Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr run it back this weekend in a rematch from their eventful January battle. Smith stopped ‘Next Gen’ in four rounds in their first bout, though the Eubank team alleged that an elbow was thrown during the closing salvo. Now the two fighters are given the chance to remove all doubt at Manchester Arena on Saturday.
But a tasty domestic main event isn’t the only bout of interest taking place on this show. Here’s a rundown of a packed undercard as Matchroom go all out to impress in the north.
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Adam Azim vs Aram Faniian
Slough’s ‘Assassin’ continues to excite, with the 21-year-old Azim already accumulating an 8-0 record. The light welterweight stylist has been winning his bouts in eye-catching fashion, but he could have things tough here. Faniian boasts an impressive 20-1 record, though five knockouts betray his lack of power. Azim should dazzle again here to clear the path for even trickier tests.
Mark Heffron vs Jack Cullen
A high quality British super middleweight championship clash sees ‘Kid Dynamite’ Mark Heffron defend the crown against Jack Cullen. ‘Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver’ might just have the best nickname in British boxing, but he’s got his work cut out here. Stopped in two of his last three outings, Cullen could well feel the power that has led Heffron to 23 knockouts and multiple titles.
Frazer Clarke vs David Allen
An intriguing challenge awaits for the Olympic bronze medalist ‘Big Fraze’. It wasn’t pretty, but Clarke answered some questions when decisioning world title challenger Mariusz Wach last time out. Allen is a game and popular heavyweight who has gone unbeaten since reversing his 2020 retirement. ‘Doncaster De La Hoya’ will come to fight, but Clarke should have more than enough. He rarely dazzles, but the Olympian does have quality.
Mikaela Mayer vs Silvia Bortot
The pick of the undercard, Manchester is treated to a true boxing superstar in Mikaela Mayer. The Olympian continues her rebuild after losing her IBF and WBO super featherweight belts to Alycia Baumgardner last year. Mayer picked up the WBC interim title up at lightweight with a win over Lucy Wildheart in April. Now she steps up to light welterweight to meet former European champion Bortot. It’s a fight Mayer should win and should set her up nicely for another world title bout.
Florian Marku vs Dylan Moran
Ireland’s Moran faces a fierce test against the unbeaten ‘Albanian King’. Marku has looked world class for a while now and despite Moran’s 18-1 record, he likely won’t derail the 30-year-old. Moran has never been in a fight scheduled for more than eight rounds and has stopped just 8 of his 19 foes. Marku seems set to remind us all of his credentials in this one.
Frankie Stringer vs Christian Lopez Flores
5-0 lightweight Frankie Stringer looks to extend his unbeaten record against experienced Mexican Christian Lopez Flores. The 22-year-old was dropped on the way to decisioning journeyman Jakub Laskowski last time out. These rookie experiences are all parts of a fighter’s journey, though the Scouser will want to avoid such slip-ups this time out.
Lauren Price vs TBA
Olympic gold medalist Price doesn’t have an opponent announced yet, but the southpaw is always worth watching. 4-0 as a pro, Price became the first female British champion last time out. No stranger to making history, any opponent will get a rough night against the 29-year-old.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
