Jack Messey is to fight in the co-main event of Zuffa Boxing 07, which is scheduled to take place on June 6 at the Bournemouth International Centre in Bournemouth.
The event is significant for Dana White‘s new boxing venture, Zuffa Boxing, as it marks the first card held outside the promotion’s usual Las Vegas setting.
The card will be headlined by a cruiserweight showdown between Chris Billam-Smith and Ryan Rozicki. As anticipation around the event continues to grow, the promotion has now officially confirmed the co-main event.
Zuffa Boxing 07 confirms Jack Massey vs Cheavon Clarke for co-main event
Massey will face Cheavon Clarke in a 10-round cruiserweight bout on the same card.
Zuffa Boxing announced the matchup through social media, teasing the addition of “more 200 pounders into the mix” as the promotion continues strengthening its cruiserweight division.
Massey enters the fight with momentum and experience at the cruiserweight level. He challenged Jai Opetaia for the IBF world cruiserweight title. He suffered a knockout loss in the sixth round in October 2024.
Following the loss, he took on Ivan Gabriel Garcia and secured a fourth-round knockout victory. ‘One Smack’ holds a professional record of 23 wins, out of which 13 were via knockouts, and suffered 3 losses.
Fighting in front of a home crowd in England could also provide a significant boost for the 33-year-old as he looks to make a statement under the Zuffa Boxing banner.
On the opposite side, Clarke has steadily developed into one of the more dangerous names in the domestic cruiserweight division. He has 11 victories to his name, 8 via knockouts. He was on a two-fight loading streak that ended in his most recent bout against Anthony Hollaway, where he stopped him in the fourth round.
Massey and Clarke react to Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight clash
Following the fight announcement, Massey and Clarke made an appearance on Sky Sports.
Massey welcomed the matchup and described it as one of the biggest domestic fights available in the division.
“It’s a great opportunity. It’s a big domestic fight. I’m number two in the British rankings, and Chev’s number three. It’s a big domestic clash, a great fight for the fans, and a mouthwatering matchup. I’m really looking forward to it.” Massey said.
The 33-year-old cruiserweight also explained that signing with Zuffa Boxing has opened the door for major fights that were previously difficult to make.
“Yeah, it’s great for me because I’ve been chasing a few fights, especially domestic ones, and they haven’t been happening. I think with signing to Zuffa, there are now some very good cruiserweights in that division under that umbrella, and those fights are going to be much easier to make,” Massey added.
Meanwhile, Clarke sees the bout as a major chance to rebuild momentum after suffering consecutive decision defeats against Viddal Riley and Leonardo Mosquea.
“It’s a great opportunity. I’ve been trying to progress and obviously had a little stumble last year, but this is a great chance for me. He’s a good fighter himself, so I have to get past him first. Then we can build from there, but right now, that’s the target and I’ve got to handle that,” Cheavon Clarke said.
With both men looking to push themselves back into major contention, the co-main event adds further intrigue to what is becoming one of Zuffa Boxing’s strongest cards so far.
