Ben Whittaker W12 Conor Wallace... Ben Whittaker claimed victory in his IBF light heavyweight elimination but was made to work by Conor Wallace. "The Surgeon" took a unanimous decision in Birmigham, England to tee up a potential shot at world champion Dmitry Bivol, but Whittaker faced a big scare with his opponent rocking him late on. Whittaker appeared to be cruising towards a final eliminator victory at Birmingham's Utilita Arena before the last few rounds. Well ahead on points, Whittaker elected to needlessly trade punches with Wallace in the later portion of the fight. A alate flurry from his opponent put the Briton onto the back foot and forced him to weather a late scare as his rival surged forwards. The twelfth round was shambolic for Whittaker, as his wobbly legs continually betrayed him, and he held on to Wallace for dear life. The judges' official scores properly favored Whittaker. 117-111 116-112 and 115-113.

 

The Briton suggested he would be open to a rematch in the aftermath, though his backers may have other ideas too.