Dalton Smith stopped Sam O’Maison in round six of their 12-round junior welterweight bout in Sheffield, England.

In round three, Smith dropped O’Maison with a quick right hand. In round five, O’Maison was bleeding on his forehead,

In round six, It was a left that was followed by a right Smith ended things with another booming right that put O’Maison down for a third and final time and the fight was stopped at 2:52.

Smith, 139.2 lbs of Sheffield, ENG is 12-0 with 10 knockouts. O’Maison, 139.1 lbs of Sheffield, ENG is 17-4-1.

Ryan Avenges Defeat; Decisions Farias

Sandy Ryan avenged her lone professional blemish by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Erica Farias in a super lightweight bout.

Ryan, 139.25 lbs of Derby, ENG won by scores of 98-92 and 96-94 twice and is now 4-1. Farias, 138.5 lbs of Escobar, ARG is 27-6

Fisher Takes Out Reissinger in 2

Fan-favorite Johnny Fisher remained undefeated with a second round stoppage over Michal Reissinger in round two of a scheduled six-round heavyweight bout.

In round two, Fisher landed a booming right that put Reissinger down and the fight was stopped at 39 seconds.

Fisher, 241.4 lbs of Romford, ENG is 6-0 with five knockouts. Reissinger, 249.5 lbs of Kozomin, CZE is 3-2.

Jordan Thompson Hangs on to Decision Ducar

Jordan Thompson barely remained undefeated by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Vasil Ducar in a cruiserweight bout.

In round 10, Ducar landed a right and left that was followed by two more right hands to send Thompson to the deck. Thompson was able to get to his feet and beat the bell count and final bell.

Thompson, 198.1 lbs of Manchester, ENG won by scores of 97-92 and 96-93 twice and is now 14-0. Ducar, 197.4 lbs of Brno, CZE is now 11-6-1.

Campbell Hatton remained undefeated with an six-round decision over Michal Dufek in a lightweight fight.

Hatton, 137.4 lbs of Manchester, ENG won by a 60-54 score and is now 8-0.  Dufek, 136.1 lbs of Prague, CZE is 34-24-2.

Hopey Price remained undefeated with an eight-round decision over Alexander Mejia in a featherweight fight.

Price, 125.25 lbs of Leeds, ENG won by a 80-72 score and is now 8-0. Mejia, 124.25 lbs of Managua, NIC is 18-4.

Aqib Fiaz won a six-round decision over Jordan Ellison in a lightweight bout.

Fiaz, 137.2 lbs of Oldham, ENG won by a 59-55 score and is now 9-0.

Nico Leivars and Angel Gabriel Chavez fought to a no-contest after Chavez could not continue due to a cut over his left eye in the second round of their six-round bantamweight fight.

In round two, Chavez was cut over his left eye from a headbutt.

Leivars, 123.1 lbs of Mansfield, ENG is 2-0. Chavez, 121.25 lbs of Barcelona, SPA is 3-3.

Junaid Bostan stopped Jose Manuel Lopez Clavero in the sixth and final round of their super welterweight contest.

In round six, Bostan dropped a bloodies Clavero with a straight left on the ropes and the bout was stopped at 1:33.

Bostan, 155.4 lbs Rotherham, ENG is now 2-0 with two knockouts. Clavero, 155.2 lbs of Granada, SPA is 16-18-1.

Kieron Conway tuned up for a Las Vegas showdown with Austin Williams with a fifth round stoppage over Gregory Trenol un a scheduled eight-round super middleweight bout.

Conway dominated the action and landed a hard flurry of punches that forced a referee stoppage at 2:22 of round five.

Conway, 167.4 lbs of Northampton, ENG is now 18-2-1 with four knockouts. Tremol, 166.6 lbs of Dainville, FRA is 16-9-2.

Conway and Williams will meet on September 17th as part of the Canelo Alvarez – Gennadiy Golovkin 3 undercard.

LAS VEGAS (June 17, 2021) — Naoya “Monster” Inoue is a man of few words, but his devastating knockouts, climb up the pound-for-pound rankings and cult hero status among combat sports fans have elevated the Japanese prodigy to main event status. Inoue will defend his WBA and IBF bantamweight world titles Saturday against Filipino mandatory challenger Michael “Hot and Spicy” Dasmarinas from The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. Inoue, who also captured titles at light flyweight and junior bantamweight, is 15-0 in world title bouts and looks to continue his dominance against a man who has not tasted defeat since 2014.

In the co-feature, Mikaela Mayer will make the first defense of her WBO junior lightweight strap against former two-weight world champion Erica Farias. Mayer dethroned Ewa Brodnicka last October as the co-feature to the Inoue-Jason Moloney main event. Mayer has her sights on the top names in and around her weight class.

The 10-round featherweight televised opener will see the return of action star Adam Lopez, who will defend his NABF strap against former WBO junior featherweight world champion Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe. Lopez has won toe-to-toe battles against Louie Coria and Jason Sanchez since his valiant effort against Oscar Valdez, while Dogboe returned last July with a one-sided victory over Chris Avalos.

It was crowded dais Thursday, as Top Rank chairman Bob Arum and all six fighters participated in the final press conference. This is what they had to say.

Bob Arum

“Monster is back in the United States, and he’s fighting a tough Filipino. And I know from experience how tough Filipino fighters are. So this should be a very, very enjoyable fight. I can’t wait for Saturday night because the fists will be flying.”

Naoya Inoue

“Basically, {becoming undisputed champion} means I’m the best in that weight class, the bantamweight division. To prove that, that’s why I’m going after all four belts.” 

“I feel the expectations, and I want to answer those expectations, and I want to have a performance Saturday night to answer to those expectations.”

“I’m very happy that the nickname ‘Monster’ comes before Naoya Inoue. I’m very happy and honored, and I’ve taken it in myself as far as ‘Monster’ in the United States as my name.”

Michael Dasmarinas

“I did everything I am supposed to do in training, and I am prepared, and I will do whatever it takes to give a good fight to Naoya Inoue.”

“It was a long, hard wait {after winning the IBF title eliminator in March 2019}, but patience and perseverance allowed me to get here. I am thankful to everyone that I’ve been given the chance to fight a great fighter in Naoya Inoue.”

“America has to learn about my very hot and spicy punches!”

Mikaela Mayer

“We need to hear that promoters and networks want us to go those three-minute rounds and that they see the benefits it would have for women’s boxing. And if that’s what you want, I’ll give it to you, and if that’s what will grow women’s boxing, we will do it.”

“I don’t have anything bad to say about Erica Farias. She has been a champion for a long time. She fought at 140 and 147, and now she is coming down in weight. She has a ton of experience, but this is a new era in women’s boxing. The experience and the skill that I bring, even though I have less fights than her, is on another level thanks to the Olympics and for women being able to fight at the highest level in the amateurs. This will also be a test for her. I prepared very well and we studied her fights. We always go into fights with a good game plan. If she studied my last fight, it’s not going to really help her because every single fight we keep learning and building. I’m looking to become a better fighter every time I go out to the ring.”

Erica Farias

“I will take full advantage of this opportunity. I already became world champion in two divisions, and now I’m looking to become champion in the division that I debuted in a couple of years ago. I feel great at this weight.”

“I’m very calm. I’ve been working hard for seven months because I was going to get another opportunity in a higher weight class. That’s why we took this challenge. We were close to the division since I’ve been working very hard for the last couple of months.”

Adam Lopez

“This is the perfect name I need right now. Isaac is a great champion. He’s dedicated to the sport just like I am, and I’m excited to show you what I’ve been working on. Tune in. It’s going to be a great fight.”

“That fight alone {against Oscar Valdez} showed me that I got what it takes to be at the top. I took the fight on a day’s notice. I was going through a lot of management issues beforehand. I was in a shaky spot in my life. I was not 100 percent there mentally, physically, but it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down. It was a fight I always wanted. The way it presented itself was something you never see happen. Nobody comes in 11 pounds heavy {like Valdez’s original opponent, Andres Gutierrez}. That’s unheard of, so I thought it was meant to be. I jumped on it. I did my thing. I think I showed the world what I got, and that was me on three weeks of training. Saturday night, I got a full camp, so I’m excited.” 

“I put everything into this camp. I know Isaac is a tough competitor, so you will see the best Adam Lopez Saturday night.”

Isaac Dogboe

“{You can expect} a firefight as usual. What can I say? I bring excitement. That’s exactly what they are expecting. They’re expecting Isaac Dogboe to come and fight, so I am going to come and fight. Obviously, the fans are looking forward to an exciting fight, and that’s why we’re here. At the end of the day, we just want to keep the excitement going. After the fight, they’ll be like, ‘Yeah, that’s Adam Lopez and Isaac Dogboe. That was the fight of the night.'”

“I love working with them, Barry {Hunter} and Boogie {Harris} and Brady. These guys, they are family. I feel great. At first, I was just supposed to pass through a couple of weeks. I ended up telling them, “You know what, I’m gonna stay.’ That’s how everything began. I feel great. The boys down there are really sharp. They’re motivating me. They keep me in shape. I’ve had a relaxed camp. I feel calm. Saturday, I’m ready to put everything on the line.”

“The best Adam Lopez can also be an undisciplined Adam Lopez. I know he is a great fighter. He’s gonna stick and move. But at the end of the day, sometimes Adam Lopez gets cute in the ring, so we’re looking to exploit that. When he gets a little cute, we’ll let him know that it’s not a time to get cute.”

SATURDAY, June 19, 2021

ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

Naoya Inoue vs. Michael Dasmarinas, 12 rounds, Inoue’s WBA/IBF Bantamweight World Titles

Mikaela Mayer vs. Erica Farias, 10 rounds, Mayer’s WBO Junior Lightweight World Title

Adam Lopez vs. Isaac Dogboe, 10 rounds, Lopez’s NABF featherweight title

ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

Lindolfo Delgado vs. Salvador Briceno, 8 rounds, junior welterweight

Eric Puente vs. Jose Antonio Meza, 6 rounds, lightweight

Omar Rosario vs. JJ Mariano, 4 rounds, junior welterweight

LAS VEGAS (May 26, 2021) — The 10-round featherweight showdown between NABF champion Adam “BluNose” Lopez and former junior featherweight world champion Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe will now open the ESPN telecast Saturday, June 19 from The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
 
The main event marks the return of undefeated WBA/IBF bantamweight world champion and pound-for-pound elite Naoya “Monster” Inoue against Michael “Hot and Spicy” Dasmarinas, while WBO female junior lightweight world champion Mikaela Mayer will make her first title defense in the co-feature versus former two-weight world champion Erica Farias.
 
Inoue-Dasmarinas, Mayer-Farias and Lopez-Dogboe will air live on ESPN & ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
 
Promoted by Top Rank, tickets priced at $300, $200, $125 and $75 are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting Etix.com.
 
Lopez (15-2, 6 KOs), from Glendale, California, is coming off decision victories over Jason Sanchez and Louie Coria, two of the best bouts to emanate from the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble. He steps up against Dogboe (21-2, 15 KOs), who bounced back from a pair of title fight defeats against Emanuel Navarrete to knock out Chris Avalos.
 
About Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is a reimagined and re-conceptualized casino resort. The property is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. The integrated resort intermixes a passion for food and beverage with music and culture and features three hotel towers totaling over 1,500 Chambers and suites; the 60,000 sq. ft. Mohegan Sun Casino, operated by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment; a five-acre desert pool oasis including a multi-functional event lawn; live music and entertainment theater with 4,500 capacity; 24 Oxford showroom accommodating 650 guests; an exclusive portfolio of twelve food and beverage venues including Todd English’s Olives, Kris Yenbamroong’s Night + Market, the legendary Nobu, Michael and David Morton’s One Steakhouse, Kassi Beach House from restauranteur Nick Mathers, Casa Calavera by global hospitality company Hakkasan Group, the sports entertainment, daylife and nightlife venue Money, Baby! from Justin Massei and Mikis Troyan of Clive Collective, famous Afters Ice Cream, Pizza Forte by the Ferraro Family and signature Virgin Hotels restaurants and bars including The Kitchen at Commons Club, The Bar at Commons Club, The Shag Room and Funny Library Coffee Shop. The property is owned by JC Hospitality, LLC, in partnership with Juniper Capital Partners, Virgin Group, LiUNA, Fengate Asset Management, Dream and Orlando Development. The off-Strip playground is located at 4455 Paradise Road. For more information, visit www.virginhotelslv.com.
 
About Virgin Hotels
Virgin Hotels is a lifestyle hospitality brand that combines heartfelt service, straightforward value, and a seamless, personalized hotel experience with the track record of innovation and smart disruption that Sir Richard Branson’s global Virgin Group has pioneered for 50 years. Each property intermixes a passion for food and beverage with music and culture, fusing with the local landscape and providing a vibrant and inclusive environment for travelers and locals alike. Virgin Hotels Chicago – named the “#1 Hotel in the United States” in 2016 and “#1 Hotel in Chicago” in 2016, 2017, and 2020 by the Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards – Virgin Hotels Dallas – named the “#16 Hotel in Texas” – Virgin Hotels Nashville and Virgin Hotels Las Vegas are now open. Locations in New York, New Orleans, Miami, Edinburgh and Glasgow to follow. Virgin Hotels continues to explore hotel and office conversions and ground-up development in Boston, Los Angeles, Austin, Seattle, and London.
 
About Curio Collection by Hilton
Curio Collection by Hilton is a global portfolio of nearly 100 one-of-a-kind hotels and resorts. Curio Collection properties offer travelers authentic, curated experiences through distinctly local offerings and elevated amenities, while providing the benefits of Hilton and its award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors. Read the latest brand and hotel stories at newsroom.hilton.com/curio, and connect with Curio Collection on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

LAS VEGAS (May 14, 2021) — Mikaela Mayer’s first world title defense is coming on a monster card. Mayer, the 2016 U.S. Olympian from Los Angeles, will put her WBO female junior lightweight title on the line against former two-weight world champion Erica Farias on Saturday, June 19 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
 
Mayer-Farias will serve as the co-feature to WBA/IBF bantamweight world champion Naoya “Monster” Inoue’s title defense against mandatory challenger Michael “Hot and Spicy” Dasmarinas.
 
And, in a featherweight battle scheduled for 10 rounds, Adam “BluNose” Lopez will defend his NABF belt against former junior featherweight world champion Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe.
 
Inoue-Dasmarinas and Mayer-Farias will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.  Dogboe-Lopez will be among the bouts streaming exclusively on ESPN+ before the world title doubleheader.
 
Promoted by Top Rank, tickets priced at $200, $100, $75 and $50 go on sale Wednesday, May 19 at 12 p.m. PT, and can be purchased by visiting Etix.com.
 
“Mikaela Mayer is the future of women’s boxing, and I have no doubt she’s going to shine in her first world title defense,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “She wants all of the top names, but she must first get past a tough former world champion in Erica Farias. Lopez-Dogboe is a can’t-miss action fight that will propel the winner to title contention.”
 
Mayer (14-0, 5 KOs) won her world title last October on the Inoue-Jason Moloney card, dethroning longtime champion Ewa Brodnicka via a near-shutout unanimous decision. Since turning pro, Mayer has lost only a handful of rounds, and last July, she became the first female boxer to headline a Top Rank on ESPN card. Farias (26-4, 10 KOs) has held titles at junior welterweight and lightweight and has won 14 world title fights. She most recently lost a pair of junior welterweight title tilts to Jessica McCaskill, who proceeded to dethrone all-time great Cecilia Brækhus for the undisputed welterweight championship.

Mayer said, “I am excited for my first title defense as WBO world champion. Although I had sought a unification bout, Farias is a worthy opponent who will make for an entertaining, action-packed fight. She brings excellent credentials and has only lost to some of best women boxing today. I’m ready and eager to pass another test and showcase the skills that will eventually make me your undisputed champion.”
 
Dogboe (21-2, 15 KOs) won the WBO junior featherweight world title in April 2018 with a dramatic knockout over Jessie Magdaleno, but after one title defense, his momentum was blunted with a pair of defeats to Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete. He returned last July after a 26-month layoff and battered Chris Avalos en route to an eighth-round stoppage. Lopez (15-2, 6 KOs), from Glendale, California, most recently defeated former world champion Jason Sanchez over 10 rounds, his second straight win since his valiant effort — on a day’s notice — against Oscar Valdez in November 2019. Lopez followed up the controversial TKO loss to Valdez with last June’s majority decision over Louie Coria, which many boxing experts ranked among the year’s best battles.
 
Lopez said, “Dogboe is a former world champion who always comes to fight. But I’m a different fighter now, and I know what a win would mean for my career. I’m coming to Las Vegas to steal the show.”
 
About Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is a reimagined and re-conceptualized casino resort. The property is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. The integrated resort intermixes a passion for food and beverage with music and culture and features three hotel towers totaling over 1,500 Chambers and suites; the 60,000 sq. ft. Mohegan Sun Casino, operated by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment; a five-acre desert pool oasis including a multi-functional event lawn; live music and entertainment theater with 4,500 capacity; 24 Oxford showroom accommodating 650 guests; an exclusive portfolio of twelve food and beverage venues including Todd English’s Olives, Kris Yenbamroong’s Night + Market, the legendary Nobu, Michael and David Morton’s One Steakhouse, Kassi Beach House from restauranteur Nick Mathers, Casa Calavera by global hospitality company Hakkasan Group, the sports entertainment, daylife and nightlife venue Money, Baby! from Justin Massei and Mikis Troyan of Clive Collective, famous Afters Ice Cream, Pizza Forte by the Ferraro Family and signature Virgin Hotels restaurants and bars including The Kitchen at Commons Club, The Bar at Commons Club, The Shag Room and Funny Library Coffee Shop. The property is owned by JC Hospitality, LLC, in partnership with Juniper Capital Partners, Virgin Group, LiUNA, Fengate Asset Management, Dream and Orlando Development. The off-Strip playground is located at 4455 Paradise Road. For more information, visit www.virginhotelslv.com.
 
About Virgin Hotels
Virgin Hotels is a lifestyle hospitality brand that combines heartfelt service, straightforward value, and a seamless, personalized hotel experience with the track record of innovation and smart disruption that Sir Richard Branson’s global Virgin Group has pioneered for 50 years. Each property intermixes a passion for food and beverage with music and culture, fusing with the local landscape and providing a vibrant and inclusive environment for travelers and locals alike. Virgin Hotels Chicago – named the “#1 Hotel in the United States” in 2016 and “#1 Hotel in Chicago” in 2016, 2017, and 2020 by the Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards – Virgin Hotels Dallas – named the “#16 Hotel in Texas” – Virgin Hotels Nashville and Virgin Hotels Las Vegas are now open. Locations in New York, New Orleans, Miami, Edinburgh and Glasgow to follow. Virgin Hotels continues to explore hotel and office conversions and ground-up development in Boston, Los Angeles, Austin, Seattle, and London.
 
About Curio Collection by Hilton
Curio Collection by Hilton is a global portfolio of nearly 100 one-of-a-kind hotels and resorts. Curio Collection properties offer travelers authentic, curated experiences through distinctly local offerings and elevated amenities, while providing the benefits of Hilton and its award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors. Read the latest brand and hotel stories at newsroom.hilton.com/curio, and connect with Curio Collection on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
 
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 12.1 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 that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $12.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $18.99/month (Hulu w/o ads). 

Former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk moved up to heavyweight with a stoppage over Chazz Witherspoon after round seven of their scheduled 12-round bout at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Usyk dominated the bout with quick combinations that tired out Witherspoon, who took the bout on five days notice. Witherspoon started to redden around his face and although he tried, he was outgunned and his corner pulled the plug on the bout.

Uysk, 215 lbs of Kiev, Ukraine is now 17-0 with 13 knockouts. Witherspoon is now 38-4.

Dmitry Bivol retained the WBA Light Heavyweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Lenin Castillo.

In round six, Bivol landed a sharp right that dropped Castillo.

Bivol was systematic and won just about every round as the scores read 120-107 and 119-108 twice.

Bivol, 174.3 lbs of St. Petersburg, RUS is 17-0. Castillo, 175 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 20-3-1.

Jessica McCaskill retained the WBA/WBC Super Lightweight title with a 10-round majority decision over the woman she won the titles from in Erica Farias.

The fight was very sloppy with a lot of holding, mostly from Farias.

Farias was deducted a point in round four for holding.

McCaskill was deducted a point in round six for hitting behind the head.

McCaskill, 138.7 lbs of Chicago won by scores of 97-91, 96-92 and 94-94 to raise her mark to 8-2. Farias, 138.1 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG is 26-4.

Arthur Biyarslanov won a six-round unanimous decision over Tyrome Jones in a super lightweight battle.

In round five, Biyarslanov was bleeding from over his right eye, but landed more, and won by scores of 59-55 twice and 58-56 to raise his mark to 5-0. Jones is 4-6-1.

Anthony Sims Jr. remained perfect by stopping Morgan Fitch in round six of their scheduled 10-round super middleweight fight.

In the opening minute, Sims put Fitch down with a big right. Sims followed that up with a vicious flurry that resulted in a 2nd knockdown.

In round six, Sims landed a perfect counter right hand that buckled Fitch and was ruled a knockdown. Sims then jumped on Fitch and landed a hard four-punch flurry and the bout was stopped at 2:18.

Sims Jr., 168.5 lbs of Plainfield, IN is 20-0 with 18 knockouts, Fitch, 167.5 lbs of Pittsburgh, PA is 19-4-1.

Charles Conwell scored a vicious 10th round stoppage over Patrick Day in a junior middleweight bout.

In round four, Conwell landed a right hand that knocked Day down.

In round eight, it was a harder right hand that sent Day to the canvas. In round nine, Conwell was cut above the right eye. In round 10, Conwell landed a hard right-left combination that sent Day crashing to the canvas. The head of Day bounced hard off the deck, and he was down for several minutes. Day was taken out of the ring on a stretcher.

The time of the finish was at 1:46.

Conwell, 153.8 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 11-0 with eight knockouts. Day, 153.7 lbs of Freeport, NY is 17-4-1.

Otha Jones III won a four-round majority decision over Eric Manriquez in a super featherweight bout.

Jones, 129 lbs of Toledo, OH is 4-0. Manriquez, 130 lbs of Houston, TX is 7-9-1.

Former world champion TJ Doheny stopped Jesus Martinez at the end of round five of a scheduled eight-round super bantamweight fight.

In round one, Doheny landed a hard left that drove Martinez into the ropes that was rightfully ruled a knockdown. Doheny dominated the action and hurt Martinez on several occasions and the fight was stopped between rounds five and six,

Doheny, 124 lbs of Bondi Junction, AUS is now 24-1 with 16 knockouts. Martinez, 124 lbs of Monteria, COL 26-10.

Jessica McCaskill believes she has become a game-changer for women’s boxing as she prepares to defend her WBC and WBA World Super-Lightweight titles in a rematch with Erica Farias at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago on Saturday night, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.
LIMITED TICKETS FOR THE HEAVYWEIGHT DEBUT OF OLEKSANDR USYK AGAINST CHAZZ WITHERSPOON IN CHICAGO ARE ON SALE NOW
McCaskill (7-2 3 KOS) won the WBC crown in the same venue one year ago, defeating Farias on points over the ten round distance, and landing the World title in her second attempt having given Katie Taylor the toughest night’s work in her pro career to date in December 2017 in London for Taylor’s WBA Lightweight strap.

‘CasKILLA’ unified the 140lbs division in her next outing, seeing off another Argentine in Anahi Sanchez in Maryland in May, and while McCaskill knows that Farias (26-3 10 KOs) will be gunning for revenge, the 35 year old Chicagoan and her trainer Rick Ramos have grand plans for her next steps and will not allow her old foe to stand in the way.

“I feel right now I am the game-changer,” said McCaskill. “There are people that have been in the game that I am dethroning, I’m on a fast-track; I’ve won two World titles and fought for three in just nine fights, I feel like I am the wildcard and people are watching to see what is going to happen next.

“It’s a powerful stance to have in female boxing because I’ve always thought of it as a very scientific algorithm to men’s boxing, you cannot do the same as the men as it’s not the same career. Rick has always put me in position to make powerplays over and over again for different situations. I feel that people are learning from how we are moving through things and following our example.

“Rick has always been very transparent with me. He told me from the start that this would be a very fast-paced career, we had a handful of amateur fights together and then he said: ‘it’s time to turn pro’. There has been a very distinct difference between my first fight with Rick and my last couple of fights with him. I was knocking people out in 30 seconds and fighting at different weights, which didn’t matter as everything that he had instilled into my boxing was there. Being able to make that transition from amateur to pro with the same person is unheard of and to be as successful as we’ve been shows we’re doing the right thing.

“In the beginning people didn’t see me as a competitive player in the sport, so we had to do a lot of different things to get in the door. You have to be a ticket-seller to show that you bring in money, so we would buy a lot of tickets ourselves for my fight. In my third fight we needed to make some noise, so Rick put in a couple of thousand dollars of his son’s tuition money in and I put some money in, and everything stemmed off of that. I KO’d the girl and got a promotional deal and then the Taylor fight came along.

“We’re proud of the goals we’ve hit and we have more goals to meet and so does everyone in the gym, and we want to spread that to kids in schools, get them to continue to fight no matter what is going on.”

McCaskill’s rematch with Farias is part of a huge night of action in Chicago, topped by Oleksandr Usyk’s Heavyweight debut against Chazz Witherspoon.

Dmitry Bivol defends his WBA Super World Light-Heavyweight title against Lenin Castillo, unbeaten Super-Middleweight talent Anthony Sims Jr returns to action against Morgan Fitch, Charles Conwell defends his USBA Super-Welterweight title against Patrick Day, an all-Chicago Super-Featherweight clash between Josh Hernandez and Giovanni Mioletti, former World title challenger TJ Doheny returns to the ring, Reshat Mati is back after recovering from a shoulder injury and a fourth pro outing for rising starlet Otha Jones III.

Tickets are on sale now for Usyk vs. Witherspoon starting at just $40 plus booking fees at: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/070057139FF02C5D.

Jessica McCaskill will defend her WBA and WBC World Super-Lightweight titles against old foe Erica Farias at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago on Saturday October 12, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW FROM $40 HERE
McCaskill (7-2 3 KOs) ripped the WBC crown from Farias (26-3 10 KOs) last October at the Wintrust Arena in her hometown, with her victory the first in a World title fight live on DAZN in the US, putting in a then career-best performance to dethrone the Argentine in her first defense.

‘CasKILLA’ went on to add the WBA crown in her next fight in her next fight in Maryland in May, arguably surpassing that win over Farias with another mix of guts and skill unifying the titles against another Argentinian in Anahi Sanchez.

Chicago’s McCaskill has voiced her desire to rematch undisputed Lightweight champion Katie Taylor and also face seven-weight ruler Amanda Serrano, but Farias is determined to gain revenge in her first fight since defeat in Chicago.

“I’m delighted to have the chance to defend my titles back at the Wintrust Arena,” said McCaskill. “It was a great night there when I beat Erica first time around. I know she will be determined to win her title back but I feel I am a better fighter since that first fight and I can’t wait to show that.

“It’s amazing to be in this position and we have a lot more goals that I want to reach, there’s more hard work to put in and more to come. Female boxers need to keep their level of professionalism up, keep training hard, take no days off. Female boxing is volatile, and you can get a call to fight any day, we’d often hear ‘I haven’t been in the gym’ and stuff like that. The fans are there, they want to watch great women fight and promoters want to put the fights on, so we must be ready to fight, and I always am. 

“There are a lot of names that we want to mark off the list. Amanda Serrano won on Saturday, we’ve talked to her team and I think she’s done a lot for female boxing and I would love to share the ring with her. McCaskill-Taylor 2 is something that we want and there’s the other belts out there too so there’s a lot that we can build towards and target over the next year or so, but I am fully focused on Erica and October 12.”

“I am happy to have the chance to come back to Chicago and fight Jessica again,” said Farias. “The last fight was close and I have been waiting for a shot at winning the title back – I am coming to Chicago to take back what is mine.”

McCaskill and Farias clash on a massive night of boxing on October 12 in Chicago, as former undisputed Cruiserweight king and pound-for-pound star Oleksandr Usyk makes his Heavyweight debut against unbeaten contender Tyrone Spong.
Tickets are on sale now for Usyk vs. Spong, with a stacked undercard to be released imminently. Tickets start at just $40 plus booking fees at: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/070057139FF02C5D.