Former unified and lineal lightweight king George Kambosos Jr. is eager to reclaim his throne, but English southpaw Maxi Hughes stands in his way.
Kambosos (20-2, 10 KOs) will fight Hughes (26-5-2, 5 KOs) in a 12-round IBF world title eliminator this Saturday at FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Kambosos will be making his Top Rank debut as he sets his sights toward once again becoming champion.
In the 10-round co-feature, U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis (8-0, 6 KOs) takes a seismic step up in class against Belgian contender and former European champion Francesco Patera (28-3, 10 KOs).
Kambosos-Hughes and Davis-Patera will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
The ESPN+-streamed undercard (6:15 p.m ET/3:15 p.m. PT) will feature the ring returns of welterweight contender Giovani Santillan, Oklahoma-born heavyweight Jeremiah Milton and middleweight prospect Troy Isley.
Santillan (30-0, 16 KOs) will face Ecuadorian contender Erick Bone (27-6, 14 KOs) in a 10-round battle, and Milton (9-0, 6 KOs) will make his second appearance of 2023 in an eight-round tilt against Willie Harvey (4-2-2, 3 KOs).
Isley (9-0, 4 KOs), a 2020 U.S. Olympian, will fight in an eight-rounder against Antonio Todd (14-8, 8 KOs).
Two competitive eight-round heavyweight matchups will also be featured on the ESPN+-streamed portion.
Orlando, Florida’s Amron Sands (12-2, 9 KOs) returns against New Zealand’s Hemi Ahio (20-1, 15 KOs), and once-beaten contender Stephan Shaw looks to bounce back against Australia’s Joe Goodall (9-1-1, 8 KOs).
At Thursday’s press conference, this is what Kanbosos, Hughes, and Davis had to say.
George Kambosos
SHAWNEE, OKLAHOMA – JULY 20: George Kambosos Jr speaks during the press conference ahead of his July 22 lightweight fight against Maxi Hughes, at Grand Casino Hotel Resort on July 20, 2023 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)
“It’s an absolute pleasure to be here in Oklahoma. I’m very excited. I’m very refreshed because I had three massive fights within 11 months. Big fights take a toll. But I was able to step back, refresh my body, and continue my training. I’m here right now. I’m very excited. I feel fantastic. And we can’t wait to handle business.”
“I’ve never been the kind of fighter who says, ‘Oh, I’ve got a loss. It’s taken my confidence away.’ I lost to Devin Haney. I think the boxing world has forgotten that he’s the only guy I’ve lost to. I’ve got to remind them again. We have learned a lot. And we have worked on a lot. But the biggest thing is that I’ve become a greedy motherf***er now. I’m going to take advantage of every hole there is.”
“I’m only focused on Maxi Hughes. We give him the utmost respect. He’s here. We know what he’s going to bring. Whatever there is to come, that will be spoken about after Saturday. But for now, there is only man in front of me.”
“I’m going to take his head off. That’s what’s going through my mind. I’m ready. I’m looking to absolutely destroy this man in my path.”
Maxi HughesSHAWNEE, OKLAHOMA – JULY 20: George Kambosos Jr (L) and Maxi Hughes (R) pose during the press conference prior to their July 22 lightweight fight at Grand Casino Hotel Resort on July 20, 2023 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)
“It’s been one of my dreams to fight in the U.S. When you turn professional, you see all the big fights in America and you want to be a part of that. I’ve had my tough times in boxing, and I’ve shown a lot of mental strength. I’ve come through that. I’ve earned my right to be on this stage as the main event.”
“The preparation has gone very well. My training team has been together for five years. After my last fight in September, I gave myself a week off and went back to the gym. I’m a full-time professional. That’s my job. I don’t just train for fights. I train and learn all the time. And then in February, we got the deal done with George. Since then, George’s face and name has been imprinted in my brain. Preparation went well and I’m very confident.”
Keyshawn Davis SHAWNEE, OKLAHOMA – JULY 20: Keyshawn Davis (L) and George Kambosos Jr (R) pose during the final press conference at Grand Casino Hotel Resort on July 20, 2023 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)
“You’re going to see something new. You can watch me fight. You can study me. But you got to really know boxing to know the type of fighter that you’re getting in the ring with when you fight me. I’m 8-0. Ya’ll haven’t even seen the best of me yet. Ya’ll will see something new.”
“Every time somebody fights me, it could be a life-changing moment for them. But when they get in the ring, it’s a different story. Just expect the same of what you’ve been seeing out of me.”
Many of Australia’s top fighting talents will enjoy the Down Under spotlight underneath the highly anticipated rematch between undisputed lightweight world champion Devin “The Dream” Haney and former champion “Ferocious” George Kambosos Jr. on Saturday, Oct. 15 (Sunday afternoon, Oct. 16 local time) at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia.
In the co-feature, two-time world title challenger Jason “Mayhem” Moloney takes on Thai veteran Nawaphon Kaikanha in a 12-round final eliminator for the WBC bantamweight world title.
Former world champion Andrew Moloney, Jason’s twin brother, battles Dominican contender Norbelto Jimenez in a 10-rounder for the vacant WBO International junior bantamweight title. The Moloney Brothers grew up in Mitcham, a suburb of Melbourne, and will have the home soil advantage.
Haney-Kambosos 2 will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT. Undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+.
Jason Moloney (24-2, 19 KOs) fell short in his two shots at the bantamweight title, dropping a split decision to Emmanuel Rodriguez in 2018 and succumbing via seventh-round stoppage to Naoya Inoue in 2020. Since the Inoue setback, he has won three in a row, including a stunning third-round knockout over Aston Palicte on the Kambosos-Haney 1 undercard in June. Kaikanha (56-1-1, 46 KOs) has won 20 consecutive fights since a 2017 TKO loss to Juan Hernandez Navarrete for the vacant WBC flyweight world title. He has been campaigning at bantamweight for more than three years, winning 12 straight by stoppage. Kaikanha has never fought outside of Thailand and will make the nine-hour flight to fight Moloney in hostile territory.
“This fight is one final steps towards me achieving my dream and becoming world champion,” Jason Moloney said. “Nawaphon Kaikanha is a very experienced and capable opponent who has had 58 professional fights and only one defeat. To have this fight in Melbourne, at Rod Laver Arena, in front of all my family and friends, is amazing and gives me even more motivation. Thank you to my manager, Tony Tolj, Top Rank, and everyone involved for making this fight happen. I will grab this opportunity with both hands and earn my shot at becoming the WBC world champion.”
Andrew Moloney (24-2, 16 KOs) held the WBA 115-pound world title briefly until Joshua Franco dethroned him in June 2020, but three fights against the American standout introduced him to an international audience. Moloney has kept active since a decision defeat to Franco last August, going 3-0 and rising the junior bantamweight rankings. Like his brother, Andrew Moloney made the most of his homecoming on the Kambosos-Haney 1 bill. He busted the right eye of Alexander Espinoza, who retired on his stool following the second round. Jimenez (31-9-6, 16 KOs) is a two-time world title challenger who is unbeaten in four fights, a run that includes a spirited draw last December against four-weight world champion Donnie Nietes. He has authored a remarkable career turnaround, as he began his career 2-8-1. Since that low-water mark, Jimenez is 29-1-5 over the past 11-plus years.
“I’m hoping that an impressive win over Jimenez earns me a shot at one of the world champions next,” Andrew Moloney said. “This is exactly the type of fight I’ve been wanting, to show the improvements I have made and that I am ready to become world champion again. I’m coming to put on the best performance of my career.”
The undercard also features two of New Zealand’s world class boxing prospects, Olympic bronze medalist David Nyika (4-0, 3 KOs) and heavyweight puncher Hemi Ahio (19-0, 14 KOs), who are both returning to Melbourne after appearing on Kambosos-Haney 1 undercard. Nyika, who is campaigning at cruiserweight, is scheduled to fight in a six-rounder. Ahio looks for his sixth consecutive knockout in an eight-rounder.
Devin Haney Promotions-promoted prospect Amari Jones (7-0, 7 KOs) is set to go for knockout number eight in a six-round junior middleweight bout.
Undisputed Lightweight World Champion, Teofimo Lopez has tested positive for symptomatic COVID-19 and his highly anticipated defense against Mandatory Challenger George Kambosos has been rescheduled for August 14, 2021 at a location to be determined. Presented by Triller Fight Club, the boxing and music pay-per-view extravaganza was set to emanate this Saturday, June 19 from loanDepot park, home of the Miami Marlins.
Lopez’s diagnosis was confirmed this morning.
“We send our best to Teofimo and his family and hope they get well soon, and look forward to seeing this epic battle on August 14, 2021,” said Triller Fight Club co-founder Ryan Kavanaugh. Additional information on the rescheduled date including all musical acts and ticketing will be announced shortly.
Triller Fight Club has announced undercard for Lopez-Kambosos Jr. set for Saturday, June 19 at Miami’s loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins.
FITE will broadcast globally the undercard free-of-charge starting at 3:30pm ET with the Pay-Per-View starting at 9:00 p.m. ET.
The event is headlined by the first defense from Brooklyn, New York’s ‘The Takeover’ Teofimo Lopez, (16-0, 12 KOs), of his Undisputed Lightweight World Titles (WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF, RING) against Mandatory Challenger, ‘Ferocious’ George Kambosos Jr., (19-0, 10 KOs), of Sydney, Australia scheduled for 12-rounds.
Headlining the undercard, 2016 U.S. Olympian, Charles ‘Bad News’ Conwell, (14-0, 11 KOs), of Cleveland, OH seeks to continue his march up the world rankings against his toughest test as a pro against Mark ‘The Bazooka’ DeLuca, (27-2, 15 KOs), of Whitman, MA. The ten-round junior middleweight clash is contested for the USBA and WBC Continental Americas Title. The 23-year-old Conwell, one of the boxing’s top prospects, has stopped his last two opponents inside the distance, Wendy Toussaint and Madiyar Ashkeyev, both of whom were previously undefeated. The battle-tested southpaw DeLuca returns to action following a first-round knockout of Michi Munoz on February 6, 2021.
In the middleweight division two-time world title challenger, Willie ‘El Mongoose’ Monroe Jr., (24-3, 6 KOs), of Rochester, NY clashes with Juan ‘La Amenaza’ De Angel, (22-13-1, 20 KOs), of Barranquilla, Colombia over ten-rounds. Currently riding a three-bout winning streak, Monroe Jr. makes his long-awaited return from a ten-round decision victory over Hugo Centeno Jr. on June 1, 2019. De Angel challenges Monroe Jr. following hard fought loss to undefeated prospect Isaiah Steen on November 6, 2020.
In a battle of giant heavyweights, world ranked Zhilel ‘Bang Bang’ Zhang, (21-0-1, 17 KOs), of Zhouhou, China battles upset minded veteran Daniel ‘The Mountain’ Martz, (20-9-1, 17 KOs), of Clarksburg, WV in a scheduled ten rounder. The 6’6” southpaw Zhang returns to the ring following a hard-fought majority draw with Jerry Forrest on February 27, 2021 in Miami, FL. Standing 6’7”, Martz looks to stay in the win column following a first-round knockout of Michael Marrone on October 17, 2020.
Heralded 19-year-old junior welterweight prospect Aaron ‘The Alien King’ Aponte, (3-0, 1 KOs), will face fellow undefeated prospect Gerardo Contreras Gonzalez, (2-0, 1 KO), of San Diego, CA in a four-round bout. The former amateur standout, standing 6’1”, Aponte has quickly impressed boxing fans in South Florida fighting in front of his wealth of supporters from Hialeah Gardens, FL. Prior to turning professional Aponte compiled an amateur record of 98-18. Fighting on April 17, 2021, Aponte won a four-round unanimous decision over Javier Martinez in Hollywood, FL. In his last start, the 25-year-old Gonzalez won a four-round unanimous decision over Jesus Sotomea on November 14, 2020.
Fighting in the junior middleweight division in battle of southpaws over eight rounds, ‘The New Ray’ Robinson, (24-3-2, 12 KOs), of Philadelphia, PA faces Ramal Amanov, (16-3, 5 KOs), of Ganja, Azerbaijan. Facing two undefeated, world ranked contenders in back-to-back fights, Robinson will look to break his two-bout streak of majority draws against Josh Kelly and Egidijus Kavaliauskas while Amanov seeks his first win of 2021.
Top featherweight prospect Haven Brady Jr., (2-0, 2 KOs), of Albany, GA battles Manuel ‘Gansito’ Lara, (2-6), of Ciudad Victoria, Mexico in a scheduled four rounder. A 2019 Junior National Olympic Gold Medalist, the 19-year-old Brady has stopped his first two opponents, most recently knocking out Michael Land on December 12, 2020 in Las Vegas, NV.
Undefeated junior middleweight Nikoloz Sekhniashvili, (7-0, 5 KOs), of Gori, Georgia (country), will see action in a scheduled six rounder against an opponent to be announced. The 27-year-old Sekhniashvili hits the ring following a four-round knockout of Alexis Gaytan on September 4, 2020.
In the welterweight division, New York City’s Arnold Gonzalez, (6-0, 2 KOs), battles Gabriel Gutierrez, (7-9, 5 KOs), of El Paso, TX in a scheduled four-rounder. The 26-year-old Gonzalez heads back to action off a second-round knockout of Jeffrey Quintero on January 30, 2021. The upset-minded Gutierrez has stopped his last two opponents, the latest knockout against Jesus Aceves-Lopez in the fourth round on February 20, 2021
Previously announced on the main card and co-featured, competing for the Women’s Super-Middleweight Undisputed World Title, Franchon ‘The Heavy Hitting Diva’ Crews-Dezurn, (7-1, 2 KOs), holder of the WBO/WBC belts challenges WBA/IBF title holder Erin Cederroos, (8-0, 4 KO), over ten rounds. The victor will also receive the RING Magazine belt.
In a heavyweight clash, Las Vegas, NV resident Michael ‘The Bounty’ Hunter II, (19-1-1, 3 KOs), will battle Michael ‘White Delight’ Wilson, (21-1, 10 KOs), of Medford, OR in a ten-round WBA Heavyweight World Title Eliminator. Hunter is currently ranked #7 by Ring Magazine and #10 by ESPN.
Competing for the WBC International Super Featherweight Silver Championship, Andy ‘El Tiburon’ Vences, (23-2-1, 12 KOs) of San Jose, CA meets Jono ‘King Kong’ Carroll, (19-2-1, 5 KOs), of Dublin, Ireland in a scheduled 10-rounder.
Teofimo Lopez and George Kambosos Jr. will now take place on June 19 in Miami, Triller Fight Club announced on Tuesday.
In the co-main event, four belts will be on the line—IBF, WBA, WBO, WBC, and the Ring belt, as Franchon Crews-Dezurn battles Elin Cederroos.
The PPV event will be the first-ever boxing event held at loanDepot park in Miami.
Lopez-Kambosos Jr was initially scheduled for June 5 but was moved after Floyd Mayweather-Logan Paul was announced for June 6 in Miami.
The 23-year-old Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs) is the current undisputed lightweight world champion, having held the IBF title since 2019 and the WBA, WBO, WBC, and Ring magazine titles since defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020.
The Australian Kambosos, 27, has held the IBF Pan Pacific lightweight title since 2017. Kambosos (19-0, 10 KOs) became the IBF mandatory challenger after defeating Lee Selby by split decision in October, a winner-take-all undisputed championship bout.
The four-hour show will also feature a WBA World Title Heavyweight Eliminator bout between Michael Hunter (19-1-1) and Mike Wilson (21-1), as well as the WBC International Super Featherweight Silver Championship matchup between Andy Vences (23-2-1) and Ireland’s Jono Carroll (19-2-1).
Additional fights will be announced in the coming weeks.
