when institutions stay quiet, when oversight becomes optional, when rules exist but are no longer enforced, this is not neutrality. It is acquiescence. It is continuity disguised as inevitability.
Chains are replaced by paperwork. Coercion is replaced by contracts. Silence replaces force. We like to quote that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” What is usually omitted is the truth beneath it: the arc does not bend on its own. It bends because people pull it—against comfort, against convenience, against silence.
And when this period is eventually examined—when the facts are exhumed from the graveyard and a fuller autopsy is performed—the cause of death will not be listed as sudden. It will be described as predictable, even inevitable, but only because inevitability is what silence produces in hindsight.
Boxing will not be said to have died by force.
It will be said to have died quietly. Much like the infamous case of Kitty Genovese in March of 1964, when cries for help echoed into the night and were heard—but not answered. No single witness caused the outcome. That was the point. Each assumed someone else would act. Each waited. Each remained still long enough for tragedy to complete its work. The lesson was never about cruelty.
It was about diffusion of responsibility.
When the cry went out, it was not unanswered because it was unheard.
It was unanswered because it belonged to everyone.
And so, when consolidation is later described as unavoidable—when those who remained silent ask how such a drastic change could have happened—the answer will already be written.
When words of warning were spoken, those with the most to lose chose silence.
They chose not to coordinate.
They chose not to stand together.
They chose to let it be.
History’s most enduring failures were never defended.
They were simply allowed to be.
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Lightweight Brandon McCarthy signs with Wise Owl |
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Management company Wise Owl Boxing has announced the signing of undefeated lightweight Brandon McCarthy to its roster of boxers. McCarthy, a decorated Irish standout, brings an accomplished amateur résumé. The 16-time National Champion compiled an amateur record of 200-15, earning widespread recognition throughout Ireland and internationally for his skill, toughness, and championship pedigree. Since turning professional, McCarthy has wasted no time making his mark. He currently stands at 5-0 as a pro and has already shown progression in the paid ranks. After debuting on the ProBox platform in a four-round bout, McCarthy advanced to six-round contests by just his second professional fight — an indication of both his readiness and the confidence his team has in his ability. Now training out of the world-renowned Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California, under Marvin Somodio, McCarthy is sharpening his tools among elite company as he prepares to climb the lightweight ranks.
Wise Owl Boxing owner Mark Habibi says McCarthy is a natural fit for the Wise Owl family. “Brandon is the perfect addition to our stable,” said Habibi. “His amateur career is incredibly impressive — 200 wins doesn’t happen by accident. That experience is exactly why he was able to move into six-round fights so quickly against tough competition. He doesn’t shy away from anyone. I love that killer instinct. He’s going to make a lot of noise at 135 pounds.”
McCarthy is scheduled to make his first appearance under Wise Owl Boxing management in April, on a card to be officially announced in the coming weeks.
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Lightweight Brandon McCarthy signs with Wise Owl
Management company Wise Owl Boxing has announced the signing of undefeated lightweight Brandon McCarthy to its roster of boxers. McCarthy, a decorated Irish standout, brings an accomplished amateur résumé. The 16-time National Champion compiled an amateur record of 200-15, earning widespread recognition throughout Ireland and internationally for his skill, toughness, and championship pedigree. Since turning professional, McCarthy has wasted no time making his mark. He currently stands at 5-0 as a pro and has already shown progression in the paid ranks. After debuting on the ProBox platform in a four-round bout, McCarthy advanced to six-round contests by just his second professional fight — an indication of both his readiness and the confidence his team has in his ability. Now training out of the world-renowned Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California, under Marvin Somodio, McCarthy is sharpening his tools among elite company as he prepares to climb the lightweight ranks.
Wise Owl Boxing owner Mark Habibi says McCarthy is a natural fit for the Wise Owl family. “Brandon is the perfect addition to our stable,” said Habibi. “His amateur career is incredibly impressive — 200 wins doesn’t happen by accident. That experience is exactly why he was able to move into six-round fights so quickly against tough competition. He doesn’t shy away from anyone. I love that killer instinct. He’s going to make a lot of noise at 135 pounds.”
McCarthy is scheduled to make his first appearance under Wise Owl Boxing management in April, on a card to be officially announced in the coming weeks.
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Opetaia to face Glanton for inaugural Zuffa championship |
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Zuffa Boxing has announced that, for the main Event in Zuffa Boxing 04, Australia's Jai Opetaia (pictured) and Brandon Glanton of the United States will fight for the inaugural Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight championship. The fight will take place on March 8th at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. Opetaia is the reigning IBF champion. His record is 29-0, with three IBF defenses against non-descript challengers in 2025. His efforts at unification have been largely ignored by the other champions and sanctioning bodies. Glanton is 2103 and is coming off a 2025 that saw him lose to former cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith then defeat former light heavyweight champion Marcus Browne.
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Opetaia to face Glanton for inaugural Zuffa championship
Zuffa Boxing has announced that, for the main Event in Zuffa Boxing 04, Australia's Jai Opetaia (pictured) and Brandon Glanton of the United States will fight for the inaugural Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight championship. The fight will take place on March 8th at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. Opetaia is the reigning IBF champion. His record is 29-0, with three IBF defenses against non-descript challengers in 2025. His efforts at unification have been largely ignored by the other champions and sanctioning bodies. Glanton is 2103 and is coming off a 2025 that saw him lose to former cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith then defeat former light heavyweight champion Marcus Browne.
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Clutch performance: Veyre holds her way to a title |
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Caroline Veyre W10 Delfine Persoon... Canada's Caroline Veyre defeated Delfine Persoon in a very ugly fight for the vacant WBC junior lightweight championship. Veyre fought like a female John Ruiz, clutching and holding Person excessively throughout the ten rounds. The tactic worked well for Veyre, as referee Rodriguez deducted a total of four points, two from each boxer, but allowed Veyre to negate Persoon's offense. In rounds four and seven, as Veyre held Persoon, the referee unreasonably deducted points from Person for hitting behind the head. Veyre's holding penalties, both richly deserved, came in rounds five and nine/ The verdict of 95-91, 94-92 and 98-88 in Veyre's favor was received with resounding boos from the Grand Rapids, Michigan crowd. The 41 year-old Persoon (50-4, 20 KOs) knows she won't get many more championship opportunities and was extremely upset with the officiating. Veyre (11-1) moved up from featherweight for this opportunity.
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Clutch performance: Veyre holds her way to a title
Caroline Veyre W10 Delfine Persoon... Canada's Caroline Veyre defeated Delfine Persoon in a very ugly fight for the vacant WBC junior lightweight championship. Veyre fought like a female John Ruiz, clutching and holding Person excessively throughout the ten rounds. The tactic worked well for Veyre, as referee Rodriguez deducted a total of four points, two from each boxer, but allowed Veyre to negate Persoon's offense. In rounds four and seven, as Veyre held Persoon, the referee unreasonably deducted points from Person for hitting behind the head. Veyre's holding penalties, both richly deserved, came in rounds five and nine/ The verdict of 95-91, 94-92 and 98-88 in Veyre's favor was received with resounding boos from the Grand Rapids, Michigan crowd. The 41 year-old Persoon (50-4, 20 KOs) knows she won't get many more championship opportunities and was extremely upset with the officiating. Veyre (11-1) moved up from featherweight for this opportunity.
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Pagan continues his lightweight roll |
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Joshua Pagan W10 Bryan Jimenez... On Tuesday on a Salita Promotions card at GLC Live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Joshua Pagan continued his climb in the lightweight rankings, defeating Bryan Jimenez by wide unanimous decision over ten rounds. Pagan was fighting in his hometown, and improved to 15-0. Official scores were 99-91 (twice) and 100-90. Jimenez returns to Nicaragua with a record of 18-3. All three losses came against undefeated boxers.
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Pagan continues his lightweight roll
Joshua Pagan W10 Bryan Jimenez... On Tuesday on a Salita Promotions card at GLC Live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Joshua Pagan continued his climb in the lightweight rankings, defeating Bryan Jimenez by wide unanimous decision over ten rounds. Pagan was fighting in his hometown, and improved to 15-0. Official scores were 99-91 (twice) and 100-90. Jimenez returns to Nicaragua with a record of 18-3. All three losses came against undefeated boxers.
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