Ben Whittaker vs. Conor Wallace - IBF Eliminator - 3 October 2026

[Ruthless-RKO]

Ben Whittaker-Conor Wallace mooted for light heavyweight eliminator

Ben Whittaker and Conor Wallace will be ordered to collide in an IBF light heavyweight eliminator, according to Wallace's promoter, Mick Francis.

The No. 3-ranked Whittaker, 12-0-1 (9 KOs), trounced Richard Rivera in two rounds last month and is currently scheduled to fight on October 3 in a showcase in Birmingham, England, which is in close proximity to his West Bromwich roots. Domestic rivals Anthony Yarde and Craig Richards had been rumored as potential opponents for the Englishman who won silver at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Australia's Wallace, meanwhile, is ranked second by the IBF at 175lbs and improved his record to 17-1 (12 KOs) in April when he knocked out the experienced but fading Walter Gabriel Sequeira in six rounds.

There is no guarantee that the Matchroom-promoted Whittaker will accept the assignment, however. The IBF champion, Dmitry Bivol, also holds the WBA and WBO belts and recently chalked off his mandatory obligation with the IBF when he beat Michael Eifert in May. It has been reported that his next fight, once he's recovered from injury, will be against Callum Smith.

Francis is confident, however.

"Conor has been waiting for this opportunity for a while," he said. "We all know how slow it moves at the top end. They [IBF] were going to order that fight a couple of weeks ago but they waited for Ben to have his fight [with Rivera] over in the US.

"It's a fight that Conor wants and a fight that I feel Conor has a chance to win. It's 50/50 as far as I'm concerned but we need to bring that fight to Australia."

[Ruthless-RKO]

Ben Whittaker is reportedly in advanced negotiations to fight Conor Wallace in an IBF light heavyweight title final eliminator on October 3rd in Birmingham, England.

[SeanBrennan]

So he’s swerving countless proper fights vs domestic people - Richards, Hutchinson etc

[Flump]

So he’s swerving countless proper fights vs domestic people - Richards, Hutchinson etc

He's going to become the boxing equivalent of The 40 Year Old Virgin.

[THEBUTCH]

Whittaker is making Yarde's record look solid

[black panther]

Joshua Buatsi
Anthony Yarde
Callum Smith
Willy Hutchinson
Craig Richards
Lerrone Richards
Zach Parker
Dan Azeez


Proper solid domestic division. Respect at least some fights got made but historically promoters always do this - "wait" until the fight is bigger then they never fight or only fight after they're over the hill.

I remember the Brit LMW division with the Secret, Mooresey, Takaloo, Wayne Alexander, Steve Roberts, Gary Lockett, Ryan Rhodes.

Tak and Alexander fought, Rhodes fought Moore but that was it. Everyone got beat by a foreign fighter instead of memory serves.

[Bigdogsnose]

Goes both ways i'd imagine though. Wonder how many of them are beating a path to fighting Whittaker.

Anyway, Yarde and buatsi both fought in november last year, another 6 month or so before either are due to fight again.

[Bigdogsnose]

Joshua Buatsi
Anthony Yarde
Callum Smith
Willy Hutchinson
Craig Richards
Lerrone Richards
Zach Parker
Dan Azeez


Proper solid domestic division. Respect at least some fights got made but historically promoters always do this - "wait" until the fight is bigger then they never fight or only fight after they're over the hill.

I remember the Brit LMW division with the Secret, Mooresey, Takaloo, Wayne Alexander, Steve Roberts, Gary Lockett, Ryan Rhodes.

Tak and Alexander fought, Rhodes fought Moore but that was it. Everyone got beat by a foreign fighter instead of memory serves.

Remember the mws a decade or so ago. 4 world challengers and not one scrap between them.

Martin murray
Darren barker
Andy lee
Martin macklin

[jlh]

Joshua Buatsi
Anthony Yarde
Callum Smith
Willy Hutchinson
Craig Richards
Lerrone Richards
Zach Parker
Dan Azeez


Proper solid domestic division. Respect at least some fights got made but historically promoters always do this - "wait" until the fight is bigger then they never fight or only fight after they're over the hill.

I remember the Brit LMW division with the Secret, Mooresey, Takaloo, Wayne Alexander, Steve Roberts, Gary Lockett, Ryan Rhodes.

Tak and Alexander fought, Rhodes fought Moore but that was it. Everyone got beat by a foreign fighter instead of memory serves.

Remember the mws a decade or so ago. 4 world challengers and not one scrap between them.

Martin murray
Darren barker
Andy lee
Martin macklin

Even though he is a massive A Hole. Billy Joe Saunders fought two of them plus other domestic opposition when they was all unbeaten like Eubank Jnr, John Ryder and Gary O Sullivan.

[Boxerbeetle]

Joshua Buatsi
Anthony Yarde
Callum Smith
Willy Hutchinson
Craig Richards
Lerrone Richards
Zach Parker
Dan Azeez


Proper solid domestic division. Respect at least some fights got made but historically promoters always do this - "wait" until the fight is bigger then they never fight or only fight after they're over the hill.

I remember the Brit LMW division with the Secret, Mooresey, Takaloo, Wayne Alexander, Steve Roberts, Gary Lockett, Ryan Rhodes.

Tak and Alexander fought, Rhodes fought Moore but that was it. Everyone got beat by a foreign fighter instead of memory serves.

Remember the mws a decade or so ago. 4 world challengers and not one scrap between them.

Martin murray
Darren barker
Andy lee
Martin macklin

That was just so utterly ridiculous, all parties should be ashamed of themselves. Shame the Board couldn’t have just suspended their licences until they agreed to fight each other

[Bigdogsnose]

Joshua Buatsi
Anthony Yarde
Callum Smith
Willy Hutchinson
Craig Richards
Lerrone Richards
Zach Parker
Dan Azeez


Proper solid domestic division. Respect at least some fights got made but historically promoters always do this - "wait" until the fight is bigger then they never fight or only fight after they're over the hill.

I remember the Brit LMW division with the Secret, Mooresey, Takaloo, Wayne Alexander, Steve Roberts, Gary Lockett, Ryan Rhodes.

Tak and Alexander fought, Rhodes fought Moore but that was it. Everyone got beat by a foreign fighter instead of memory serves.

Remember the mws a decade or so ago. 4 world challengers and not one scrap between them.

Martin murray
Darren barker
Andy lee
Martin macklin

Even though he is a massive A Hole. Billy Joe Saunders fought two of them plus other domestic opposition when they was all unbeaten like Eubank Jnr, John Ryder and Gary O Sullivan.

I was gutted when he beat Andy Lee. He went out with a wimper did Andy, offered nothing in that fight. No diubt BJS was a very good fighter.

[Bigdogsnose]

Joshua Buatsi
Anthony Yarde
Callum Smith
Willy Hutchinson
Craig Richards
Lerrone Richards
Zach Parker
Dan Azeez


Proper solid domestic division. Respect at least some fights got made but historically promoters always do this - "wait" until the fight is bigger then they never fight or only fight after they're over the hill.

I remember the Brit LMW division with the Secret, Mooresey, Takaloo, Wayne Alexander, Steve Roberts, Gary Lockett, Ryan Rhodes.

Tak and Alexander fought, Rhodes fought Moore but that was it. Everyone got beat by a foreign fighter instead of memory serves.

Remember the mws a decade or so ago. 4 world challengers and not one scrap between them.

Martin murray
Darren barker
Andy lee
Martin macklin

That was just so utterly ridiculous, all parties should be ashamed of themselves. Shame the Board couldn’t have just suspended their licences until they agreed to fight each other

There was never even much of a danger of them fighting either. All went in different directions didnt they.

[black panther]

Remember the mws a decade or so ago. 4 world challengers and not one scrap between them.

Martin murray
Darren barker
Andy lee
Martin macklin

That was just so utterly ridiculous, all parties should be ashamed of themselves. Shame the Board couldn’t have just suspended their licences until they agreed to fight each other

There was never even much of a danger of them fighting either. All went in different directions didnt they.

Barker Vs Macklin was scheduled if memory serves but Barker got injured.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Ben Whittaker and Conor Wallace are finalising a deal for an IBF light heavyweight title eliminator on October 3rd in Birmingham, England, sources tell The Ring’s @MikeCoppinger.

[JC]

Remember the mws a decade or so ago. 4 world challengers and not one scrap between them.

Martin murray
Darren barker
Andy lee
Martin macklin

Even though he is a massive A Hole. Billy Joe Saunders fought two of them plus other domestic opposition when they was all unbeaten like Eubank Jnr, John Ryder and Gary O Sullivan.

I was gutted when he beat Andy Lee. He went out with a wimper did Andy, offered nothing in that fight. No diubt BJS was a very good fighter.

Very uneventful fight from memory.

[Bigdogsnose]

That was just so utterly ridiculous, all parties should be ashamed of themselves. Shame the Board couldn’t have just suspended their licences until they agreed to fight each other

There was never even much of a danger of them fighting either. All went in different directions didnt they.

Barker Vs Macklin was scheduled if memory serves but Barker got injured.

Not suprised. Barker got injured a lot. For me, poorest of the 4. Bit of a gift in his world title fight, but he did earn it. Great story, but he lacked pop at that level. Think Macklin would have beat him up.