Lewis Crocker vs. Liam Paro | DAZN - 24 June 2026

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Full weigh-in results

IBF welterweight title, 12 rounds: Lewis Crocker (c, 146.9 pounds) vs. Liam Paro (146.9 pounds)

Heavyweight, 4 rounds: Nelson Asofa-Solomona (307.1 pounds) vs. George Burgess (277.5 pounds)

Heavy, 10 rounds: Demsey McKean (247.4 pounds) vs. Liam Talivaa (245.9 pounds)

Cruiserweight, 10 rounds: Luke Modini (199.6 pounds) vs. Peng Qu (199.7 pounds)

Heavy, 5 rounds: Stevan Ivic (278.7 pounds) vs. Caleb Tialu (263.3 pounds)

Junior middleweight, 4 rounds: Jack Javed (153.1 pounds) vs. Lance McDonald (149.3 pounds)

Featherweight, 5 rounds: Vegas Larfield (129.3 pounds) vs. Shamal Ram Anuj (126.5 pounds)

Super middleweight, 5 rounds: Riley Candy (167.3 pounds) vs. Brayden Rawlins (168 pounds)

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For now, only one thing tops Lewis Crocker's bucket list

Lewis Crocker is refusing to look beyond Wednesday’s opponent, Liam Paro, and what might come next.

Belfast’s Crocker makes the first defense of his IBF welterweight title against Paro, 27-1 (16 KOs), at Pat Rafter Arena in Queensland.

Crocker is the champion but also the underdog.

“He’s experienced. I guess this is his 29th fight, so he’s been around, a former world champion, obviously, and has been in with some of the biggest names about as well. He’s a tough, tough guy, a great boxer, with great fundamentals overall, so I’ve given my best [in training].”

Paro is a former champion at the weight below and has boxed just once at 147lbs, where Crocker plans on giving him a hostile reception.

Paro defeated David Papot last September at the same venue where he challenges Crocker.

“I saw that fight at welterweight,” Crocker said. “And I’m preparing that he’s going to be the best welterweight that I’ve ever fought. That’s the way we’re looking at him. So, you know, Papot wouldn’t be really that big of a welterweight either, so it’ll be interesting to see.”

Crocker has been in Australia for more than two weeks. He’s linked up with his former amateur teammate Conor Wallace and says the facilities Down Under have been incredible.

You can’t question Crocker’s focus. He fended off questions about his future by saying his concentration was focused on one man.

“I think it would be disrespectful to start calling names out and stuff now because Paro is a great operator,” said the champion. “But we’re both aware that there are big names in the welterweight division. There are huge fights to be made there for me when I win and stuff. I’ll just wait until after the fight for stuff like that.”

It seems strange that, with Irish boxing enjoying something of a renaissance, Crocker has had to travel after No Limit won the purse bids.

Within the space of a few weeks, Pierce O’Leary will headline in Dublin, then Zuffa Boxing visits Ireland, and Katie Taylor fulfils her Croke Park dream in early September.

“I remember when I first turned pro, [Carl] Frampton, he was the main man, but he was the only one there at that stage, really, as well,” Crocker said. “But now you have [Anto] Cacace, current world champion, myself as well." And you’ve so many shows every other week, on major broadcast stations as well. So, I think it’s at an all-time high right now.”

Asked whether he felt he was missing out on that, Crocker smiled: “Well, I’m over here with a world championship, fighting in a huge show, do you know what I mean? Plus, as well, it’s meant to be winter over here. Their winter’s better than our summer, so I can’t really complain about being over here.”

Of course, Crocker – 22-0 (11 KOs) – won the title with his second win over countryman Paddy Donovan last September.

And Donovan put himself back in the frame for a trilogy fight with Crocker with a strong win against Karen Chukhadzhian in Germany last month.

Donovan made no secret of the fact that he’d like to fight Crocker once more.

“Yeah, we’ll see what happens after this fight,” Crocker said.

“The only person I’m thinking about right now is Liam Paro, but we’ll talk about that after the fight.”

Already, however, Crocker-Donovan III is being dubbed the biggest all-Irish fight in history. That is not news for Crocker.

“Our last fight was the biggest all-Irish fight in Irish history anyway,” he said of that night in the stadium at Windsor Park. “It was the first all-Irish world title fight, and especially one of that magnitude, so that’s, hands down, the biggest all-Irish fight anyway. So I’ve already won that, but I understand that the next one could be even bigger. Well, it couldn’t get bigger for me since that history-defining moment, so we’ll see what happens.”

Crocker said he’d seen only clips of Donovan’s fight in Germany.

“He’s got the job done, he’s done what needed to be done,” offered Crocker.

And while there will be big money for a third fight, Crocker – should he be able to defeat Paro – will surely have other lucrative offers.

“For sure, like, it’s life-changing opportunities, getting past this fight. So, you know, I have an ex-world champion to beat here, and then the doors really open up for me, so to speak. So I’m really focused on Paro, but I’m not worried about what’s around the corner.”

Having headlined in his hometown stadium, won a world title, and now defending it in a big fight on the road, Crocker was asked what was at the top of his boxing bucket list.

“Beating Paro,” he said.

[JamesPhilips]

Is this on DAZN UK? Sorry if I missed a post

[547832]

Just added

[Ruthless-RKO]

10 am UK start time on DAZN.

[rd350lc]

Croc looks so much bigger.

[handsofstone]

Happy days I'm off work tomorrow as well

[Ruthless-RKO]

Date: June 24, 2026
Location: Pat Rafter Arena - Tennyson, QLD, Australia

Where to watch:
Australia: Kayo Sports
UK: DAZN

Start Time
Main Card: 10 am BST | 7 pm AEST | 5 am ET | 2 am PT
Prelims: 8 am BST | 5 pm AEST | 3 am ET | 12 am PT

Fight Card

IBF Welterweight Championship
Lewis Crocker (22-0, 11 KOs) vs. Liam Paro (27-1, 16 KOs)

Vacant IBF Pan Pacific Heavyweight Championship
Demsey McKean (24-2, 16 KOs) vs. Liam Talivaa (8-2, 4 KOs)

10 Round Cruiserweight Bout
Luke Modini (12-0, 10 KOs) vs. Peng Qu (17-2-1, 12 KOs)

4 Round Heavyweight Bout
Nelson Asofa-Solomona (2-0, 2 KOs) vs. George Burgess

5 Round Super Middleweight Bout
Riley Candy (8-1, 5 KOs) vs. Nathan Watson (11-3, 3 KOs)

5 Round Featherweight Bout
Vegas Larfield (13-1, 9 KOs) vs. Shamal Ram Anuj (11-8, 8 KOs)

4 Round Super Welterweight Bout
Jack Javed (1-0) vs. Lance McDonald (1-5, 1 KO)

4 Round Heavyweight Bout
Stevan Ivic (8-0-1, 2 KOs) vs. Caleb Tialu (3-7, 3 KOs)

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This has started.

Main event after couple hours or so

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We're on RD4 now

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Main card

Lewis Crocker vs. Liam Paro
Nelson Asofa-Solomona def. George Burgess by TKO (R3)
Demsey McKean def. Liam Talivaa by TKO (R4)
Luke Modini def. Peng Qu by TKO (R3)
Stevan Ivic def. Caleb Tialu by TKO (R3, 2:31)

Prelims

Jack Javed def. Lance McDonald by TKO (R3, 0:46)
Vegas Larfield def. Shamal Ram Anuj by TKO (R4, 2:42)
Riley Candy def. Brayden Rawlins by TKO (R1, 2:40)

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TWO-WEIGHT CHAMPION

Liam Paro BEATS Lewis Crocker by unanimous decision to win the IBF welterweight world title in Brisbane, Australia

[Ruthless-RKO]

Don’t care what you say.

Matchroom HAD to win that purse bid and the fight should have been in UK.

Is it down to the new trainer?

I watched a little and thought Crocker might edge it.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Ring Magazine RBR


JUDGES' DECISION COMING NEXT...
Mike Fitzgerald, Gerardo Martinez and Katsuhiko Nakamura all score it 115-113 for the winner, and NEW! LIAM PARO IS A TWO-DIVISION WORLD CHAMPION!

CROCKER VS. PARO - ROUND 12
Big final round coming, Paro's corner implore him to stay intelligent and box behind the jab. Stay on your feet and you'll be a two-division world champion they say, but Crocker crunches him with a big right hand, pinned up against the ropes.

Paro absorbs damage aplenty as Crocker applies yet more pressure, his right eye is a bloody mess! Headbutt he stresses as they are briefly separated, another doctor inspection passes him fit to continue and the former beltholder is spoiling, holding, stifling the firepower as best he can. It's all over! Paro is held aloft, blood coursing all over, while Crocker does the same moments later.

CROCKER VS. PARO - ROUND 11
Crocker has closed the gap on connected punches, trailing 175-to-168 now as we enter the championship rounds... the champion catches him with two right hands, walking forward with his high guard intact, referee Tony Weeks can't effectively break them fast enough and now Crocker is walking down the challenger. Half of the round still to go, Paro catches him with some counters off the ropes, though it's being overwhelmed by a damaging barrage...

Then, Crocker accidentally hits him over the back of the head, referee Weeks calls a brief halt to the contest and a doctor inspection comes too. Nervy end to the round from Paro's perspective and it's a fitting finale coming next.

CROCKER VS. PARO - ROUND 10
Crocker laughs as head trainer Huzaifah Iqbal tells him to look at Paro's face in the opposite corner. Cut over his right eye, as he was against David Papot last September, it won't deter the Australian from seeking a statement finish to a fight still hanging in the balance. They exchange body punches at close-range, Paro pushing him off and jabbing well though the heavy-handed champion is loading up on his shots and throwing howitzers.

CROCKER VS. PARO - ROUND 9
Paro starts the ninth with two sharp counter jabs, boxing astutely, a three-punch combination peppers Crocker's high guard and then it's the champion's turn to unload... Paro holds, slaloms across the ropes, lands a left hook to head and body, Crocker crunches a four-punch flurry as time ticks by, a busy stanza for both!

CROCKER VS. PARO - ROUND 8
Paro knew this would be a tough assignment against a visiting champion but Crocker has connected clean on some stinging overhand lefts and made him dig increasingly deep in the last few minutes. How are you scoring this one?

CROCKER VS. PARO - ROUND 7
Back-and-forth exchanges as we enter the second-half of a tense title fight. Crocker misses with an overhand right, midway through the round, Paro defending better and his corner tells him as much. "Don't engage, don't roll with your hands down, you're going to change your life," they tell him. How could you not be encouraged by that!

CROCKER VS. PARO - ROUND 6
A better round for the champion and it needed to be, given he's the more powerful but far less busy. Paro was bloodied early and now Crocker has a cut which is attended to between rounds.

CROCKER VS. PARO - ROUND 5
Paro digs downstairs again with success early in the fifth, though Crocker finishes it strongly behind venomous right hands. He needs more of them, and less predictable entries to make Paro second-guess his own advances at mid-range.

CROCKER VS. PARO - ROUND 4
The fight stats tell the story through four rounds: Paro has landed 19 more punches (86-67), thrown more than twice Crocker's output (417-201) and Huzaifah Iqbal is reading his charge the riot act in the corner...

"You've got more than just walking him down, let your hands go," is the plea from the Northern Irishman's corner.

CROCKER VS. PARO - ROUND 3
Paro's trainer Alfie di Carlo is calling it an early masterclass from his charge in-between rounds, delighted with the higher punch output and impetus Paro has begun this contest with. Crocker is being outworked and the longer this continues, the easier it will be for this Brisbane crowd to get behind their man.

CROCKER VS. PARO - ROUND 2
Crocker lands a nice three-punch combination in the latter stages of another encouraging round for the Aussie, who is being made to work hard for his successful attacks.

CROCKER VS. PARO - ROUND 1
A predictably tense, competitive opening stanza, where Paro is looking to attack Crocker downstairs. The champion is weaving forward unpeturbed though.

[handsofstone]

I had it a 114-114 draw, think because Crocker finished last 2 rounds so strong it feels like he should've won but fair play to Paro, he's a hard nut, he looked a lot smoother early on, jab was better and he put his shots together better but Crocker was stronger, more aggressive and forced the action, his use of the jab was pretty poor though and he didn't target the body enough especially first half, too often he got inside and didn't let go enough, Paro gassed in the championship rounds and Crocker really put on him, Paro was cut and bleeding like a sieve, strong finish for Crocker but not enough for the judges

[coneye]

Think Crocker was let down a bit there by HEARN , facts are its well known Paro can fight , I think the general consencus about the Aussies is tough , but not usually that skillful , But there a very small boxing nation with a very small amount of boxers . Yet they do always seem to manage to punch above there weight ,and you get some who come through with good skills plus the toughness , and Paro , alongside many others is one . Look at Paros last fights look at him in general and it was obvious he was always going to be in with a chance , Personaly living in Aust i was always going to cheer for Paro , but never commented because i really seen this has a genuine 50-50 fight , now the thing is if i could see this SO CAN HEARN , THEREFORE HE LET LIAM DOWN , Hearn should of ensured he won bids and put the fight on in Ireland , would result off changed who knows but that hometown advantage can be huge .

Would Hearn of lost bids , if it was a previous Conor Benn fight , or a whittaker fight , doubt it , apparantly he did'nt even show to watch it he was,nt there , He let Crocker down

[TheLeprechaun]

Eddie has never been good at winning purse bids. I've seen him lose plenty of them. It might have been a genuine reason why he didnt' attend? I'm just speculating. I'm sure he sent a lackey anyway, the Frank Smith chap maybe? I

I'd say him and Skye could have easily flown in considering Skye is an Aussie so perhaps there was a legit reason.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Eddie has never been good at winning purse bids. I've seen him lose plenty of them. It might have been a genuine reason why he didnt' attend? I'm just speculating. I'm sure he sent a lackey anyway, the Frank Smith chap maybe? I

I'd say him and Skye could have easily flown in considering Skye is an Aussie so perhaps there was a legit reason.

He’s definitely spent the whole fight week in America for Ennis-Zayas.

[rd350lc]

Eddie has never been good at winning purse bids. I've seen him lose plenty of them. It might have been a genuine reason why he didnt' attend? I'm just speculating. I'm sure he sent a lackey anyway, the Frank Smith chap maybe? I

I'd say him and Skye could have easily flown in considering Skye is an Aussie so perhaps there was a legit reason.

He’s definitely spent the whole fight week in America for Ennis-Zayas.

His interest in British fighters definitely seems to be waning.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Crocker has opportunities despite title loss

Lewis Crocker's manager Jamie Conlan says there are opportunities for the former IBF welterweight champion but "back to Belfast would be key" for his ring return.

Crocker was dethroned by Australia's Liam Paro in Brisbane on Wednesday by way of a narrow unanimous points decision, but feels the Belfast man will be "10 times better" for the experience.

It was a fight in which Paro dominated early with Crocker coming on strong late and appeared close to finding the stoppage in the championship rounds, but Paro - a former light-welterweight world champion - rode out the storm.

The next move for Crocker will be crucial in order to get back into the world title mix, but Conlan is confident the 29-year-old will bounce back.

"We have a tentative plan in place," Conlan told BBC Sport NI.

"It seems everyone wants to come back to Belfast, so we are looking at dates before Christmas. I think that's best for us, best for Matchroom to come back here because Lewis Crocker is a superstar and will be a 10-times better fighter because of it [the defeat].

"'Croc' always wants big fights and we'll sit down over the next few weeks and see what's there. There are fights to be made easily like [Conah] Walker, but there appears to be an appetite further afield."

Crocker's performance may not have been enough to hold on to the title he won by way of a split decision over Paddy Donovan last September, but his manager feels it was more than enough to win some new admirers.

"I think he will get more credit for this fight than he did for the two Donovan fights, especially across the Atlantic," he continued.

"A lot of the American journalists had him winning, so there are opportunities there.

"One big win and we're back in the mix, so I think the IBF will do the right thing and rank him pretty high, but we will go again."

Home advantage would have made the difference

Crocker and his team had hoped to have a first defence in his native Belfast, but with the IBF enforcing a mandatory defence and Australian promoter No Limit Boxing winning a subsequent purse bid by edging out Matchroom by $27,000 (£20,000), the challenger enjoyed home advantage.

Conlan admits "it was always a tough ask going to Brisbane" but feels "if the fight was in Belfast, we would have won".

"We just got on with it," he said.

"Prior to it [travelling], it was annoying he had to go to Brisbane for his first defence but it was out of our control. All we could do is control the controllables, prepare the best, set up camp and he invested in himself.

"It's the fine margins at world level that win or lose a fight: the fine margin of it not being in Belfast, fine margin of certain moments towards the end when he was being held and looking for that one punch to find the stoppage.

"I thought the ref [Tony Weeks] was very poor with [Paro] headbutts throughout, low blows throughout and at the end with the holding, but credit where it's due: Liam was very good, very tough and resilient. He's a 140-pounder but fights at 147 against bigger boys and is able to tough it out."

Paro's fast start helped him build an early lead and he did enough to remain ahead by winning the 10th on all three of the cards, it ultimately left Crocker needing knockdowns to pull it back.

Had he made the better start, it could have been a different story, but his manager feels he "will have learned a lot from that fight against a serious world-class operator".

"It was really close," he reflected.

"He started a little bit slow and that's annoying him as he knows he had the tank to push on at the end. It was always in the locker and he just had to prove it to himself, but he will be a better fighter going forward.

"We just go back to the purse bid situation and if we had won that and had the fight here in Belfast, 100% he would still be world champion."

[rd350lc]

He might have lost but earnt a few quid and realistically it's done his stock no harm.

[goose 5]

Good bout, fair decision imo.116-112 would have been fine with me, also.

[Bigdogsnose]

Yeah, i though paro won handily in a close contest. Constantly outlanded him. Fair play to crocker as well, he just lacks that bit of output but can box to a plan and has bit of power.

I like watching Paro, he is a little better, technically, than i gave him credit for. Puts combos together, turns his man and uses angles, just looks a bit small for WW. Gets stuck in as well!

[SeanBrennan]

Watched it today thought Crocker came on strong but the right man won. Crocker wasn’t whingeing either. Disappointing that Matchroom haven’t really backed him at all.

[Grant]

Crocker was a real gentleman after the fight, We watched at a friends place in Melbourne and we all thought the Irishman won, But then again the late surge probably swayed our opinion. I really good contest