Three World Championships to Headline BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing’s Return to South Florida November 22

Credit: BKB

Press Release: September 10, 2025 By BKB Bareknuckle Boxing - MIAMI, FL, USA – BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing - the world’s largest and oldest bare knuckle fighting promotion - announced today that it returns to South Florida on November 22 at the Charles F. Dodge Center in Pembroke Pines for BKB 48 Brawl in the Pines V, a card stacked with the best pound-for-pound bare knuckle fighters from around the world.

In the main event, undefeated Heavyweight champion Gustavo “The Cuban Assassin” Trujillo will face Bellator MMA and ONE Fighting Championship veteran and former King of the Cage champion Tony “Hulk” Johnson Jr. The 32-year-old Trujillo (Miami, Florida by way of Moron Ciego de Ávila, Cuba) has been unstoppable in the sport, boasting a 7-0 record with seven first-round knockouts, including stoppages over bare knuckle world champions Lorenzo Hunt, Ike Villanueva, and Richie Leak. 

In the night’s co-main event, BoxRec’s #1 pound-for-pound bare knuckle fighter in the world LT "Smash" Nelson (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma by way of Petermeritzburg, South Africa) will once again face "The Welsh Wrecking Machine" Barrie Jones (Pontygwaith, Wales) in a rematch of their BYB 30 title fight in which Nelson finished Jones by third-round knockout. Coming into that fight, Jones boasted a perfect 10-0 (9 KOs) record. With the win, Nelson, who was the then-current BYB 2-division champion (Middleweight and Super Middleweight), took home Jones' BYB Police Gazette World Middleweight title, and cemented himself as one the best fighters in all of combat sports. Since that match, Jones has gone on to capture the BKB Light Heavyweight championship against Gregoris Cisneros and is currently ranked the pound-for-pound #5 bare knuckle fighter in the world.

The third title fight on the card will pit BKB Lightweight champion Jarod “Kid Gatti” Grant (Hollywood, Florida) against #1 contender Jon “Untameable” Barnard (Makaha, Hawaii). Grant won the BKB Interim Lightweight championship on May 31 against Jorge Bargallo. Grant has been elevated to full champion after Lightweight champion Julio Tanori was stripped of his title due to inactivity defending it. Barnard defeated BKB Featherweight champion Harold McQueen in a Lightweight eliminator match to solidify his #1 contender status. 

In a matchup of top undefeated Super Cruiserweights, 4-0 Yordan Fuentes (Miami, Florida by way of Isla de Juventud, Cuba) will take on 2-0 Julian Fernandez (Tijuana, Mexico).

Also on the card:

Former Bare Knuckle champions, #2 ranked Jarome Hatch (Lehi, Utah) and #3 ranked Ike Villanueva (Houston, Texas) face off in a Bridgerweight showdown. #2 ranked Cruiserweight Yunieski “The Monster” Gonzalez (Miami, Florida by way of Ciego de Avila, Cuba) takes on #5 ranked Zion Tomlinson (Richmond, Virginia).  

Jorge Bargallo (Cape Coral, Florida by way of Nuevitas, Camagüey, Cuba) and Ash “Bash” Williams (Swansea, Wales) will face off in a matchup of two of BKB top young international fighters. Bare Knuckle veteran Brandon "The Shredder" Shavers will make his Trigon debut against British boxing star “Dangerous” Dan Catlin (Fleetwood, England). Miami’s Jose “Little Prince” Malespin makes his Trigon debut against Nate “Teddy Bear” Williams (Waterloo, Iowa). In a matchup of undefeated women, Angel “Da Killa” Keihl will face off against Katherine Connor.

Tickets are on-sale now at Ticketmaster or via bkbtickets.com/bkb48. Media credentialing application form is now available at bkbbareknuckle.com/credentials. Card subject to change.

BKB is broadcast live in English in the US on VICE and in Spanish on Telemundo Desportes Ahora, and in the UK and Ireland on TalkSPORT. Visit bkbbareknuckle.com  and follow on social @bkbbareknuckle for tickets, information and all ways to watch. 

ABOUT BKB BARE KNUCKLE BOXING

In the past two years, BKB (originally BYB) has purchased the UK-based BKB, the world’s oldest professional bare knuckle boxing company, and in doing so merged the organizations to create the largest bare knuckle boxing company in the world in terms of roster, library and distribution; ushered in ethical and legalized gambling to the sport; acquired the rights to the historic and prestigious Police Gazette Diamond Belt which now serves as the Bare Knuckle Boxing World Championship; and brought bare knuckle boxing to lineal television on both sides of the Atlantic, including the recent deal with VICE TV and Telemundo Desportes in the US, and in the UK with TalkSport. 

Material And Graphic Courtesy of: BKB Bareknuckle Boxing Used with permission. 

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

BKB 45 Bristol Brawl Results

Credit: BKB

Press Release: September 9, 2025 By BKB Bareknuckle Boxing - BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing made its Bristol, England debut September 6 at the Planet Ice Arena in a night featuring highlight reel knockouts, some of the sports' top stars, and an impressive bare knuckle debut by former WBA Regular Heavyweight Champion Lucas "Big Daddy" Brown.

Two of BKB's top-ranked and most experienced super middleweights went the distance in a fight of the night performance in the BKB 45 main event with James Connelly besting Martin Reffell by unanimous decision.

Swansea's Dan Lerwell picked up his eleventh bare knuckle vistory with a quick first-round knockout of fellow Welshman, UFC veteran Jack Marshman.

Simey Doherty scored his first win in the Tirgon, beating Joe Smith by split decision.

Veteran Paul Hilz earned his tenth bare knuckle victory and second in a row over hometown Dean Paterson by second-round TKO.

Former WBA Regular Heavyweight Champion says he's found a home in bare knuckle with a dominating doctor's stoppage at the start of the second round over Corey Harrison.

Rob Boardman earned co-knockout of the night honors (with Dan Lerwell) with a devastating first-round KO of Volodymyr Skurtu.

Former WBC International Bantamweight and EBU European Super Flyweight champion Ashley Brace picked up her first bare knuckle victory over Hatice Ozyurt by thrid-round doctor's stoppage. 

Will Dermietzel improves to 2-0 with first-round TKO over Jordan Tompkins.

In the prelims, Carl Hobley-Ant Scotford ended in no contest in the first when Hobley went headfirst out of the Trigon.

Corey Healey got  back in the win column with a second-round TKO over Craig Harrison. 

Matty Moore kicked off the evening with a dominating first-round TKO over Danny Worsfold. 

QUICK RESULTS:

James Connelly Def. Martin Reffel by UD5

Dan Lerwell Def. Jack Marshman by KO1

Simey Doherty Def. Joe Smith by SD5

Paul Hill Def. Dean Paterson by TKO2

Lucas Browne Def. Corey Harrison by DS2

Rob Boardman Def. Volodymyr Skurtu by KO1

Ashley Brace Def. Hatice Ozyurt by DS3

Will Dermietzel Def. Jordan Tompkins by TKO1

Hobley vs Scotford ended in NC1

Corey Healey Def. Craig Harrison by TKO2

Matty Moore Def. Danny Worsfold by TKO1

 

BKB returns to action September 27th in Salamanca, New York for BKB 46. Visit https://www.bkbbareknuckle.com   for tickets and information.

Material And Graphic Courtesy of: BKB Bareknuckle Boxing Used with permission. 

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Conlan Shines As Rebuild Continues

The story going into the Featherweight bout between former two-time Olympian and world title challenger Michael Conlan and rising contender Jake Bateson was whether he could continue building momentum in his second fight since returning from a lengthy hiatus following three knockout losses in a relatively short timeframe. In previewing this bout, this observer stated that this fight was part of a rebuilding process for Conlan and that a win here would not necessarily indicate whether he would be back to a point where he was three years ago when he was ahead on the scorecards in his world title challenge of then WBA World Featherweight champion Leigh Wood going into the final round of a grueling and competitive fight and being literally minutes away from becoming world champion, before suffering a brutal knockout loss, which seemed to start a slide for him in the wrong direction as a fighter. 

Despite yours truly saying prior to his encounter with Bateson that there would likely not be a conclusive answer as to whether Conlan, who had one win in his comeback coming into this bout, would be back to the point he was going into the Wood fight where frankly, he was simply caught in a fight he was winning, but a victory against Bateson would serve as a way to gauge how many more steps might be needed as part of a long-term rebuilding process, particularly if he performed well against a well skilled boxer in Bateson, who was likely to provide a test. The two fighters would meet before an enthusiastic crowd at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland.

What stood out almost immediately was Conlan’s timing and ability to use angles, traits of his skillset that have been known to frustrate opponents and signs of when he is at his best. In addition to his ability to use angles, Conlan routinely switched between the southpaw and orthodox stances, which in addition to attacking Bateson in spurts, kept Bateson from being able to find a consistent rhythm. Conlan was also able to keep the combat at a measured, tactical pace where he had the advantage.

In round three, Conlan scored a knockdown of Bateson with a short left hook from the southpaw stance that grazed the top of the head that caused Bateson to momentarily fall forward where his gloves touched the canvas resulting in the knockdown. This would be followed by a second knockdown in round four when Conlan connected with an overhand right that sent Bateson down awkwardly on the canvas. Bateson showed his mettle by getting up from the knockdown, but the combination of being on unsteady legs as well as an apparent injury to his right ankle resulted in the fight being stopped with eleven seconds remaining in the round. 

The second straight win for Conlan on his comeback trail as well as his tenth knockout in his twenty-three bout professional career ultimately served as another building block towards the long-term goal of getting back into contention for another opportunity at a world championship. With the win, Conlan also won the vacant WBC International Featherweight championship, which ultimately means a chance to elevate himself into the world rankings further towards that goal. 

What will be interesting now, however, will be whether Conlan will attempt to jump further up in the rankings in his next fight or potentially take a more conservative approach in potentially taking another fight or two to continue to build momentum so at least in theory from an old school perspective, he can be as ready as possible both physically and mentally before trying to get into a fight, which if he is successful could lead to another world title opportunity. Ultimately, he got a win here in this fight and did so impressively. Whether or not he or his team feel that performance is enough to attempt to move further up the ladder or if he needs a bit more time to keep building momentum remains to be seen. If he were to take another fight against someone on a similar level as Jack Bateson, a good fighter, but one that may not be considered a world rated contender, and turn in a similar clinical performance, it will be clear that Michael Conlan is ready to take the next step.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Boxing: The 100 Greatest Fighters New Book Celebrates the Best to Step Inside the Ring and Into History

Credit: Insight Editions 

Press Release: September 4, 2025 By Insight Editions - In his new book Boxing: The 100 Greatest Fighters (Insight Editions, September 9, $34.99) renowned author Tom Gerbasi combines his vast knowledge of combat-sport history with his deep connections to the fighting community to compile the most complete and definitive list of boxing greats to date. From the selfproclaimed (and rarely disputed) “Greatest” Muhammad Ali, to storied fighters such as Sugar Ray Robinson, and Joe Louis, to current greats who are still defining their legacies such as Terrance Crawford and Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez, each fighter’s entry brims with revealing anecdotes, defining stats and achievements, as well as exciting photography.  Discover inside:  • Profiles of 100 boxers from the history of the sport, including 45 world champions • Fully illustrated with historical photographs of these greats in action • Eight female fighters who have redefined the sport  • Compelling lists sure to inspire: the ten Greatest Fights, ten Greatest Knockouts, the best fighters from great boxing nations/regions With full-color photography of the highest caliber and a design firmly entrenched in the boxing tradition, this gorgeous coffee-table book is a unanimous decision. Boxing fans will find much to enthuse about in this book which Gerbasi calls, “My love letter to boxing.” As he says in the introduction, “It’s not a perfect sport, but when it’s done right, there’s nothing like it.” 

About the Author Currently the Editorial Director for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Thomas Gerbasi has covered combat sports for various publications for over 15 years. An award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America, his work has also appeared in The Independent, Yahoo Sports, The Daily Beast, The Ring and ESPN. In addition, Mr. Gerbasi is the author of three boxing books, and his amateur boxing record was 0-1. 

 Material and Graphic Courtesy of: Insight Editions Used with permission.

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

MVP’S QUEBEC STANDOUT TAMMARA THIBEAULT SET TO FACE ITALIAN RISING STAR CRISTINA MAZZOTTA

Press Release: September 3, 2025 By Most Valuable Promotions- MONTREAL, CANADA – September 2, 2025 – Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced that MVP’s 2x Canadian Olympian and #1 IBF and WBA middleweight Tammara Thibeault (3-0, 2 KOs) will face Italy’s rising star Cristina Mazzotta (1-0) in the co-main event of Most Valuable Prospects 15 Championship Edition, live from Théâtre St-Denis in Montreal, Quebec, on Saturday, September 27. Thibeault vs. Mazzotta will be a 6 round Middleweight bout contested at 160lbs with 2 minute rounds. The event will stream globally for free on DAZN.com and the DAZN app for DAZN subscribers. Tickets for Most Valuable Prospects 15 Championship Edition are on sale now HERE.

MVP’s standout Tammara Thibeault is currently the #1-ranked WBA, #1 IBF, #4 WBO, and #8 WBC middleweight contender. Originally from Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada, Thibeault began her boxing journey at the age of nine, inspired by seeing her father, a former CFL player, knock out an opponent during a Provincial boxing tournament. Following in his footsteps, she took up boxing at age 12 and was inspired to compete for Canada while watching the first women’s Olympic boxing competition during the 2012 London Olympics. The 28-year-old middleweight, a southpaw standing 6 feet tall, forged an outstanding amateur career. A two-time Olympian, Thibeault made her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, where she advanced to the quarterfinals of the women’s 75kg (165lb) event, matching Canada’s best-ever Olympic result in any women’s boxing event. She went undefeated until she returned to the Paris Olympics in 2024, earning gold medals at the 2022 Amateur World Championship, the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and the 2023 Pan Am Games. Thibeault, who speaks French, English, and Spanish, recently completed a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies from Concordia University in 2023, which she earned over seven years while competing. She currently lives in Sheffield, England, where she is earning a one-year Master’s degree in urban design and urban planning while training at the renowned Steel City Gym. Thibeault made her pro debut while competing under men’s rules, three-minute rounds, on the main card of MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 10 in December 2024, then returned to the ring in March 2025 as part of MVP’s first ever event in Canada, Most Valuable Prospects 11, where she again competed under men’s rules with three-minute rounds and won by knockout in the final second of the first round, proving again the impact of women competing with equal rules to men. Thibeault entered her third pro fight continuing to compete under equal rules over 8, three-minute rounds on the preliminary card of MVP's historic Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3 all-women's card against then-#1 contender Mary Casamassa, winning by TKO to become the #1 contender with both the IBF and WBA following the bout—one of the fastest-rising world title contenders in history.

“Cristina Mazzotta is incredibly talented, and I’m looking forward to a competitive fight that will push me to perform at my very best,” said Tammara Thibeault.“This co-main event is a chance to represent Quebec with pride and take another step toward a world title. The support from my hometown is incredibly meaningful, and I want to deliver a performance that the fans will never forget on Saturday, September 27.”

Cristina Mazzotta, from Mesagne, Italy, represents the storied Pugilistica Rodio Brindisi gym, a boxing institution since 1938. She burst onto the pro scene in July 2025, defeating seasoned Czech boxer Ester Konecna in a thrilling six-round debut that captivated over 2,000 fans in Mesagne’s Villa Comunale. Her amateur career is equally decorated, with a silver medal at the 2018 Italian National Championships in Pescara and a collection of national medals, establishing her as one of Italy’s brightest boxing prospects.

"I’ve been training long and hard to display my skills on a big platform,” said Cristina Mazzotta. “MVP is doing big things in women's boxing and I’m happy to get this opportunity on their event. My opponent is very good but I am confident in what i bring to the table."

“Tamm Thibeault is a phenomenal athlete whose meteoric rise and world-class talent set the standard for the next generation of boxing,” said Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of MVP. “Her co-main event against Cristina Mazzotta is an important step in her rapid rise, pitting one of Quebec’s finest athletes against one of Italy’s most promising talents. On Saturday, September 27, Montreal’s Théâtre St-Denis will provide the perfect stage for Tamm to perform for her hometown fans, delivering a memorable night demonstrating MVP’s commitment to developing top talent on a global scale, live on DAZN.”

Most Valuable Prospects 15 will also feature an IBF world title headliner as undefeated champion Sol Cudos (10-0-2, 3 KOs) defends her strawweight belt against MVP’s Kim Clavel (21-2, 3 KOs). The stacked card also includes Montreal’s undefeated Mazlum Akdeniz (21-0, 8 KOs), MVP’s global star Javon “Wanna” Walton (2-0-1, 1 KO), Ontario standout Amanda Galle (11-0-1, 1 KO), Costa Rica’s rising contender Naomy Valle (14-0, 9 KOs), and local prospects Omar Alieh (2-0, 2 KOs) and Loick Lahaie (2-0). Montreal native and renowned combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani is set to join the broadcast team as ringside reporter on fight night, marking Helwani’s first time part of an official team calling an event in Montreal. 

Most Valuable Prospects 15 is promoted by GYM and distributed globally by DAZN. The 15th event in the series will continue the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to highlight the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent. CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, maker of lifestyle energy drink, is the exclusive energy drink sponsor of MVP and the Most Valuable Prospects series. Fansly, TORKLAW, and Event Tickets Center have also joined on to sponsor the Most Valuable Prospects series.

For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @DAZNBoxing.

About MVP

MVP was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize returns for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP has produced Jake Paul’s last six global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Perry match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. MVP made history again in November 2024 with Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2, the first-ever live professional sports event on Netflix. MVP’s Paul vs. Tyson streamed live globally on Netflix and shattered records, becoming the most-streamed sporting event ever with 108 million live viewers globally. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of Paul vs. Tyson and the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About DAZN

DAZN is the home of European football, women’s football, boxing and MMA, and the NFL (excl. USA). We are building the ultimate sports entertainment platform, based on premium sports rights, world-leading tech, and multi-platform distribution. DAZN believes that fans from across the globe should be able to watch, read, bet, play, share, socialise, buy tickets and merchandise, all in one place, with one account, one wallet and on one app.

For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit dazngroup.com.

Material Courtesy of: Most Valuable Promotions Used with permission.

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Belated Thunderdome 51 Results From Perth, Metro City Australia

Credit: Mike O'Hara Dragon Fire Boxing 

Press Release: September 3, 2025 By Dragon Fire Boxing - Friday night,(August 29th) Dragonfire Promotions returned to the Metro City Night Club for another exciting display of young talent.

 

The main event saw “Lethal” Joel Lewis capture his second state title with a knockout win over Fano Kori.

 

The card also saw WBA Oceania Super Bantamweight Champion “Fist of Fury” Runqi Zhou with a 99 second KO, the return of “The African Dream” Kazeem Soyoye & The Isle of Man’s Sam Rennie continue his undefeated streak, along with other exciting prospects on display.

 

Joel Lewis Captures WA State Super Welterweight Title with Win Over Fano Kori

 

Joel Lewis claimed the WA State Super Welterweight title, defeating Fano Kori by a sixth-round KO in the evening’s main event. The victory marks the second state title of his professional career.

 

The Perth fighter has been on the comeback trail since suffering his first defeat overseas in June 2024. He responded with two straight wins before meeting Kori, who had originally been scheduled to face him earlier this year.

 

The bout was Lewis’ first since relocating to Queensland to train under Angelo Hyder, a respected coach with multiple world champions to his name.

 

The change in camp paid off as Lewis produced a composed and clinical performance to secure the belt.

 

The fight started fast, with both men chasing a quick stoppage.

 

In the second round, Lewis caught Kori coming in with a quick uppercut that sent him to the canvas. Kori was able to answer the count, but Lewis remained in control throughout the rest of the round.

 

Lewis continued to lure Kori into his uppercut to counter the aggression of his opponent.

 

Midway into the fourth round, Lewis landed a perfect left cross that sent Kori to the canvas yet again. Kori chased the finish for the next two rounds and it ultimately cost him, as he got clipped in the final round by yet another uppercut that sent him crashing to the ground.

 

Kori got to his feet before being dropped by a vicious left hand, giving Joel Lewis the victory with three seconds left in the fight.

 

After yet another amazing performance to make it three wins in a row, the sky is the limit for Joel Lewis.

 

Runqi Zhou steamrolls Asyer Aluman in 99 seconds

 

Runqi Zhou defeated Asyer Aluman by first-round TKO to score his second straight victory since his appearance at the WBC Grand Prix.

 

The fight started with Zhou immediately putting pressure on his opponent. He continued roughing Aluman up against the ropes before landing a short-left hook to the body that knocked him to his knees.

 

Aluman was able to get to his feet before Zhou fired off one more flurry that prompted the referee to stop the fight after 99 seconds of action.

 

 

Lewis Clarke defeats Bilal Seidu to become the top contender for State Title

In the co-main event of the evening, Lewis Clarke defeated Bilal Seidu by a controversial split decision.

 

The win for Clarke sets him up for a potential fight with current WA State Cruiserweight Champion Billy Quinncroft.

 

After coming up short in the WBC Heavyweight Grand Prix, Lewis Clarke looked to put his career back on track.

 

After winning his last fight in Thailand, Clarke fought in Perth for the first time in almost a year against Bilal Seidu. 

 

When the bout was announced, it was classed as a WA State Cruiserweight title Eliminator, an accolade that Seidu had come up short in achieving only months prior.

 

With plenty at stake for both men, the bout promised to be an intriguing contest. Ultimately, it was Clarke who emerged victorious.

 

Seidu started the fight aggressively by roughing his opponent up against the ropes. Clarke stayed composed and timed his uppercut well.

 

The onslaught from Seidu continued in the middle rounds, as he was able to catch Clarke in the centre of the ring before following him to the ropes to unload a barrage of punches. 

 

In the final round, both men were clearly fatigued. Clarke was able to rip combinations to the body while Seidu landed massive power punches that got a big reaction from the crowd.

 

Both men gave it everything they had before the final bell sounded.

 

Many in attendance on the night believed Bilal Seidu had done enough to be victorious. However, the judges saw it differently with Lewis Clarke being awarded a split decision win.

 

Sam Rennie remains undefeated against George Lumoly

Earlier in the night, Sam Rennie kept his undefeated record alive with a comfortable third-round stoppage victory over George Lumoly.

 

Coming off his historic regional title win, The Isle of Man’s Sam Rennie looked to continue his dominance in the Perth Boxing Scene.

  

His opponent George Lumoly seemed to be a tough test on paper, but the Brit breezed through him to deliver another smooth performance.

 

The fight started with Rennie being in complete control of the range, keeping Lumoly on the end of his jab.

 

In the second round, the Brit started to unload more power shots to the body before dropping Lumoly with a right hook before the bell.

 

Rennie cornered Lumoly throughout the third round before knocking his opponent down yet again with a body shot.

 

Lumoly recovered before being finished off with an uppercut, giving the referee no choice but to stop the fight.

 

With yet another impressive victory under his belt, Rennie has set his sights on a WA State Title fight in the future.

 

 

FULL CARD RESULTS

Joel Lewis DEFEATED Fano Kori by 6th Round KO

 

Lewis Clarke DEFEATED Bilal Seidu by Split Decision

 

Kazeem Soyoye DEFEATED Reynold Kunaming by 3rd Round KO

 

Sam Rennie DEFEATED George Lumoly by 3rd Round TKO

 

Gareth Hilton DEFEATED Bahtiyar Sonyol by Unanimous Decision

 

Devon Kelly DEFEATED Beejay Boonket by 3rd Round TKO

 

Runqi Zhou DEFEATED Asyer Aluman by 1st Round TKO

 

Luke Dowsett DEFEATED Mitch Arnold by Unanimous Decision

 

Craig O Sullivan DEFEATED Ryan Stokoe by 4th Round TKO

 

Ryan Daye DEFEATED Turahman by 2nd Round KO

 

Nathan Lingois DEFEATED Daniel Kent (Exhibition Fight)

Material Courtesy of: Dragon Fire Boxing/ Photo Courtesy of: Mike O'Hara Dragon Fire Boxing Used with permission.

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Conlan Looks To Build Momentum

It can be a cliche, but those who are familiar with the sport of Boxing and really combat sports as a whole, know that there are several stages throughout a fighter's career. Such stages have been chronicled numerous times by this observer in covering countless fighters over the last three decades that I have covered combat sports, and have been discussed as a focal point when a fighter either prepares to enter a new phase or as that fighter is on the rise up the ranks.

One such fighter that saw such a rise is Featherweight contender Michael Conlan. Conlan, a native of Belfast, Northern Ireland is a two-time Olympian and former Olympic Bronze Medalist. Upon turning professional in 2017, Conlan went on to win sixteen straight bouts leading to a world championship bout when he challenged then WBA World Featherweight champion Leigh Wood in March 2022. In a grueling back and forth fight where he was ahead on all three judges scorecards, Conlan would find himself on the receiving end of a brutal knockout at the hands of Wood where he was knocked out of the ring in what was frankly a scary scene for all who witnessed it. 

Despite the knockout loss and the severity of it, Conlan would rebound to win two fights before suffering two more knockout losses in 2023. Following those setbacks in being stopped in three of four bouts, a layoff took place to allow Conlan to recover and likely time to process what had been a rough period in his career. This resulted in Conlan not competing in 2024.

From an old school standpoint, there are those, and this observer often finds himself in this category as well, who feel that often the worst thing for a fighter is inactivity, which over time can prove to be a silent killer of a fighter’s ability, and ultimately negatively affect the fighter’s career. There are times, however, where a lengthy absence can be and should be a necessity. Circumstances where a fighter finds themselves on a bad slide when it comes to wins and losses, and particularly when a fighter suffers more than one knockout loss in a relatively short period of time, would be an exception to the wisdom of inactivity doing more harm than good as it allows the fighter time to recover both physically as well as mentally. 

The rebuilding process for Conlan began in March of this year when he scored an eight round decision over Asad Khan. Now, Conlan looks to continue to build momentum as he will return to the ring on Friday, September 5th against twenty-two fight veteran Jake Bateson in a scheduled ten round bout at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland in a fight that can be seen globally on digital combat sports and entertainment streaming platform Triller TV. 

This fight, which will be for the vacant WBC International Featherweight championship figures to be a test for Conlan in his second fight back from that hiatus. Bateson, who will come into this bout off of a technical draw in his last bout against Danny Quartermaine, who currently holds the WBO and WBA versions of the European Featherweight championship in December of last year, will come into the fight with a respectable record of 20-1-1, with 6 Knockouts. While not known for his punching power, Bateson does have the type of Boxing skills that will likely put Conlan, who will enter with a record of 19-3, with 9 Knockouts, under some degree of stress at some point in this bout.

At his best, Conlan is a highly-regarded world-class boxer, who has a good mix of hand speed and power, despite only having nine knockouts in his nineteen wins. The question here will be whether Bateson can put Conlan under the type of stress and pressure where he will be tested and more specifically, how his punch resistance is following those three stoppage losses.

Boxing is and will always be a sport where the rise of a fighter will always get more attention than the stories of fighters looking to rebuild their careers. Whether Michael Conlan will be back in the position he was in three short years ago in fighting for and literally being minutes away from becoming a world champion remains to be seen and short of another setback where he might be stopped again inside the distance, we are likely not going to get a conclusive answer from this fight, assuming he wins and regardless of the method of victory if that indeed happens. This is more likely going to be another step towards the long-term goal of getting back into contention. If Conlan is successful and performs well, however, this could at minimum provide a gauge as to how many more steps might be needed in that process. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Conlan vs. Bateson takes place on Friday, September 5th at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. The fight as well as it's full undercard can be seen globally on digital combat sports and entertainment streaming network Triller TV under its Triller TV+ subscription tier beginning at 12PM ET/9AM PT with preliminary bouts followed by the main card beginning at 2PM ET/11AM PT. (*North American Times Only.*) For More information about Triller TV including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, Local start times in your area, and region-specific pricing and Triller TV+ subscription availability please visit: www.TrillerTV.com. 

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