If you’ve caught your breath following last weekend’s Egyptian boxing feast, then don’t bother getting too comfy, as the next couple of days are filled wall-to-wall with action.
We can’t promise you Jason Statham and the Pyramids of Giza this time around, but how about more of your classic boxing diet of high-quality world title fights, returning pound-for-pound stars and questionable belts on offer? We’re starting out in Houston, Texas and ending up in an ice hockey arena in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Strap in!
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1. Foster and Ford throw it down in Houston
There seems to be a genuine bit of needle in Saturday night’s WBC super featherweight world title fight.
O’Shaquie Foster (24-3, 12 KOs) defends his 130-pound title on home soil against Raymond Ford (18-1-1, 8 KOs) and apparently thinks so little of the former WBA featherweight titlist that he is already looking into the future.
“I was just really looking for a stay-busy fight,” Foster explained during fight week, alluding to future plans of jumping up in weight to take on one of the faces of the sport, Shakur Stevenson.
Ford — who comes into this weekend on a three-fight win streak — obviously didn’t take too kindly to being viewed as a stepping stone. Ford admitted he was impressed by Foster’s most recent title defense over Stephen Fulton in December, but claims “it wouldn’t be enough” to beat him.
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How these two match up stylistically is yet to be seen, but there are enough tasty ingredients to suggest this could be one the most entertaining fights of the busy weekend.
O’Shaquie Foster defends his WBC super featherweight world title on Saturday.
(Al Bello via Getty Images)
2. Bivol’s back, baby!
After 15 months of inactivity, unified light heavyweight world champion Dmitry Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs) is back in action this weekend, defending his straps against Michael Eifert.
And after such a long period of inactivity you’d be forgiven to be slightly underwhelmed by Bivol’s opponent …
Eifert, after all, is 13-1 with just five knockouts on his slate and can only really lay claim to besting a 40-year-old Jean Pascal in 2023. But if you want to keep hold of your titles, you have to fight your mandatories, and Eifert has maneuvered himself into the top spot with the IBF after going on a seven-fight win streak.
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Bivol is returning from back surgery, is 35 years old, and is coming off the back of two bruising fights with Artur Beterbiev. What is left in the heart and tank of the Russian?
We might not find out on Saturday. But if Bivol gets through unscathed, then expect a quick springboard into a Beterbiev trilogy or perhaps even David Benavidez.
3. It’s No. 54 for Serrano
Puerto Rican legend Amanda Serrano claimed 2026 will be her last year inside the ring, so we’re officially counting down the appearances from the aptly nicknamed “Real Deal.”
Serrano (48-4-1, 31 KOs) defends her unified featherweight titles this weekend in El Paso, Texas, against rugged German contender Cheyenne Hanson (17-2, 13 KOs). At age 37, it’ll be Serrano’s 54th fight across an incredible 17 years of combat competition.
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With 31 stoppages on her slate, one more on Saturday night would tie her with Christy Martin for the most knockouts in women’s boxing history — a record Serrano has admitted “continuing to hunt” as she begins to plan her exit from the sport.
This 126-pound contest sits on a four-fight MVPW-03 card, with the WBA lightweight rematch between Stephanie Han and Holly Holm taking center stage.
4. Azim takes the Claggett exam
Steve Claggett is still living off his 2024 decision loss to Teofimo Lopez.
(Well, I don’t know that for sure. But you would, wouldn’t you?)
The 36-year-old Canadian was 38-7-2 going into that WBO world super lightweight title fight with “The Takeover” and was priced as big as +660 to cause what would have been a seismic upset.
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He got swept on the cards in Miami, but showed heart and cojones across the 36 minutes. He’s only been stopped once across his 18 years as a professional, and is now being used as a yardstick for Britain’s bright young starlet, Adam Azim.
Is Adam Azim a future world champion?
(Justin Setterfield via Getty Images)
Azim has run to 14-0 as a pro and looked very good along the way. He’s found himself a good home and following inside Wembley Arena and will fight inside the north London venue for the third time in five outings.
Azim is BOXXER’s jewel in the promotional stable’s crown, so you can understand why the 24-year-old isn’t being rushed. But if he walks through the durable Claggett (39-8-2, 27 KOs) on Saturday night, then there will be louder calls for bigger fish at 140 pounds.
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5. Uzbekistan, Belgium or Germany? What are you feeling?
Now, we don’t want to flood you with action this weekend, but there is still plenty more as we bend the boundaries on the point of this “5 things” article.
Let’s finish up with some quick hits!
5a. Two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez has found himself a new trainer in Robert Garcia and has also found himself in Tashkent, Uzbekistan this Friday, taking on Asror Vokhidov at featherweight.
5b. Everyone’s favorite Scrabble fighter, Armend Xhoxhaj, fights Roman Fress in Germany for three — that’s right, three! — WBO titles at cruiserweight. The WBO European, WBO International and WBO Intercontinental are all on the line in Magdeburg on Saturday night. I do hope WBO president Gustavo Olivieri has booked extra baggage on his flight!
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5c. Kevin Lerena vs. Ryad Merhy was so good in 2023 that, three years later, we are doing it all again. Well, maybe that isn’t the case, but we’re heading to Charleroi, Belgium anyway this time around as Lerena defends his WBC bridgerweight title after unsuccessful bids for heavyweight trinkets.
Read the full article here
