WBC junior lightweight champion O’Shaquie Foster is set to return to the ring on May 30 in a meaningful homecoming bout, as he will defend his title for the first time in his hometown of Houston, Texas, against former titleholder Raymond Ford. The bout was first reported by Mike Coppinger of The Ring Magazine.
Foster (24-3, 12 KOs), 32, is in his second reign at 130 pounds. He initially captured the vacant title in February 2023 with a dominant decision over Rey Vargas, before making two notable defenses. Among them was a dramatic 12th-round stoppage of Eduardo Hernández while trailing on the scorecards, followed by a clear win over Abraham Nova.
He suffered a setback in July 2024, losing the belt via split decision to Robson Conceição, but regained it in an immediate rematch later that year, again by narrow decision.
Foster’s most recent outing came under unusual circumstances. He outpointed Stephen Fulton in a bout that was shifted to a lightweight interim title fight after Fulton badly missed weight. Foster ultimately chose to relinquish that secondary belt to remain focused on the junior lightweight division.
Ford (18-1-1, 8 KOs), 27, of Camden, New Jersey, is a former WBA featherweight titlist with a reputation for late-fight drama. He captured the vacant belt in March 2024 with a last-gasp stoppage of Otabek Kholmatov, rallying in the final seconds while trailing on the cards.
He later dropped the title in a split decision to Nick Ball, but has since rebounded at 130 pounds with three straight unanimous decision wins over Orlando Gonzalez, Thomas Mattice, and Nova.
The matchup pits two proven operators with championship pedigree in a loaded division. For Foster, it’s a chance to solidify his reign in front of his home crowd; for Ford, an opportunity to reestablish himself at the top level in a new weight class.
