Joel Diaz says his work with new charge Avni Yildirim will shock the world when he takes on WBC, WBA Super and Ring Magazine World Super-Middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens in Florida on Saturday February 27, live worldwide on DAZN (except Mexico).

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Star trainer Diaz teamed up with Yildirim (21-2 12 KOs) late in October 2019 but due to the COVID pandemic, the showdown with Canelo will be their first fight together after 18 months of work, with Yildirim’s last action coming in February 2019 when he faced Anthony Dirrell for the vacant WBC strap in Minnesota.

Inactivity might be a hindrance to many ahead of taking on the pound-for-pound number one, but Diaz is happy that they have been able to work on the Turkish man’s arsenal and rid him of his ‘Mr Robot’ style behind closed doors, and Diaz believes that fight fans and pundits will meet a new Avni Yildirim on February 27 – one that’s ready to shock the world against Canelo (54-1-2 36 KOs).

“Avni came to Indio and in the first week of training he fell in love with my work,” said Diaz. “He was the happiest guy I’ve ever met because this guy is not only a gym rat and a hard worker, but he’s a smart fighter, he loves learning. A lot of the things he never learned in his career, he’s learned them now, and he loves the work I put in, and it doesn’t matter how hard the work is, he never complains.

“That’s the reason I like Avni, any trainer would like to have him, he just does what you tell him to do. He’s a true soldier – you tell him to do something, he just does it.

“Avni may be an underdog but he doesn’t care what anybody says, he’s fighting for his country and he’s going to shock the world.

“He’s a completely different fighter from when he fought Dirrell and Chris Eubank Jr. I said to him, you are a physically stronger guy than Dirrell but you had no defense. That’s why they called him ‘Mr Robot’, but there’s no robot in him now, I can tell you. I made a complete transformation because I dedicated time to him. The COVID situation helped him in a way because there was nothing to do, there were no fights, so just to keep him busy we would go to the gym and work on technique and making him a better fighter.”

Yildirim’s clash with Canelo is part of a huge night of action in Miami, as Julio Cesar Martinez (17-1 13 KOs) defends his WBC World Flyweight title against mandatory challenger McWilliams Arroyo (20-4 15 KOs).

Chinese Heavyweight star Zhilei Zhang (22-0 17 KOs) makes a quick return to action over ten rounds against Jerry Forrest (26-4 20 KOs), and a host of young talents get the chance to shine on the card in the form of Diego Pacheco. (10-0 8 KOs), Alexis Espino (6-0 4 KOs), Marc Castro (1-0 1 KO) and Aaron Aponte (1-0 1 KO).

February 5, 2021–Two highly entertaining bouts will be on tonight’s edition of Classic Fight Night on fubo Sports Network at 8 PM ET.

Petr Petrov battles Michael Perez in a lightweight bout. Also featured will be a special heavyweight throwdown as Andrey Fedosov takes on Mario Heredia.

The fight between Petrov (37-4-2, 18 KOs) and Perez (24-1-2, 11KOs) had major ramifications. The the winner earned a shot at the world lightweight title. It was a high-stakes entertaining battle that took place on September 30, 2016, at The Fantasy Springs Casino Resort in Indo, California.

On June 11, 2016, Fedosov (28-3, 23 KOs) and Heredia (13-1, 11 KOs) took part in a heavyweight slugfest that saw Heredia start well. Fedosov, making his first ring appearance since winning the Boxcino Heavyweight tournament, showed his championship-level experience on his way to victory and a stake as a top contender.

About fubo Sports Network
Available on 75 million devices, fubo Sports Network is the live, free-to-consumer TV network featuring sports stories on and off the field. Launched by live TV streaming platform fuboTV (NYSE: FUBO) in September 2019, fubo Sports Network airs live sports, award-winning original programming and partner content from CampusLore, FanDuel, Stadium, The Players Tribune, USA TODAY and VSiN, among others. Stream for free on LG Channels, News on Tubi, Plex, Samsung TV Plus, The Roku Channel, Vizio Channels and XUMO or as part of fuboTV’s base subscription package of 100+ sports, news and entertainment channels.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please like the Banner Promotions Facebook Page, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing

Leigh Wood is predicting an early finish when he collides with Reece Mould for the vacant British Featherweight Title at The SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday February 13, live on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN in the U.S. and more than 200 countries and territories.

Nottingham’s Wood (23-2, 13 KOs) narrowly lost out to eventual MTK Golden Contract winner Jazza Dickens in February last year, but heads into his second attempt at capturing the prestigious Lord Lonsdale Challenge Belt with a new approach and full of confidence having linked up with trainer Ben Davison in recent months.

“New trainer, new place. It was challenging at first but it’s without a doubt the best move I’ve made,” said Wood. “The way I view boxing, my perception of things, I’ve started learning! I’m going in there with a game-plan and I know exactly what I’ve got to do.

“When you look back at my previous fights, I spent most of my time dancing around, not using my biggest attribute which is my power. One of the first things Ben asked me is, why do you fight like that? When I watch back the fight with Jazza Dickens I’m shaking my head! It’s almost cringey, it’s a hard watch when I identify all the things I’ve been working on now. I can’t wait to show the new and improved version of myself.”

In just his 12th pro fight, Wood boxed Gavin McDonnell for the British Super-Bantamweight crown but was handed his first defeat, a loss that has made his desire to win the belt at the second time of asking even stronger.

“From when I turned professional winning the British Title was something I wanted to do. It’s a box I want to tick so I’m extremely focused on the job at hand. 

“When I was fighting for the British Title for the first time I was unbeaten and I didn’t want to lose my 0 at any cost, but it’s all experience. You don’t get easy fights for the British Title, they don’t give them away! I’m confident because I’ve put the work in that 100% I’ll bring it home on February 13th.”

Wood is all too aware that Mould (13-0, 6 KOs), the current English Champion and stablemate of Featherweight kingpin Josh Warrington, will be no easy touch and has prepared for a tough fight. 

“We’ve studied Reece Mould, we know his strengths and weaknesses. He’s a good fighter, you don’t win Titles if you’re not. I just think he’s very basic in what he does, he’s not very adaptable and I think that’s going to be key for me.

“I’m not expecting an easy fight but it’s one I’m very confident of winning. I can’t see him hearing the final bell, I’m on fire at the minute. Everything is coming together at the right time! I’m going to be hitting him with some incredibly big shots that he won’t see coming, it’s going to be a great night for me.”

Wood vs. Mould is part of a big night of action, Josh Warrington (30-0, 7 KOs) faces Mexico’s Mauricio Lara (21-2, 14 KOs), Zelfa Barrett defends his IBF Intercontinental Super-Featherweight Title against former World Champion Kiko Martinez, fast-rising Sheffield Super-Lightweight talent Dalton Smith (6-0, 5 KOs) takes on Ishmael Ellis (11-3), Leeds starlet Hopey Price (3-0, 1 KO) sees action and Keighley Featherweight Ibrahim Nadim (2-0) steps-up against Jonny Phillips (5-5, 2 KOs).

By Norm Frauenheim–

During days when there’s more talk about fights that don’t get made instead of those that do, promoter Eddie Hearn has an interesting idea involving the latest one to frustrate fans.

Caleb Plant-versus-David Benavidez has been near the top of the wish list for a couple of years, yet no amount of trash talk or apparent interest has moved it any closer to reality.

It’s right there, another fantasy fight consigned to never-never land. Maybe, it’ll show up as a co-feature on the Terence Crawford-Errol Spence Jr. card. Yeah right. Wait on. Dream on.

On the surface, Plant-Benavidez appears to be as unlikely as ever in the wake of Plant’s one-sided decision over Caleb Truax last weekend. Plant added a victory to his record and a loss to his reputation.

His skillset was exposed, shown to be wanting, especially in his hopes for a super-middleweight biggie with Canelo Alvarez. Perhaps, Plant’s performance was an aberration.

Plant had said he wanted to get past his mandatories. That’s all he did against Truax.  He also could have been limited by a hand injury, which he said he suffered midway throughout the 12-round shutout.

Maybe.

Just maybe.

Abundantly clear to Hearn and everybody else in a surprisingly large FOX audience (1.887 million, peaking at 2.019 million, according to Nielsen), however, was that Plant isn’t ready for Canelo any more than Benavidez is.

Hearn suggested during an appearance on “The Ak & Barak Show” (DAZN and SiriusXM) that Plant and Benavidez meet in what would be an eliminator for the right to face Canelo, perhaps in September.

It makes sense

Maybe too much sense.

Remember, this is boxing, constant chaos.

In post-fight interviews after Truax, Plant repeated that he intends to wait on Canelo, who has a mandatory defense scheduled for Feb. 27 against Turkish challenger Avni Yildirim in Miami and then a title unification fight with UK belt-holder Billy Joe Saunders in early May.

From a promotional standpoint, Plant-Benavidez might inject some anticipation for Canelo’s next couple of bouts. He’s a 20-to-1 favorite over Yildirim. Those odds figure to multiply as opening bell approaches.

The Saunders bout promises to be a lot more competitive, yet Canelo still figures to be the favorite. Plant-Benavidez would just be another reason to talk about Canelo, who recently signed a two-fight deal with Hearn. Talk is also another way of turning up the volume on Canelo’s ongoing campaign for No. 1 in the pound-for-pound debate.

It would work, work on a couple of levels.

Then again, it could come apart because of that constant chaos, boxing’s only reliable business model. It’s not clear how serious Plant’s hand injury is. If it keeps the super-middleweight belt-holder out of the gym for a long stretch, a promotional idea remains on the wish list.

More problematic, perhaps, is Benavidez’ weight. Can he make 168 anymore? He failed the day before his stoppage of Roamer Alexis Angulo last August. It cost him his belt and an immediate chance at Canelo. 

There’s talk that Benavidez is already in the 175-pound division. We’ll find out the day, March 12, before he fights Ronald Ellis on March 13 when he returns to the scene of the August scale fail at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn.

That’s when and where Benavidez will be back on that scale as either a light-heavyweight or with a renewed chance to get back in line for Canelo.

LAS VEGAS (February 4, 2021) — Brazilian middleweight contender Esquiva Falcao is coming back to America. After a pair of knockout wins last year in his home nation, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist will take on two-time world title challenger Artur Akavov in a 10-rounder Saturday, Feb. 20 from MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
 
In a junior welterweight special feature scheduled for eight or six rounds, knockout wizard Elvis “The Dominican Kid” Rodriguez will face Argentine veteran Luis Alberto Veron.
 
Falcao-Akavov, Rodriguez-Veron and additional undercard bouts will stream live on ESPN+ at 6:45 p.m. ET/3:45 p.m. PT. The evening continues live on ESPN & ESPN3 (in Spanish) (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) with the all-Mexican showdown between WBC super featherweight world champion Miguel Berchelt and former world champion Oscar Valdez, and junior lightweight contender Gabriel Flores Jr. against former world title challenger Jayson Velez.
 
Falcao (27-0, 19 KOs), ranked No. 5 by the IBF and WBO, is a seven-year pro who ended his sterling amateur career with a 215-15 record. He has won four consecutive bouts by knockout, including an eighth-round stoppage over Mexican veteran Jesus Antonio Gutierrez in July 2019. Akavov (20-3, 9 KOs) nearly dethroned WBO middleweight world champion Billy Joe Saunders in December 2016, dropping a controversial decision. He challenged for the same world title in January 2019 and was bested by Demetrius Andrade en route to a 12^th-round TKO loss. Akavov last fought in October 2019 and knocked out 50-fight veteran Sergei Melis in five rounds.

Falcao said, “I am ready to face the best in my division. My opponent is a good boxer, but I am better and I am ready to become a world champion. No fighter will stop me. I’m training very hard with Robert García. I’m sparring with the best because I am one of the best. On February 20, I will show the world once again that I am ready to become a world champion.”
 
Rodriguez (10-0-1, 10 KOs) emerged as one of boxing’s hottest prospects in 2020, going 5-0 with five knockouts, including four headline-making stoppages inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble. He last fought Oct. 9 and became only the second man to knock out 37-fight veteran Cameron Krael. Veron (18-2-2, 9 KOs) has never been knocked out as a professional and is a former WBO Latino and South American welterweight champion. He is coming off a competitive decision defeat to 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Taras Shelestyuk in January 2020.

Rodriguez said, “I want to show that I am ready for the big fights. I think I deserved to be the Prospect of the Year. Not being named Prospect of the Year has motivated me more than ever. I am here to become a world champion. I am very grateful for the opportunities Top Rank is giving me and for the efforts of my entire team. I am going to show who I am through my actions in the ring, not through words or social media.”
 
In other ESPN+ streaming action:

• Xander Zayas (6-0, 5 KOs), the Puerto Rican prodigy who celebrated his 18^th birthday last September, will clash with Philadelphia native James Martin (6-1) in a six-round welterweight fight. Zayas signed with Top Rank at 16 years old and hopes to extend his knockout streak to four against Martin, who has never been stopped in the paid ranks.

  “Since my last fight, I’ve had an extended camp and have been fortunate to spar numerous world champions and top fighters, which has provided me a wealth of experience,” Zayas said. “I’m excited to fight on February 20 and put on a show for my fans.”

• Unbeaten junior lightweights collide when California Central Valley favorite Bryan Lua (7-0, 3 KOs) fights Puerto Rican prospect Frevian Gonzalez (4-0, 1 KO) in a six-rounder. Gonzalez and Lua won two fights apiece inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble last year, with Lua scoring a highlight-reel knockout over Luis Norambuena in his first fight following a 27-month layoff.
   
• Sonny “The Bronco” Conto (6-0, 5 KO), South Philadelphia’s latest heavyweight hopeful, is set to return from a 13-month layoff against Waldo Cortes (6-3, 3 KOs) in a four-rounder. Conto battled assorted injuries throughout 2020, but he is ready for a busier 2021. Cortes fought Bubble favorite Kingsley Ibeh last June, giving as good as he received before being knocked out in the fourth round.
   
• Milwaukee-born middleweight sensation Javier Martinez (2-0) will make his third appearance inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble, this time in a four-rounder against Montana native Billy Wagner (3-1, 1 KO).
   
• One of Puerto Rico’s brightest young talents, Omar Rosario (2-0), will make his Las Vegas debut in a four-round welterweight tilt versus fellow unbeaten Uriel Villanueva (1-0). Rosario, a 23-year-old from Caguas, won the 2020 Olympic Trials for his home nation at 152 pounds before electing to turn pro.
• Use the hashtag #BercheltValdez to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.
   

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 11.5 million subscribers.
 
Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $59.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) — all for just $12.99/month.

ORLANDO, Fla. (February 4, 2021) – It seems only appropriate that undefeated cruiserweight Richie “Popeye The Sailor Man” Rivera (18-0, 13 KOs) has found a new home in Orlando (FL), although his heart remains in his native Hartford (CT), since he followed his partner/head trainer Tony Blanco there nearly six months ago,

“I recently went to Universal Studios and it’s definitely Popeye-friendly,” the charismatic Rivera reported. “They had Popeye rides, souvenirs and novelties. I felt like it’s my part of town.”

Due to financial strains associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hartford Boxing Center (HBC) was closed by the state March 15 and it never reopened. Blanco and his family traveled south to the Sunshine State, where he opened the Orlando Boxing Club (OBC at 7335 Lake Underhill Road in Orlando, Florida). Soon after “Popeye” packed his bags and joined Blanco.

“The business was bleeding, and I have a family to support,” Blanco explained. “We’ve more or less brought Hartford Boxing Center to Orlando, where there are so many opportunities for us. It is what it is, there was no other way to survive. We’ve turning a negative into a positive.

“It was a cool ride alongside the Hartford community. We were sad to announce the Hartford Boxing Center had closed its doors. We are deeply indebted to Hartford for giving us the opportunity to meet such a loving community that made us feel like family. We will miss each and every one there and, hopefully, we left our legacy there in good standing with everyone. We hope everybody stays safe, healthy and continues their goals and dreams The fight continues!”

Florida’s weather alone has advantages over Connecticut, in addition to no state tax, and “Popeye” has taken full advantage as he marches towards the top of the cruiserweight division.

“I’ve taken it all in,” he commented. “Down here I’m able to run in weather when it isn’t freezing or in the snow, although that did make me more of an animal. But it was harder training in Hartford and there are so many reasons not to run and train there. Not in Orlando where I have nothing but quality runs and workouts. I get solid sparring here in Orlando with partners who have different styles and I EVEN went over to the gym owned by my idol, Roy Jones, Jr., in Pensacola.

“It’s especially difficult being here during the pandemic with so many of my family and friends back in Hartford. I’m still showed a lot of love back there where I have my roots. Florida is awesome, but I still have a lot of living left, so we’ll need to wait to see what’s ahead for me in the future.”

Meanwhile, Rivera and Blanco found a strong ally and friend in Hall of Famer Christy Martin, who is now a boxing promoter in Florida and North Carolina. Rivera’s last fight was this past August 15th in Daytona Beach (FL) on a Martin-promoted card, in which he knocked out Ryan Soft in the opening round.

“Popeye” is scheduled to fight on her February 12th show in Orlando against veteran Mexican fighter Ulises “El Cirillo” Jimenez (24-26-1, 18 KOs) in an 8-round featured bout.

“This will be the fifth time I’ve fought on one of her cards,” Rivera noted. “She’s awesome. Boxing is a little cutthroat, but I felt comfortable with Christy right away. She doesn’t need to have me fighting on her cards. I’m blessed to have her continue to watch after me. I’m also blessed to have a promoter like Joe DeGuardia (Star Boxing), especially during this pandemic, because he doesn’t have to let me fight on cards that he doesn’t promote like on February 12th.”

The feeling between Martin and Team Popeye is mutual. “I really like Popeye and Tony,” Martin offered. “He understands that this isn’t all about fighting. Fighters need to market themselves. and everybody here loves Popeye. After each fight he goes to talk to fans, especially kids, sign autographs for them and pose for pictures. There’s nothing like being here in Florida. It’s the best for training. Good weather all around and coming from the north like him, no excuses to work-out because of the cold. He’s improved the basic stuff since I first watched him. He’s keeping his head up, improved his power, and is more relaxed in the ring. He’s certainly headed in the right direction. He hasn’t been in any battles and I think he’s getting ready to take a big leap into a title fight.”

Rivera has benefitted from being promoted by DeGuardia in several ways, including his role as a regular sparring partner for Star Boxing light heavyweight Joe Smith, Jr. (26-3, 21 KOs), who is preparing for a Feb. 13th showdown with Maxim Vlasov (45-3 (26 KOs) airing on ESPN live from The Bubble in Las Vegas. They will fight for the vacant World Boxing Organization Light Heavyweight Championship of the World.

“‘Popeye’ is a colorful character and an exciting fighter who has a very entertaining style,” DeGuardia remarked. “He has a great way about him.”

When asked about putting “Popeye” on Christy’s show, DeGuardia stated: “Every decision is unique and made with a view towards what’s best for both the promoter and fighter. Does it make sense? Is it good for Star Boxing and our fighters? If it fits, I have no problem having our fighter on somebody else’s card. This makes sense for everybody. Christy gets a good, featured fighter on her card, hopefully ‘Popeye’ gets a win, and our fighter stays busy. While in this COVID-19 pandemic a few good wins for your fighter is a good thing,”

His heart may always be in Hartford, but ‘Popeye” Rivera has found a new home in Orlando, and his boxing career continues to rise.

INFORMATION.
Website: www.OrlandoBoxingClub.com, www.StarBoxing.com
Facebook: /orlandoboxingcenter, /StarBoxing
Twitter: @orlandoboxing, @StarBoxing
Instagram: @orlando.boxing.center/, @popeye_the_sailor-man_rivera
You Tube: /c/OrlandoBoxingCenter, /StarBoxingInc

Las Vegas – The first Las Vegas UFC^® Pay-Per-View of 2021 will be headlined by a thrilling welterweight title bout, as champion Kamaru Usman looks to continue asserting his dominance over the division by ending the momentum of former teammate and No. 2 ranked contender Gilbert Burns. In the co-main event, top 15 women’s flyweights battle to break into the title picture as No. 10 Maycee Barber returns against No. 15 Alexa Grasso.

UFC^® 258: USMAN vs. BURNS will take place Saturday, February 13 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas and will stream live on Pay-Per-View, exclusively through ESPN+ in the U.S. at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT in both English and Spanish.

ESPN+ is the exclusive provider of all UFC Pay-Per-View events to fans in the U.S. as part of an agreement announced in 2019.

Fans will be able to purchase UFC^® 258: USMAN vs. BURNS online at ESPNPlus.com/PPV or on the ESPN App on mobile and connected-TV devices. ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App on all major mobile and connected TV devices and platforms, including Amazon Fire, Apple, Android, Chromecast, PS4, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, X Box One and more.

Preliminary fights will air nationally in English on ESPN and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes, as well as being simulcast in both languages on ESPN+ starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Early prelims will be available on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+ (in English and Spanish) at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

Undisputed UFC welterweight champion Usman (17-1, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla. by way of Auchi, Nigeria) aims to continue proving that he is the greatest athlete in the division’s lauded history. Following impressive wins over Jorge Masvidal, Colby Covington and Tyron Woodley, Usman finds himself tied with all-time great Georges St-Pierre for the longest winning streak in the 170-pound weight class at 12. He now attempts to stamp his name in the record books and remain undefeated in the UFC by taking out one of his most dangerous challengers yet.

Burns (19-3, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla. by way of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) intends to make the most of his first shot at UFC gold. A member of the roster since 2014, Burns has seen a resurgence in his career after rejoining the welterweight division in 2019 and rattling off four dominant wins in a row over Alexey Kunchenko, Gunnar Nelson, Demian Maia and former titleholder Tyron Woodley. He now seeks to deliver his most remarkable performance yet and begin his reign as champion.

Barber (8-1, fighting out of Sullivan, Wisc.) looks to make a statement in her return to the Octagon. One of the youngest athletes on the roster, Barber burst onto the MMA scene with a breakout performance on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018 when she was just 20 years old. Once signed, she secured stoppage victories over Hannah Cifers, JJ Aldrich and Gillian Robertson. Barber now plans to return to her winning ways and cement herself as a future contender for the belt.

Former strawweight Grasso (12-3, fighting out of Guadalajara, Mexico) has her sights set on remaining undefeated at flyweight and breaking into the top 10. A former Invicta FC standout, she has been a prominent member of the UFC roster since 2016 with wins over Randa Markos, Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Ji Yeon Kim. She now aims to become the first person to finish Barber and prove that she is the top prospect in the division.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Former The Ultimate Fighter winner and No. 9 ranked middleweight Kelvin Gastelum (16-6, 1 NC, fighting out of Yuma, Ariz.) squares off with No. 15 ranked Ian Heinisch (14-3, fighting out of Englewood, Colo.)
• Top 10 bantamweights hope to steal the show as No. 8 Pedro Munhoz (18-5, 1 NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Sao Paulo, Brazil) rematches No. 9 Jimmie Rivera (23-4, fighting out of Ramsey, N.J.)
• Jim Miller (32-15, 1 NC, fighting out of Sparta, N.J.) and Bobby Green (27-11-1, fighting out of Fontana, Calif.) collide in a clash of lightweight veterans
• Middleweight submission ace Rodolfo Vieira (7-0, fighting out of Orlando, Fla. by way of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) intends to remain undefeated when he battles Dana White’s Contender Series veteran Anthony Hernandez (7-2, fighting out of Dunnigan, Calif.)
• No. 13 ranked welterweight Belal Muhammad (17-3, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) takes on Dhiego Lima (17-7, fighting out of Atlanta, Ga.) in an exciting veterans bout
• In a featherweight bout guaranteed to deliver action, Ricky Simon (17-3, fighting out of Vancouver, Wash.) makes a quick turnaround to face Brian Kelleher (22-11, fighting out of Selden, N.Y.)
• Gillian Robertson (9-5, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada) competes for the third time in five months when she locks horns with Miranda Maverick (10-2, fighting out of Suffolk, Va.) in an intriguing women’s flyweight bout
• Welterweight Gabe Green (9-3, fighting out of Downey, Calif.) plans to spoil the UFC debut of Dana White’s Contender Series signee Philip Rowe (7-2, fighting out of Ocoee, Fla.)
• Middleweight knockout artists clash as Maki Pitolo (13-7, fighting out of Makaha, Hawaii) matches up with Julian Marquez (7-2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.)
• Polyana Viana (11-4, fighting out of Sao Geraldo do Araguaia, Para, Brazil) attempts to maintain her impressive 100 percent finishing rate against Dana White’s Contender Seriessignee Mallory Martin (7-3, fighting out of Brighton, Colo.) 

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 142 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to approximately 900M TV households across more than 175 territories. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 70 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC was acquired in 2016 by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, along with strategic investors Silver Lake Partners and KKR. UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 11.5 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $59.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) — all for just $12.99/month.

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features nine U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

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By Bart Barry –

Saturday in Los Angeles in a match broadcast by FOX PBC relocated Tennessean Caleb “Sweethands” Plant decisioned Minnesota’s Caleb Truax to retain a super middleweight title that is to Canelo Alvarez’s super middleweight championship what Dogecoin is to the U.S. dollar.  Afterwards Plant congratulated himself for his shutout victory and willingness to fight anybody despite a sore hand.

Even in this traditionally mediocre time of year when mediocrities are mistaken for much more Plant looked mediocre.

When our beloved sport had a more appreciable fanbase the stretch between December and February was when most any decent fight or fighter got sold all over social media.  It was an anticipatory sort of thing wherein youngsters looked at the great fights to come and projected their justifiable enthusiasm for the future on a present that did not justify their enthusiasms.  Though there was a fraction the enthusiasm for Saturday’s broadcast as bygone years’ January offerings there were still folks projecting their understandable enthusiasm for March’s super flyweight superfight on the Calebs.

Caleb Truax, stopped in his prime by both Danny Jacobs and Anthony Dirrell, got presented as some sort of legitimate threat to a super middleweight titlist, which he is not.  For comparison’s sake, imagine what aficionados would say if after undressing Callum Smith, Canelo had called-out Truax.

Yet a guy who says with a straight face he wants to unify all the titles and become the first super middleweight somethingorother chose Truax as his third title defense.  Was his PBC stablemate David Benavidez unavailable?  There’s no telling.  PBC palace intrigue intrigues nobody anymore.  

Benavidez hasn’t been justifying his talents these last few years, either, but at least he looks like he wants to hurt other men.  Plant looks like he takes himself and his conditioning and his boxing seriously but he hasn’t nearly enough malice to make his living as more than a gatekeeper in anything resembling a good era of talented 168-pound men.

This is no such era, as evinced by Canelo’s capture of the division’s championship in only his second fight at the weight.  If you are wont to accuse Canelo of cherrypicking, what does it say he cherrypicked The Ring champion, someone none of the other titlists thought to challenge?

Plant stopped short of calling Canelo’s name Saturday, after hurting his hand jabbing Truax, because he must know somewhere in the pit of his stomach Canelo is an entirely different entity.  Canelo isn’t quite two years older than Plant but has nearly three times as many prizefights, exactly three times as many knockouts, and at least three times as much of any other thing Plant will ever have.  Canelo looks on his new division as overfed and pathetic.  It’s hard to argue with that assessment.  Forget not, Canelo came up in the Mexican system, where he saw men of twice Caleb Plant’s talent ruined in their first 10 prizefights, if not sparring sessions, for the sin of being born to a smaller physique.

Canelo fights like he needs to justify his luck, like he knows he’s had it too easy; the larger body, the red hair, the golden promoter.  By PBC super middleweight standards, though, Canelo’s career has been an ordeal of almost constant, unimaginable suffering.

It’s improbable Canelo watched Saturday’s match.  If he did surely he was unimpressed.  Turns out, in the ring Sweethands has a pretty sweet personality.  Even with that inane crowd noise signaling to FOX’s audience each time any punch landed there wasn’t an iota of suspense.  And let us hear none of the usual horseshit about an unchallenged fighter being so good it’s not his fault he wins 12-0.  If you are good enough to outbox 37-year-old Caleb Truax 12-0 but not fighter enough to make him quit, you do not belong on television.

FOX should include an oddsmakers-veto clause in its broadcasting contracts, henceforth.  If PBC announces a fight and the opening line is greater than 5-to-1 FOX ought to spike it.  Put PBC on the line to overpay their fighters for insipid mismatches.

What’s that you say, they’ll just do it anyway?  You’re right.  Never mind.

The Benavidez-Plant situation puts the lie to all those pity pieces we’ve written over the years about rival promoters and sanctioning bodies undoing our beloved sport.  The Ring’s numbers 1 and 2 super middleweights have one belt and one promoter, they’re both undefeated, and they don’t fight one another.  Before anyone goes too hard on Plant’s matchmaking, take a look at Benavidez’s next opponent in March.  At least Benavidez will ice Ronald Ellis – if you’re thinking that, like I am, you’re a sucker (like I am).

Finally, it’s unrewarding to write like this, to dump icewater on some young aficionado’s affinity for a fighter he’s been told, by Joe Buck of all people, is a surefire future superstar.  If there are disinterested fans of Plant reading this – read: kids without a financial incentive for saying Plant is a future world champion – it’s not my intention to make you feel lied-to or plant seeds of cynicism for boxing to water regularly, even if that’s what I’ve done.  Switch your allegiance to Canelo, today, friends, and stick with him till any super middleweight actually challenges him.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Follow all the action as Caleb Plant defends the IBF Super Middleweight title against former champion Caleb Truax.  The action begins at 8 PM ET.

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED.  THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY 

Round 1: 2 body shots from Plant…Good hook..Jab and right to body..Jab…Left to body..Combination

Round 2 Good right from Plant..Snapping jab..Good hook

Round 3 Triple jab from Plant..Hook to body…Hook o head…right to body

Round 4 Good hook from Plant..Blood from the nose of Truax..Combination..Uppercut from Truax

Round 5 Body shot from Plant…

Round 6 Right to head by Plant…Swelling around right eye of Truax…Lead hook from Plant

Round 7 Combination from Truax..2 hard jabs from Plant..Snapping jab…Hard jab

Round 8 Right from Truax..Good hook from Plant..Right from Truax..Hard body shots from Plant

Round 9 Overhand right from Truax…Jab from Plant

Round 10 Left hook from Plant…Right from Truax…Hard left from Plant..Right from Truax..Combination from Plant

Round 11 3 punch combination from Plant..

Round 12 Plant lands a left hook and right hand..Right from Truax..Hook drives Truax back

120-108 on all cards for PLANT

Caleb Plant made another case for a major fight as he won an easy 12-round unanimous decision over former champion Caleb Plant to retain the IBF Super Middleweight title at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Plant dominated with his jab and working hooks behind it. Plant went up and down by landing body and head shots with Truax getting in an occasional right hand. Those were very few and very far between as Plant outlanded Truax 179-47.

In round four, Truax began to leak blood from his nose.

Plant, 167.6 lbs of Las Vegas won by shutout scores of 120-108 scores and is now 21-0. Truax, 167.8 lbs of Saint Michael, MN is 31-5-2.

“I felt great. I dominated every round. I hardly got touched. He wasn’t giving me much either,’’ Plant said. “I felt like, early on, he was just looking to survive and move away. Then a third of the way into the fight, I hurt my hand. It’s kind of swollen. I felt something similar before. I’ve got to sit down and get it checked out but we’ll see. I don’t think it will hinder any upcoming fights.
 
“A champion can adjust to anything. It’s about staying focused, staying disciplined and sticking to the game plan. Maybe the injury hindered me here and there but I felt I used it well – I got a dominant victory, a shutout on all three cards.”

“I wanted the stoppage. I’m a little disappointed that my hand got hurt early in the fight. But I feel like I put on a good performance,’’ Plant said. “I feel like I’m the best super middleweight champion in the world. I want to become the first undisputed super middleweight champion. I’m ready for whoever, whenever. You line ‘em up and I’ll knock ‘em down.”

“I’m a little disappointed. I wanted to put pressure on him and make it a dogfight, but he was elusive. He was able to escape out the back door. I wasn’t able to put a glove on him,” Truax said. “I knew he was going to be quick, but he was a little more elusive than I expected. It wasn’t a fast paced fight and credit to him for that. I wanted it to be a fast paced fight and put pressure on him, but he controlled the pace and he was very elusive.
 
“I was never buzzed or hurt. I felt like my conditioning was very good the whole fight. He just jabbed the heck out of me. I’m going to go home and talk to my family and see what the next step is. I still feel like I have something to offer the game.”

Coffie Starches Rock in 3

In a battle of undefeated heavyweights, Michael Coffie took out Darmani Rock in round three of a scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout.

Coffie landed a crushing left uppercut to send Rock down early in round three. Later in the round, it was a left hook that put Rock down and out at 59 seconds.

Coffie, 270.2 lbs of Brooklyn is 12-0 with nine knockouts. Rock, 261 lbs of Philadelphia is 17-1.

“He had quick hands we knew that, but timing beats speed,” Coffie said. “They said he shuffles his feet and drops his hands. They told me to wait for him to shuffle his feet and then drop that left hand on him.”
 
“I don’t want to sound like I’m jumping the gun or anything like that or downplaying the need for experience. But I don’t think I’m that far off. I think I have power, movement, and I think just my style of fighting that can really contend with anybody.”

Joey Spencer remained undefeated with a 1st round stoppage over Isiah Seldon in a middleweight bout.

In round one, Spencer dropped Seldon with a hard right. Upon the fight being resumed, Seldon was deducted two points for hitting behind the head. Seconds later, Spencer dropped Seldon with a hard right and the fight was stopped at 2:15

Spencer, 158 lbs of Union City, MI is 12-0 with nine knockouts. Spencer, 156.6 lbs of Somers Point, NJ is 14-4-1.

“I just knew that I was going to put hands on him, and that’s how I was going to retaliate. I definitely put in the back of my mind that maybe I’d punish him a little further if I would have gotten a chance. But I didn’t. The ref stopped him, and that’s the way it ended,’’ Spencer said. “My man strength is coming. I’m only 20. I turn 21 in March. I’m getting stronger and stronger. I’m getting a lot more confident because people aren’t able to take my punches in the same way.”

Barthelemy Decisions Rivera

Former world champion Rances Barthelemy won a 10-round unanimous decision over All Rivera in a super lightweight bout.

In round two, Rivera was cut on his right eyelid from an accidental headbutt. In round three, Rivera was cut around his left eye.

Barthelemy landed 179 of 548 punches; Rivera was 62 of 367.

Barthelemy, 142.8 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 97-93, 99-91 and 100-90 and is now 28-1-1. Rivera, 143.2 lbs of Santa Rosa City, PHL is 21-5.

“After almost two years of being out of the ring, it was hard making sure we stuck to the game plan to make sure we didn’t get anxious or desperate,” Barthelemy said. “I felt we controlled the fight from start to finish and that’s exactly what we wanted to do. I’m looking at Alberto Puello next, going after that 140 WBA belt and hoping that sets us up for bigger opportunities before the end of the year.” 

Oberlton stops Sharp in 3

Atif Oberlton stopped Nathan Sharp in round three of a scheduled four-round light heavyweight bout.

In round three, Oberlton landed hard body shots until Sharp wilted, and the fight was stopped at 48 seconds.

Oberlton, 177.4 lbs of Philadelphia, was a National Golden Gloves champion, and was making his pro debut. Sharp, 177.6 lbs of Merced, CA is 4-3.

Brandon Lynch and Marcos Hernandez battled to an eight-round draw in a middleweight bout.

Lynch landed 99 of 361 punches; Hernandez was 75 of 525

Lynch won a card 77-75; Hernandez took a card 78-74 and one card was even at 76-76.

Lynch, 158.2 lbs of Los Angeles is 10-1-1. Hernandez, 160 lbs of Fresno, CA is 14-4-2.

New York, NY (January 30, 2021) Colombian Olympian Juan Carlos Carrillo (3-0, 2 KOs) makes his ring return TONIGHT on the undercard of M&R Boxing Promotions’ event from Four Ambassadors Hotel, in Miami, FL. He will face Khainell Wheeler (4-0, 4 KOs) in a six-round light heavyweight clash. The card will be streamed live on M&R Boxing Promotions’ Facebook page, beginning at 6:00pm ET/3:00pm PT.

The 28-year-old Carrillo advanced to the second round at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Accumulating a record of 388-23, he was among Colombia’s most decorated amateurs, winning gold at the 2012 Colombian National Games, 2012 Pacific Cup Tournament, 2011 Colombian National Championships, 2010 Colombian Youth National Championships, and silver at the 2014 Central American & Caribbean Games. Carrillo comes from a boxing family and, at age nine, followed his father and older brother into the sport. His brother, Leonard Carrillo, is an active junior middleweight.

Promoted by DiBella Entertainment, Carrillo is now based in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and is trained by Luis Perez, who also works with Dominican Jeison Rosario. Managed by Felipe Gomez, of El Matador Management, he turned professional on May 17, 2019, with a second-round stoppage of Yendris Rodriguez Valdez, in Miami, FL.

Deerfield Beach, FL (January 29, 2021)—Trevor “the Dream” Bryan knocked former WBC Heavyweight Champion Bermane Stiverne to the canvas in the 11^th round and then finished him off before referee Frank Gentile stopped the fight and Bryan walked off with the WBA Heavyweight Championship.

Bryan (21-0, 15 KOs) from Ft. Lauderdale, FL kept his record perfect as his powerful jab kept Stiverne at bay in the title bout at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL Friday night.  In the 11^th round, Bryan used his left jab and then countered with three solid rights to his opponent’s head that sent him to the canvas.  After a standing eight count, Bryan continued to press the hurt Stiverne before referee Gentile stopped the bout at 1:26 of the 11^th round.

Stiverne (25-5-1, 21 KOs), who is 43-years-old and hails from Las Vegas, NV, couldn’t handle the steady jabs of the 31-year-old Bryan.  He tried to land his powerful overhand right hand several times, but Bryan stepped aside.

Don King promoted the night of boxing as his “Return to Greatness” card with three live fights and three Don King promoted classics on pay-per-view via Don King TV.

The first live fight of the evening saw bantamweight Joahnys Argilagos (6-0, 3 KOs) keep his record perfect with a unanimous four-round victory over veteran Ernie Marquez (10-16-2, 3 KOs).  All three judges—Brian Garry, John Rupert and Rocky Young—had the fight 40-39.

In the second fight, Sarasota cruiserweight Johnnie Langston (9-3, 3 KOs) pummeled his opponent, DeShon Webster (12-4-3, 6 KOs) of Kansas City, MO for all six rounds to win a unanimous decision.  Two judges had the bout 59-55 and the third had it 60-54.

In addition to the three live fights, King treated boxing fans to three classics he promoted on the $19.99 pay-per-view card–the 1994 WBC Super Lightweight title fight between Julio Cesar Chavez and Frankie Randall; the 1999 WBC and IBF World Welterweight title fight between Oscar De la Hoya and Felix “Tito” Trinidad and the final classic will come from 1982 for the WBC World Heavyweight title between Larry Holmes and Gerry Cooney.

Boxing fans can visit www.donking.com to view and purchase the pay-per-view priced at $19.99.

IBF Super Middleweight World Championship – 12 Rounds
Caleb Plant – 167.6 lbs.
Caleb Truax – 167.8 lbs.

Heavyweight Bout – 10 Rounds
Michael Coffie – 270.2 lbs.
Darmani Rock – 261lbs.

Super Welterweight Bout – 8 Rounds
Joey Spencer – 158 lbs.
Isiah Seldon – 156.6 lbs.

Lightweight Bout – 4/6 Rounds
Fernando Molina – 136.4 lbs.
James DeHerrera – 137 lbs.

Super Lightweight Bout – 10 Rounds
Rances Barthelemy – 142.8 lbs.
All Rivera – 143.2 lbs.

Light Heavyweight Bout – 4 Rounds
Atif Oberlton – 177.4 lbs.
Nathan Sharp – 177.6 lbs.

Middleweight Bout – 8 Rounds
Brandyn Lynch – 158.2 lbs.
Marcos Hernandez – 160 lbs.

Super Featherweight Bout – 4/6 Rounds
Daniel Garcia – 131.4 lbs.
Jose Delgado – 130 lbs.

The event will be promoted by TGB Promotions and Sweethands Promotions in association with Warriors Boxing.

 #          #          #

Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @TGBPromotions become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

Philadelphia, PA (January 29, 2021) – The terrific February 6th RDR Promotions card at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia now has a distribution home.

The show, which will feature a mouth-watering battle of undefeated featherweight’s Donald “No Love” Smith (10-0, 6 KOs) of Philadelphia taking on William Foster III (11-0, 8 KOs) of New Haven, Connecticut will be streamed LIVE on FITE.TV for just $9.99. (CLICK LINK TO GO DIRECTLY TO EVENT PAGE)

To kick off fight-week, many of the participants of the card will take part in a virtual press conference on Tuesday, February 2nd, beginning at 7 PM. The platforms for the press conference will be announced later this week.

Smith, 27 of Philadelphia, has a record of 10-0 with six knockouts. Smith is a five-year professional, and is coming off a six-round unanimous decision over Abdur-Raheem Abdullah on August 10, 2019 in Philadelphia.

Foster, 27, of New Haven, Connecticut is 11-0 with eight knockouts. The six-year pro has quality wins over undefeated Sulaiman Segawa (10-0) and Angel Suarez. In his last bout, Foster took out Jahmal Dyer in three rounds on November 9, 2019 in Portland, Maine.

In the eight-round co-feature, undefeated welterweight Mark Dawson takes on Derrick Whitley Jr. in an eight-round bout.

Dawson, 23, of Philadelphia is undefeated at 7-0-1 with three knockouts. The five-year professional, is coming off a six-round unanimous decision over crosstown rival Vincent Floyd on November 7th at the 2300 Arena. Dawson is managed by Split-T Management.

Whitley of Springfield, Mass. has a record of 6-1-1. The 29 year-old is a four-year professional. In his last bout, Whitey fought to a no-decision with Jermaine Corley due to a cut caused by an accidental headbutt on December 13th, 2019 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

In six-round bouts:

Nahir Albright (8-1, 2 KOs) of Sicklerville, New Jersey fights veteran Darnell Jiles Jr. (9-5-2, 3 KOs) of Rochester, New York in a lightweight contest.

Sharif Rahman (3-0, 2 KOs) of Las Vegas fights Gladmir Jacinto (0-2) of Fresno, California in a super welterweight bout.

Rahman is the son of former Heavyweight Champion of the World, Hasim Rahman.

In four-round bouts:

Rashiem Jefferson (3-0) of Philadelphia takes on James Early (5-6) of Seat Pleasant, Maryland in a featherweight tussle.

Derrick Starling of New Jersey will make his pro debut against Jose Nunez (0-1) of Reading, PA in a heavyweight fight.

Tickets for this this outstanding evening are $150 for VIP; $125 for Ringside and 100 for General Admission and can be purchased by emailing rricereview@yahoo.com

All Covid 19 Protocols will be enforced including wearing a Mask at all times and ID is required.

Matchroom Boxing will return to The SSE Arena, Wembley for Josh Warrington vs. Mauricio Lara on Saturday February 13 and David Avanesyan vs. Josh Kelly on Saturday February 20, with both events shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN in the U.S. and more than 200 countries and territories.

Matchroom’s first two events of 2021 kick off a stacked schedule that also features the highly anticipated Heavyweight rematch between Alexander Povetkin and Dillian Whyte on Saturday March 6, Lawrence Okolie’s shot at the WBO Cruiserweight crown against Krzysztof Glowacki on Saturday March 20 and rising Welterweight star Conor Benn vs. Samuel Vargas on Saturday April 10.

This follows on from Matchroom’s hugely successful residency at The SSE Arena, Wembley in October, November and December last year that that saw pound-for-pound star Oleksander Usyk outpoint Derek Chisora, Undisputed Lightweight ruler Katie Taylor retain her belts against Miriam Gutierrez, Conor Benn turn in a career-best performance against Sebastian Formella, Billy Joe Saunders defend his WBO Super-Middleweight crown against Martin Murray and culminated in Heavyweight World Champion Anthony Joshua brutally knocking out Kubrat Pulev in front of 1,000 fans. 

Matchroom’s 2021 schedule launches with a bang on February 13 as Warrington (30-0, 7 KOs) faces Mexico’s Mauricio Lara (21-2, 14 KOs) while he waits for a huge fight later in the year, Manchester Super-Featherweight contender Zelfa Barrett (24-1, 15 KOs) defends his IBF Intercontinental Title against Spain’s former Super-Bantamweight World Champion Kiko Martinez (41-9-2, 29 KOs) in the chief support bout, Nottingham’s Leigh Wood (23-2, 13 KOs) clashes with unbeaten Doncaster man Reece Mould (13-0, 6 KOs) for the vacant British Featherweight Title, fast-rising Sheffield Super-Lightweight talent Dalton Smith (6-0, 5 KOs) sees action, Leeds Featherweight Hopey Price (3-0, 1 KO) meets Zahid Hussain (16-1, 2 KOs) and Keighley Featherweight Ibrahim Nadim (2-0) steps up against Jonny Phillips (5-5, 2 KOs).

Russia’s European Welterweight Champion Avanesyan (26-3-1, 14 KOs) makes his long-awaited Title defence against  Kelly (10-0-1, 6 KOs) at the top of the bill on February 20, Liverpool Super-Welterweight Anthony Fowler (13-1, 10 KOs) returns against Spain’s Jorge Fortea (21-2-1, 7 KOs), undefeated Welterweights Florian Marku (7-0-1, 5 KOs) and Rylan Charlton (6-0-1, 3 KOs) meet in what promises to be an explosive ten-round battle, Amy Timlin (4-0-1) and Carly Skelly (3-0-1) rematch for the vacant Commonwealth Super-Bantamweight Title after their split draw on the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Derek Chisora undercard last October and explosive Romford Heavyweight Johnny Fisher makes his highly anticipated professional debut. 

John Drury,VP and General Manager at The SSE Arena, Wembley, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Matchroom Boxing back to The SSE Arena, Wembley for our first events of 2021. We’re looking forward to another huge residency, with ASM Global’s VenueShield protocols keeping everyone at our venue safe and comfortable in a welcoming and Covid-secure environment.”

Atlantic City, NJ- January 29, 2021 – Middleweight contender Isiah Seldon took the time to answer a few questions before his big fight on Saturday night against undefeated Joey Spencer. The eight-round bout will be part of a broadcast on FOX (8 PM ET)

Q– How has your preparation been for this Saturday’s fight?

IS– It’s been great. The best camp I have ever had.

Q– How long have you been in training? A lot of fighters have had trouble finding places to train with Covid and the protocols that are in place.

IS– I’ve been in the gym for quite a while now. Covid has definitely changed the way the fight game is at the moment. I knew that the best thing I could do was stay in shape. I knew I might get a great opportunity on short notice and I wanted to be ready.

Q– Where have you been training?

IS: I usually train at the Atlantic City P.A.L. with Bill Johnson but the P.A.L. has been closed due to Covid. So now I have been training in Philadelphia with Danny Davis.

Q– Danny is an excellent trainer and has worked closely with a lot of top fighters such as Bernard Hopkins. How is it working out and what have you learned from Danny?

IS: Bill Johnson laid the foundation, and Danny has truly helped take me to another level. I don’t want to get into too much detail, I am just very excited for the world to see the improvements that I’ve made.

Q: Well the world will get that opportunity on January 30 when you take on Joey Spencer in a bout televised on FOX. What do you know about Spencer?

IS: Joey Spencer is an excellent all around fighter, a solid undefeated prospect. He is trained by his father who has done a great job with Joey. He had a decorated amateur career. A lot of his fights are online so I have been able to see a lot. He has fast hands, he puts his punches together well. He like to dig left hands to the body. He can fight.

Q: What type of fight are you expecting?

IS: I expect Joey to come out fast in the opening round, trying to make a statement. We have prepared all camp for that. He likes to work the body. I had the best camp in my career. I am in the best shape of my life. I am ready for 12 rounds (the fight is a scheduled 8 rounder). I expect a fast pace.

Q: What have you done differently that makes you feel that this is your best camp?

IS: I have prepared and been in the gym longer for this fight than any other fight I have had. I had a full training camp. This is the first time that I have been able to focus 100% on training. I didn’t have to worry about work, bills or anything else. My team has made sure that all of that was taken care of and the one and only thing that I had to focus on was getting ready for January 30.

Also training in Philly has been great, it’s no joke. It was good to get out of my comfort zone. Danny Davis has really pushed me. I am at a new level.

Q I see that this bout is at a catch weight of 158. You have fought as high as 168. Will making 158 be a problem?

IS: Absolutely not. We added a nutritionist to my team back in October. I usually walk around at 175-180. In the past I would have to cut weight late and it affected me. Now my nutritionist monitors my diet and it has really helped my strength, recovery and energy. We have been on a program to gradually drop the weight so I won’t be drained. We will have no problem making 158 and we plan to be between 170 and 175 on fight night.

Q It sounds like you are ready. Do you have any final thoughts?

IS: I am ready to fight right now. Joey is an excellent fighter. He does a lot of things well. They have done a great job matching him so far but they made a mistake in this fight, he hasn’t faced anyone like me. I am the most prepared for a fight that I have ever been. I am excited to showcase my skills on January 30.