Have you gotten your breath back from last weekend’s Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn Las Vegas shenanigans?
If so, then stay tuned to this weird and wonderful sport of boxing as there’s plenty more action to get your teeth stuck into this weekend.
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“Pitbull” — no, not that one — is in a super lightweight headliner looking to become his own version of Mr. Worldwide, and the UK serves up a tantalizing cruiserweight clash for the prized Lonsdale belt.
Let’s check in on the top five things to watch this weekend in boxing.
1. Crowdpleaser ‘Pitbull’ returns against Bravo
Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz is back in action this weekend headlining a DAZN card, attempting to strengthen his claim as one of the most entertaining fighters in the sport.
The 28-year-old Mexican’s loaded fists at 140 pounds have helped him skyrocket toward the upper echelon of the super lightweight standings, and holding the WBC’s interim title at the weight has afford him the opportunities that come attached to such a trinket.
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Cruz (28-3-2, 18 KOs) is looking to rebound from a draw against Lamont Roach last December, and now finds himself pitted against the unheralded Puerto Rican Nestor Bravo (24-1, 17 KOs) inside San Diego’s Pechanga Arena.
In many ways, Cruz is a throwback fighter — resilience, a teak tough chin, whirlwind attacks and enough enthusiasm to spread up and down the undercard. His ceiling is still unknown, but much like his in-ring efforts, his career might burn fast and bright.
This man lives and breathes the “Pitbull” life.
(Cris Esqueda via Getty Images)
2. British cruiserweights Hedges and Brown collide
Pat Brown has been heavily invested in by Matchroom Boxing.
The British cruiserweight is 6-0 (6 KOs) since turning pro last March, and has been handed a relatively fast step-up in quality this Saturday against Essex’s John Hedges (12-0, 3 KOs).
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The British and Commonwealth titles are on the line in Manchester in this in-house clash at 200 pounds, as Brown is put under the microscope against a genuine cruiserweight threat.
Hedges arrives in this Co-op Live Arena headliner off the back of an impressive win over Ellis Zorro last December — and with slick feet, fast southpaw hands and a 6-foot-6 frame, he surely has some pressing questions to ask of Brown.
Brown has heavy hands in this division and a statement win over the popular away fighter will do wonders for his domestic push.
3. Kozlovsky is ready to make his move
If you search online for Ivan Kozlovsky, you’ll mainly receive results for the “Soviet lyric tenor and most well known stars of Russian opera.”
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Now, I am going to go out on a limb here and assume that you’re not here to learn about the 1940 winner of the People’s Artist of the USSR, and rather Russia’s super lightweight southpaw …
The boxer Kozlovsky (13-0, 5 KOs) is growing into the 140-pound division at decent speed following an excellent amateur career winning gold at the 2015 Worlds and amassing a reported 262-8 record. His pro career has so far been restricted to outings in Belarus and Russia, but this weekend’s opportunity to fight for the vacant European title at super lightweight should give him a platform to break through.
He takes on Barcelona-based Venezuelan Luis Arcon (17-0-1, 16 KOs), who is pretty well traveled, in a clash in Ekaterinburg, Russia. The 34-year-old Arcon arrives with a 94% knockout record, attempting to spoil Kozlovsky’s rise in an exciting division.
4. Ramos Jr. defends his interim middleweight title
There’s catching a fighter cold, and then there’s catching a fighter freezing.
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It will be 1,037 days since Kazakhstan’s Meiirim Nursultanov (20-0, 11 KOs) last entered the ring when he returns to action this Saturday, pitted up against it at middleweight for Jesus Ramos Jr.’s WBC interim middleweight title.
Ramos Jr. (24-1, 19 KOs) has expressed his excitement in fighting in front of a Mexican-heavy arena in San Diego, acting as chief support to Cruz vs. Bravo in the Pechanga Arena, and is now one win away from a clash for the full 160-pound title against Carlos Adames.
Ranked No. 1 in the division, it’s a position that Nursultanov has decided to sit on for three years in order to receive this opportunity. Now 33 years old, it’s a gamble he hopes will pay off this weekend.
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“I’ve been preparing and waiting for this opportunity for years. I don’t care about the layoff. I’m ready, and I’m hungry,” Nursultanov said during Thursday’s final press conference. “I’m going to show what the Kazakh boxing school means. My team and I work great together and we have a plan that we’re going to execute.”
UPDATE: Aaaaand it’s gone. PBC announced late Friday that WBC Ramos Jr. fell ill during his weight cut was hospitalized. Nursultanov’s wait continues. Tough scenes.
5. Conway vs. Jeffers is this weekend’s pick ’em
We’re always on the look out for a coin-toss fight to champion over at Uncrowned, and we have to look no further than Kieron Conway vs. Mark Jeffers in Manchester for this weekend’s offering.
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After suffering his fourth career defeat at the hands of the talented George Liddard, Conway (23-4-1, 7 KOs) is going north to super middleweight, attempting to add a third defeat to the back-to-back losses Mark Jeffers (20-2, 7 KOs) swallowed in 2025.
Jeffers was edged out by Sean Hemphill at super middleweight, before getting stopped by Willy Hutchinson at light heavyweight four months after. Now on the rebuild, the 28-year-old is looking to use Conway’s name to springboard back into domestic contention.
Who has the edge? Conway is dripping in experience, but Jeffers has the upper hand in size, fighting in his more natural weight class. Altogether, we have the ingredients for a thrilling domestic dust-up in Manny!
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