The boxing action comes thick and fast this weekend from all four corners of the globe, with a healthy blend of brilliance and bonkers lighting up the August schedule.
If Jack Rafferty vs. Mark Chamberlain for the British and Commonwealth super lightweight titles or a flyweight banger between Yankiel Rivera and Angelino Cordova don’t tickle you, then don’t fear: ’90s heavyweight Ike Ibeabuchi is making his return to the boxing ring for the first time in 26 years, fighting Idris Affini in Lagos, Nigeria.
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Something for everyone, right?
Jack Rafferty on the verge of something big
“Demolition Man” Jack Rafferty knows just how important his British and Commonwealth super lightweight title defense against Mark Chamberlain is this weekend.
Rafferty (26-0, 17 KOs) stands on the verge of some of the biggest fights at 140 pounds, whether that be on the world stage or against domestic contemporaries Dalton Smith and Adam Azim.
A year ago, the 29-year-old was unsigned, unknown and staring down the barrel of a wasted career. A win over unbeaten Henry Turner in October secured him a promotional deal with Queensberry and — with two wins since — he hasn’t looked back.
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Mark Chamberlain is far from a walkover. The Portsmouth southpaw once held the mantle of being Turki Alalshikh’s “favorite fighter,” until a loss to Josh Padley knocked “Thunder” down a peg or two.
Rafferty and Chamberlain headline “Make or Break” inside Altrincham’s Planet Ice arena on Saturday night in what could prove a career-defining evening for both men.
Lewis Richardson settling into professional life
Lewis Richardson (1-0, 0 KOs) can expect relative calm after his debut storm this weekend.
The Colchester middleweight turned over into the pros earlier this summer in June, registering a debut win over Estonian Dmitri Protkunas, 12 months after securing a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympic Games.
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Richardson, 28, received a lot of attention on the undercard of Fabio Wardley vs. Justis Huni, and will expect to find himself more under the radar this Saturday as he aims to build his record in the lucrative 160-pound division.
The southpaw takes on another Estonian: Artjom Spatar (5-16-1, 1 KOs) in a six-rounder, looking to add rounds, experience and tools to his growing arsenal.
Yankiel Rivera vs. Angelino Cordova at flyweight
On Saturday night, Orlando’s Caribe Royale Casino will once again dress itself in prizefighting colors as Most Valuable Promotions stages its second fight card of the weekend under the Florida lights, live on DAZN.
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At the top of the bill, two unbeaten flyweights put relative perfection on the line. Puerto Rico’s Yankiel Rivera, 7-0 with three stoppages, squares off with Venezuela’s Angelino Cordova, a hardened 19-0-1 with a dozen knockouts to his name.
The prize: The WBA interim strap and, with it, a golden ticket toward unified champion Ricardo Sandoval, penciled for later this year or early in 2026.
The WBA have these guys ranked at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, and without a blemish on their combined records this one could be a lot of fun.
Rivera is the fighter on the rise while Cordova has the experience edge of the pair — the latter is probably most known for his loss to Julio Cesar Martinez in March last year, which was subsequently changed to a no-contest following the Mexican’s failed drug test.
Yankiel Rivera (right) punches Christian Robles in their June 2023 fight in New York.
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Skye Nicholson at 122 pounds
After losing her 126-pound title to Tiara Brown in March, Australian Skye Nicholson (12-1, 1 KO) is now campaigning down at 122 pounds, looking to move toward becoming a two-weight world champion.
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Her first official fight at the new weight (she hit the scales at 124 pounds in an interim win over Carla Camila Campos Gonzales last month) lands this weekend in front of a home crowd in Fortitude Valley, Australia, against India’s Urvashi Singh (12-3, 7 KOs).
Things move pretty quickly in the women’s code and a win over the 30-year-old will propel Nicholson back into the title mix in her new division.
The vacant IBF intercontinental strap at super bantamweight is up for grabs here, as the women serve as the co-main event for Jake Wyllie vs. Youssef Dib later in the evening.
Will Ike Ibeabuchi make his ring return after 26 years?
If all is to be believed, Ike Ibeabuchi (20-0, 15 KOs) will make his long-awaited return this weekend, 26 years after last stepping foot in a professional ring.
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The 52-year-old Nigerian heavyweight has been out of action since 1999, has served 16 years in prison, and failed on numerous other occasions since his 2015 release to find a boxing dance partner.
But this Saturday appears to be different.
After British veteran Danny Williams pulled out due to an eye injury, 40-year-old Idris Affini (18-8-2, 15 KOs) will stand in the opposite corner to “The President” inside the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, Nigeria, streamed live worldwide on prizefighting.tv.