A busy week of boxing is headlined by a compelling all British heavyweight clash, as Fabio Wardley defends his WBO title against Daniel Dubois on Saturday, May 9, at Co-op Live in Manchester, England.
Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs), a 31 year old from Ipswich, enters his first defense as full WBO heavyweight champion after being elevated following his stoppage victory over Joseph Parker. A mandated bout against unified champion Oleksandr Usyk ultimately failed to materialize after Usyk declined to proceed with the WBO order, prompting Wardley’s elevation from interim to full titleholder. Now firmly established at the top of the sanctioning body’s rankings, Wardley looks to solidify his reign against a proven contender in Dubois.
Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs), 28, returns following a knockout loss in his rematch with Usyk last July. The former two-time world champion aims to reclaim a major title and reinsert himself into the heavyweight elite.
The undercard adds further intrigue with the return of David Morrell Jr., who lands on this bill after a planned clash with Callum Smith was scrapped due to an injury suffered by Smith just one week before their scheduled April 18 date. Rather than lose an entire training camp, Morrell’s team moved quickly to secure a slot on this Manchester card, giving the former world champion a valuable opportunity to introduce himself to the UK audience in a new division.
The DAZN streamed card begins at 1:00 p.m. ET in the United States (6:00 p.m. BST in the UK) and features a deep undercard, including heavyweight standout Bakhodir Jalolov against Agron Smakici, along with notable matchups such as Jack Rafferty vs. Ekow Essuman and Morrell vs. Zak Chelli.
Undercard bouts:
- Jack Rafferty (26-0-1, 17 KOs) vs. Ekow Essuman (22-2, 8 KOs), 10 rounds, super lightweight
- David Morrell (12-1, 9 KOs) vs. Zak Chelli (16-3-1, 8 KOs), 10 rounds, light heavyweight
- Liam Cameron (24-7-1, 10 KOs) vs. Bradley Rea (21-2, 10 KOs), 10 rounds, light heavyweight
- Khaleel Majid (16-0, 4 KOs) vs. Gavin Gwynne (18-4-2, 5 KOs), 10 rounds, super lightweight
- Bakhodir Jalolov (16-0, 14 KOs) vs. Agron Smakici (21-3, 19 KOs), 10 rounds, heavyweight
- Mike Perez (31-3-1, 22 KOs) vs. TBA, 8 rounds, cruiserweight
- Javokhir Ummataliev (1-0) vs. TBA, 6 rounds, super middleweight
- Ramtin Musah (1-0) vs. TBA, 6 rounds, super middleweight
- Bobbi Flood (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Nathan Darby (3-37-3), 4 rounds, super welterweight
- Issiah Hamilton-Allen (1-0) vs. Connor Goulding (6-10), 4 rounds, super welterweight
How to watch: Wardley vs Dubois airs live on DAZN, starting at 1:00 p.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. PT in the U.S. and 6:00 p.m. BST in the UK.
Leo vs. Aleem Headlines U.S. Action
Later that evening, Angelo Leo defends his IBF featherweight title against Ra’eese Aleem at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia.
Leo (26-1, 12 KOs), a 27 year old from Albuquerque, makes the second defense of his title following a decision win over Tomoki Kameda last May. Across the ring, Aleem (23-1, 12 KOs), 35, enters on the strength of a title eliminator victory over Mikito Nakano and looks to capture his first major world championship.
The event streams live on DAZN beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET and is supported by a card featuring rising prospects across multiple divisions.
Undercard bouts:
- Atif Oberlton vs Carlos Gongora (22-3, 17 KOs)
- Pryce Taylor (11-0, 7 KOs) vs. Calvin Barnett (7-4, 4 KOs), 10 rounds, heavyweight
- Casey Dixon (6-0, 5 KOs) vs. Matthew Nore (2-0, 1 KO), 6 rounds, super middleweight
- Julio Gomez (7-3-2, 6 KOs) vs. Gabriel Triminio (3-1), 6 rounds, lightweight
- Hakim Lopez (15-1, 9 KOs) vs. Ashton Sykes (6-13, 2 KOs), 6 rounds, super middleweight
- Jaquan McElroy (5-0, 2 KOs) vs. Rudy Reveles (2-2, 1 KO), 6 rounds, bantamweight
- Garrett Rice Jr. (3-0, 1 KO) vs. Yesner Talavera (15-21-1, 4 KOs), 4 rounds, lightweight
How to watch: Leo vs Aleem airs live on DAZN, starting at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT.
Zuffa Boxing 6 Closes the Weekend in Las Vegas
The weekend concludes Sunday, May 10, with Zuffa Boxing 6 at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, airing live on Paramount+.
In the main event, Shane Mosley Jr. (22-5, 12 KOs) faces Ukraine’s Serhii Bohachuk (27-3, 24 KOs) in a 10 round middleweight contest.
The co-main event pits unbeaten welterweight James Perella (21-0, 15 KOs) against Julian Rodriguez (25-1, 15 KOs), while the main card opener features an intriguing clash of undefeated middleweights between Misael Rodriguez and Andreas Katzourakis.
Preliminary bouts
- Raphael Monny (9-0, 3 KOs) vs. Suray Mahmutovic (8-1-1, 6 KOs), 8 rounds, light heavyweight
- Justin Viloria (12-0, 8 KOs) vs. Ivan Ortiz (12-0-2, 9 KOs), 8 rounds, lightweight
- Da’Mazion Vanhouter (11-0, 8 KOs) vs. Raphael Murphy (18-1, 14 KOs), 8 rounds, heavyweight
- Emiliano Cardenas (10-0, 4 KOs) vs. Alexis Alvarado (9-1-1, 5 KOs), 6 rounds, bantamweight
- Rakhmatullo Boymatov vs. Caleb Hall (6-2-1, 4 KOs), 6 rounds, light heavyweight
How to watch: Zuffa Boxing 6 streams live on Paramount+. Main card: 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT. Prelims: 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT.
