Joshua Buatsi vs. Willy Hutchinson II | DAZN - 7 November 2026

[Taansend]

Benevidez didn't want any of Bert or Bivol, fooked off to cruiserweight.

Happy for Buatsi winning the belt (soon)

Willy has got this, He has his man strength now

[Ruthless-RKO]

Warren has played a blinder. Got his men a world title shot. Dosnt matter who wins for him. Meanwhile Hearn masterminder Smith turning down the Benividez fight and will be out the ring coming up 2 years before his next fight. In fairness I do blame smith as he dosnt seem to like to actually fight.....6 fights in 7 years backs that up. But massive credit to Warren for being able to navigate a situation where both his fighters are fighting for vacant title

Smith-Bivol will take place in the next few months

[Bigdogsnose]

Benevidez didn't want any of Bert or Bivol, fooked off to cruiserweight.

Happy for Buatsi winning the belt (soon)

At what point did either of them two show any interest in benavidez? They still pissing about with trilogy despite Bert having the body of a fcuking 100year old at this point. He's absolutely avoided like the plague. Nothing at LHW for him. Moved to cruiser, opeteia moving up now to avoid him. Canelo wanted none of him at SMW.

[stujones]

Rediculous it was for the interim title let alone the full title. Hutchinson hasn’t done much since he lost to Buatsi and Buatsi hasn’t done much since he lost to Smith

[Bigdogsnose]

How Buatsi is rewarded with a world title shot v a guy he has already beat is beyond me. The guy has literally cruised through his career, fighting once a year. Neither guy deserves a world title but much rather Hutchinson won. Cant see it mind, but Buatsi always gives you a chance, doesnt go through gears when he should.

[Twinkle Toes]

I wouldnt at all be surprised if Willy takes it this time.

Buatsi looked to have a lot of potential at one time, but did have a tendancy to make fights hard work, but maybe that was always his limit.

[stujones]

I wouldnt at all be surprised if Willy takes it this time.

Buatsi looked to have a lot of potential at one time, but did have a tendancy to make fights hard work, but maybe that was always his limit.

I think Buatsi is a little bit like Wilder in the fact that because he looks the part still and looks young people tend to forget he is no longer a prospect and is probably starting to slip considerable.

Obviously with Wilder we know it is the case now, but in reality he was probably showing it during his Tyson Fury years also.

Buatsi I thought was going to be a superstar, at least at the domestic level.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Hutchinson says rematch with Buatsi is 'already won'

Willy Hutchinson says Joshua Buatsi will encounter a completely different fighter when the light heavyweight rivals meet in a world title rematch on November 7.

The vacant WBC 175-pound title will be on the line when Hutchinson (20-2, 14 KOs) and Buatsi (20-1, 13 KOs) fight at Manchester’s AO Arena, live on DAZN.

The two first fought in September 2024. Buatsi dropped Hutchinson twice and thoroughly deserved the majority decision after 12 taxing rounds.

Hutchinson has never been shy about talking up his chances but there seems to be a genuine belief to the Scotsman’s words as he prepares to test himself at world level again.

If the Willy Hutchinson of October 2026 boxed the man who lost to Buatsi over two years ago, how would he fair?

“He’d stand him on his head,” Hutchinson told The Ring. “Life and growing up, I suppose. Consistency and patience, basically. A lot of patience.

“I've been happy within myself because 95 percent of the fight is all in the brain and, to me right now, it's already won.”

Hutchinson is often described as a chaotic and unpredictable but he's always at his best when happy outside the ring.

Settled with his friend and coach, Mirko Wolf, after a short stint with Shane McGuigan, and fully fit after a shoulder injury, Hutchinson cut an extremely confident character before his March 28 fight with Ezra Taylor. He carried himself with the certainty he would have far too much ability for the dangerous but less experienced man, before boxing in the same manner and outclassing Taylor over 10 rounds.

Hutchinson has firsthand experience of just how difficult it will be to beat Buatsi but he is approaching the fight in the same way he approached Taylor.

“I'm the same now as I was for that one. 100% the same,” he said. He's a bit better than Ezra but if you look at Ezra, I didn't hold my hands up once. I boxed southpaw for near enough the whole fight.

“I was singing in the ring with him. That's no disrespect to him, it's just I believe I'm better than these men all day long.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight week!!

[Ruthless-RKO]

Joshua Buatsi and the decade-long marathon to a world title

Joshua Buatsi thought he would have been a world champion long before now.

When he returned home from the Rio Olympics with a bronze medal in 2016, he was backed to be one of the first from the Team GB squad to claim world honours. But a decade later, after watching several of his former Olympic teammates reach the summit before him, Buatsi is finally preparing for the opportunity he has spent his professional career chasing.

The journey has not been quite what he expected.

“It's been a marathon, whereas I thought it was going to be a sprint at the beginning,” Buatsi told Boxing Scene. “For example, so are the rounds, because in the amateurs it's a sprint. Three rounds you're in, you're out. 10, 12 rounders, it's long. Do you know what I mean?


“But no, it's been good. I think I can always sit down and look at bad bits of things and dwell on that, but I always say to people, how you view things, it has a big effect. So if I'm sitting here and I've won 20 out of 21 fights and now fighting for the world title, what do I have to complain about? Nothing.”

For years, Buatsi was considered one of Britain's brightest prospects, but his progression towards a world title was slower than anticipated. Fellow members of the 2016 British Olympic team, including Lawrence Okolie, Josh Kelly and Joe Cordina, had already claimed world championships while Buatsi continued to develop.

Buatsi, 20-1 (13 KOs), will finally get his chance when he faces Willy Hutchinson for the vacant WBC light heavyweight title on Saturday at Manchester, England’s AO Arena.

Now 33, Buatsi acknowledges that things could have happened sooner, but believes the timing may ultimately prove to be right.

“The timing is everything. Could it have come earlier? Probably. Would I have wanted it to have come earlier? Probably. But there's no timing like now, so I feel everything's lined up for how it should be,” the Londoner said.

There were opportunities along the way, including a proposed fight with WBA champion Dmitry Bivol earlier in his career. Buatsi received criticism at the time for turning down the fight, yet he maintains that he made the correct decision.

“Absolutely. It was offered, but what came with it was what I wasn't willing to settle for,” he said. “So to sit here today, absolutely .”

Buatsi's route towards a world championship took another unexpected turn when he suffered his first professional defeat against Callum Smith in 2025. Buatsi handed over his WBO interim strap with the loss, and it seemed as though a world title shot was out of reach.

That was until David Benavidez's move to cruiserweight, leaving the WBC light heavyweight championship vacant and up for grabs.

“When I lost the interim, I thought, ‘Damn, I've lost the interim, so where's this title going to come from?’ So yeah, it's worked out well in that way,” said Buatsi.

Standing between Buatsi and the championship is Hutchinson, whom he defeated unanimously in their first meeting two years ago.

Since then, however, Buatsi has been unable to replicate the performance that made many feel he was ready to fight for world honours. Next came the defeat to Smith – although in a barnburner – and a controversial victory in an awkward fight versus Zach Parker followed.

“I take the win from it," said Buatsi of his bout with Parker. "Obviously, we can talk about all the things we want to talk about, but when you're doing a record, it's going to be like, 'Oh yeah, he won.' Even if it was by one point or half a point, I won. And that's all that matters in this game.”

Hutchinson seems to be taking encouragement from watching Buatsi's difficulties against Parker.

“Looking back and if you're saying, ‘Oh, this is how he fought in this last fight,’ of course you'll probably feel positive or optimistic from it," said Buatsi.

"But we've been in there before, so he knows.”

There is also another reason for Hutchinson's confidence. He believes Buatsi's punishing 12-round defeat to Smith has taken something out of him and that the fighter he faces this time will not be the same man he encountered two years ago.

“I wouldn't say that. I was in a hard fight, but I wouldn't say that it took it out of me,” Buatsi said of Hutchinson’s claims.

“And that means that we should say that when he got knocked out by that guy, Lennox Clarke, should we say that that took it out of him? Or when I beat him, did that take it out of him? I can't say stuff like that. He was in a very hard fight against me. I was in a hard fight against him. So no, I wouldn't say that it took it out of me.”

Buatsi, however, admitted that both men are no longer the fighters of two years ago.

Hutchinson, who was dropped twice that night, has had time to reflect on their first meeting and has since recorded two impressive wins over Mark Jeffers and Ezra Taylor.

Buatsi recognises that they both have had time to develop, but believes the improvements he has made since their first encounter will become apparent when they share the ring again.

“Yeah, it was two years ago. A lot could change in two years,” he admitted. “I would have learned a lot and improved, and so would he.

"But I think this one, people will see that actually there's a lot of things that I've worked on that couldn't translate in my last fight, but they'll see it in this one.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

fight week schedule

Wednesday: open workouts

Thursday: news conference at 13:00

Friday: weigh-in at 17:00

(all times GMT)

[keithmoonhangover]

Benevidez didn't want any of Bert or Bivol,

Or Will Hutchinson.

[golden_labrador]

Benevidez didn't want any of Bert or Bivol,

Or Will Hutchinson.

[tony1234]

Fight week!!

Another daft clash of shows

[Ruthless-RKO]

Gully Powar: Zak Miller is another good name to lengthen my CV

One of boxing’s most well-worn cliches is that a fighter improves dramatically once they have the first major title belt strapped around their waist.

Whether the resulting sense of achievement and confidence boost results in a 10% or 20% improvement in performance depends entirely on which source you read.

In April, Gully Powar (13-1-1, 1 KO) settled for a disappointing majority draw after pressing the talented Rhys Edwards for every second of their British featherweight title fight.

The 24-year-old Wolverhampton native's all-action performance earned him another chance and on November 7, fights former beltholder Zak Miller (17-1, 3 KOs) for a vacant strap.

DAZN will broadcast the action from Manchester’s AO Arena, as part of the undercard preceding Joshua Buatsi-Willy Hutchinson II. Powar didn't have his hand raised but left the ring with a champion's self-belief.

“I'm a confident fighter, always focused and just ready to show what I'm capable of doing,” Powar told The Ring.

“Like I said in the first press conference [before the Miller fight], just expect more. I've improved a lot since my last fight. The week after, I was back in the gym working on new things fundamentally, my skills, everything. Now I'm just a better version of myself than last time.”

Some young fighters are maneuvered around challenges on their way through the ranks but Powar has marched directly towards them. When it dawned on him that nobody would be queuing up to fight an aggressive pressure fighter, he decided to force the issue abroad.

Last year he entered the WBC Grand Prix's featherweight edition. While most peers cruised past handpicked journeymen in front of friends and family, Powar was traveling back-and-forth to Saudi Arabia.

In April 2025 he outpointed highly-rated American Japhethlee Llamido, before losing to Mexican knockout artist Brandon Mosqueda in the round of 16.

“You’ve got to remember these guys are world class prospects,” he said.

“The first guy I fought was actually the competition favorite. I beat him and then Mosqueda had a 100 percent knockout ratio. I'm here for the challenges, it's done a lot for my career. I’ve learned a lot about myself and don't care about defeats, setbacks. You’ve got to come back stronger and that's what I did in my next fight.”

The British featherweight division has altered dramatically over the past year. Nick Ball will challenge Anthony Cacace for WBA 130-pound honors on December 19 after losing his 126-pound crown to Brandon Figueroa in February.

A three-fight winless run sees former British beltholder Nathaniel Collins navigating poor form. European champion Liam Davies and Shabaz Masoud lead the way but the Powar-Miller winner will slot in just behind them.

Should he win, Powar won’t suddenly start worrying about consolidating his position. He wants to keep pushing on.

“I want all the names, one by one,” he said.

“I want to fight the best and want names on my resume. I'm that guy that chases everybody, I want to fight everybody. If I could fight four times a year, I would. I've always been a fighter. I enjoy this sport, like fighting but we'll just see what happens and just keep going with it.”

[Bigdogsnose]

Wonder what willy thinks he can do better this time? For me he is maybe a more confident fighter this time around, but buatsi looked the better fighter first time around. In typical buatsi fashion he sort of cruised a bit when he should put his foot to the pedal, let willy back in a bit.

Buatsi is one of them who sort of fights to his opponents level. A better hutchinson could mean a better buatsi. Either way buatsi wins for me.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Buatsi cooler, more prepared for Hutchinson rematch

Almost unnoticed, Joshua Buatsi eases into the press conference to promote his upcoming Willy Hutchinson rematch.

Upstairs in a stylish bar area, Hutchinson bounces between interviews in his usual hyperactive manner.

Buatsi beat Hutchinson via split decision on the Anthony Joshua-Daniel Dubois undercard in September 2024. This time, the vacant WBC light heavyweight title will await the victor at Manchester's AO Arena on November 7.

Buatsi (20-1, 13 KOs) is a calm character who doesn’t speak without thinking and never says anything he doesn’t mean. In complete contrast, Hutchinson (20-2, 14 KOs) has a scattergun approach to life.

Having already been through the dance with Hutchinson once, Buatsi can now arrive for a day of media obligations knowing exactly what to expect. Nonetheless, the thought of being reacquainted with somebody as erratic must cause someone as composed and considered as him to take a deep breath before leaving his hotel that morning.

“No, I think you try not to read into anything too much and understand that with our sport, someone's going to say something but ultimately we still have to fight,” Buatsi told The Ring.

“You're right that when it's the actual day of stuff like this, you don't know how it's going to be but I'm not bothered today. Whatever you [Hutchinson] want to do, do it because we've been there before and fought. I have experience with that [behavior] now so I'm a lot cooler today.”

The buildup to Saturday’s rematch has been much calmer than the first fight. The two repeatedly clash and tempers boiled over once cameras stopepd rolling on a “Gloves Are Off” style head-to-head.

It was out of character but something Buatsi clearly deemed necessary. Once fight week rolled around, Buatsi reverted to type. He expertly shut out the pre-fight noise and calmly dealt with Hutchinson’s unpredictability.

Buatsi had a nervous wait as the scores were read out. He more than deserved the split decision, having twice dropped the Scotsman with body shots and appearing to control most of the contest.

“I was just trying to think about what I have to do and that he's going to do everything, be everywhere and all over the place," The Ring's No. 5 light heavyweight said.

“That I have to just stay focused on what I have to do, listen to my corner and just keep applying myself.”

Did Hutchinson do anything forcing him to deviate from his plan?

“No, it was as I expected. He said so many things prior that I was like, 'this is not true, where did you get this from?' The beauty is that when you fight, you get to show everyone what the truth is and you saw that last fight.”

Hutchinson had barely made it back to his locker room before campaigning for a rematch and has used social media to beat the drum at almost every opportunity since.

Buatsi may not have felt the need to reply but hasn’t been upset or offended by Hutchinson’s relentless campaign.

“I think you have to do what you're comfortable with,” he said. “I'm a bit on the quiet side but that's just how I've been naturally and he's not, but that's how he's been naturally too. As long as you're being authentically yourself, I think, whatever.”

Buatsi departed with the WBO interim belt over his shoulder but with full champion Artur Beterbiev embroiled in a rivalry with Dmitry Bivol, he accepted a February 2025 bout against Callum Smith. He lost his title via 12-round unanimous decision after combining to produce one of the year's best fights.

At times, Buatsi’s progress has been frustratingly slow and at other points, boxing politics has held him up. This time, things have fallen in his favor.

The Hutchinson rematch was originally scheduled to be for interim WBC honors but David Benavidez's decision to relinquish his title, chasing further cruiserweight glory, means the full title will be on the line this Saturday.

The ultra professional Buatsi is incredibly dedicated but there has always been a nagging feeling his best is yet to come. His biggest night now lies ahead and he's sure that he is perfectly prepared for it.

“There's a phrase that's in my mind at the moment and it's ‘in-season’,” he said.

“When you're in-season and things are happening for you, good. When you're out of season, when no one's really talking and your name's not being said, just make sure you're training. Make sure you're doing things, living a life and being the human being that you are as well.

“When it's time to take things to another level in training, make sure you're ready and you do it. It's something I'm used to, it's just about being flexible.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Rea knows he can't afford to lose 'toughest fight to date' vs. Taylor

Bradley Rea is prepared for a resurgent Ezra Taylor to give him the most difficult night of his career when they clash Saturday night.

Their 10-round light heavyweight fight will take place on the undercard of Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson's WBC 175-pound title clash at Manchester’s AO Arena, live on DAZN.

On March 28, Taylor lost his unbeaten record when Hutchinson outboxed him over 10 rounds, and Rea knows exactly how dangerous a wounded animal can be.

Back in November 2022, Rea was widely regarded as one of Britain’s brightest middleweight prospects until a decision defeat to future European champion Tyler Denny cast him into the wilderness.

He stayed there for almost three years until he beat Shakan Pitters over 12 exciting rounds to become the European light heavyweight champion in June 2025.

The 28-year-old from Manchester knows exactly the levels of determination a stinging defeat can trigger.

“For me, it's probably my toughest fight to date, I think,” Rea (22-2, 11 KOs) told The Ring. “I know I'm probably getting Ezra at his most dangerous time. I know firsthand what it's like and the kind of mentality you have when you're coming back from that first loss.

“I have no doubt I'm going to be getting the best version of him. This is what I want but I'm confident that the best version of me will beat the best version of him.”

Rea has impressed since stepping back into the spotlight, and although he lost the European title to his Manchester rival Lyndon Arthur, Rea performed well and dropped the former world title challenger before losing a close split decision. On May 9 he rebounded with a career-best performance and took Liam Cameron apart inside four rounds.

Taylor (13-1, 8 KOs) is already 32 years old and it would be perfectly understandable if the fear of losing a second successive fight provoked him into fighting with an element of desperation.

Rea isn’t expecting that to be the case. Taylor and his trainer Malik Scott got straight back to work after his loss to Hutchinson and it seems unlikely one defeat would force them to make drastic changes to their methodical approach.

“I don't think he's that type of fighter,” Rea said. "I think they'll probably know from my fights, especially my last one, that if you're going to come in with that mentality, this is what can happen. I know he can bang a bit. I'm going to have to be switched on but he knows I can bang a bit too and if he doesn't, he'll find out very quickly in the fight.

“It happens a lot with me. I think people have a look at me and they don't think I’m going to hit quite that hard. I can tell the first time I land clean, the look on their face changes. I think Ezra will get the same.”

Rea has established himself as a major player on the British 175-pound scene over the past 18 months.

He is confident of winning Saturday’s fight and moving onwards and upwards but past experience has taught Rea just how quickly fortunes can change.

“I think it's a fight that none of us can lose because the loser of this, where do we go? Where do we go next? It's a long road,” he said.

“Ezra will have lost two on the bounce then. Where does he go? If I lose, I've lost two out of my last three. Again, it's a long road back, it's a long rebuild which I think is why it makes for such an exciting fight. None of us can afford to lose it.

“I think we're both ready to put it on the line.”

[Spud MK2]

Buatsi stoppage

[a force]

I don’t really know what’s happened with Buatsi. He was the fighter I was fully invested in when he turned pro. He was knocking fighters down in the Olympics & looked made for the pros.

He’s just never had any kind of sustained activity in his career. Fights once a year, doesn’t seem to carry power like he did as an amateur & is one of the dullest fighters I’ve ever heard with a microphone in front of him. You can’t even blame a promoter because he’s had Hearn, Shalom & now Warren & it’s been the same with all 3.

It seems crazy that we head into a Hutchinson rematch & Buatsi is the bookies underdog but I understand it. Also not sure how it’s ended up as a world title fight but here we are.

I don’t particularly mind who wins just hope it’s a good fight like the first was. I wouldn’t be surprised if Buatsi & Smith are never the same after the war they had with each other.

Just a shame it was on about 5pm on a Saudi card with barely anyone watching as it was an incredible fight & should be regarded as one of the greatest all British fights of this century.

Hutchinson on points for me.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Taylor confident he can survive at top of 175-pound division

Ezra Taylor is determined to show he has what it takes to survive among the light heavyweight's elite when he returns from his first career defeat on Saturday night.

The composed 32-year-old from Nottingham was too fit, too dedicated and hit too hard for the fighters he met on his rise through the ranks.

He quickly eased to the fringes of world class, before meeting The Ring's No. 7 light heavyweight Willy Hutchinson on March 28.

Suddenly, Taylor was struggling to close the range and the fighter desperately racking his brain for a way to find a foothold in their fight. He couldn’t manage it and dropped a wide unanimous decision.

When a fighter has been in charge for the vast majority of their career, that sudden loss of control can be a humbling experience.

Rather than writing the fight off as a bad day at the office or inventing a reason for the loss, Taylor (13-1, 9 KOs) took his medicine.

On Saturday he makes a dangerous return against former European champion Brad Rea (22-2, 11 KOs). DAZN will broadcast the 10-round fight from Manchester's AO Arena, preceding Joshua Buatsi-Willy Hutchinson II.

“If anything, it's probably gave me a newfound love for the art and craft of boxing,” Taylor told The Ring.

“Because I've had to look at it in a different way, my IQ's leveled up so now I'm loving the sweet science behind it even more so than before.”

The 40 minutes he spent in the ring with Hutchinson didn’t inject any doubt into Taylor’s mind. Neither did it provoke him into a root and branch review of his entire approach.

Instead, he left the ring confident he has what it takes to succeed at the highest level. He quickly got back to work with his trainer Malik Scott, and has spent much of the past eight months quickly working in California.

“One thing about myself and then also with Malik on board as well and my team in general, is that it's about me. It's about me being the best Ezra,” he said.

“It's not about my opponent, future opponents or any of that. It's about me going in there doing what I do best. What I do best is better than any other boxer out there, so it's about going in there, just enjoying yourself and embracing it.”

The defeat by Hutchinson taught Taylor that once a quality fighter has settled into their rhythm, it is very difficult to shake them out of it or change the fight's course. If Taylor is to succeed among the very best, working out how to be himself against the top operators at 175 pounds will be crucial.

“You're a smart boxer, an intelligent fighter. You're strong, sharp, explosive and a dangerous fighter. Go out there, do and be that. That's it,” he said when asked what he’s learned about himself over the past few months.

“It sounds crazy. Some people may see 10 rounds — or less in my case — as a long time. It really isn’t. A blink of an eye, it's done.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Clarke leaves history with Billam-Smith firmly in the past

It is 10 years since Chev Clarke first encountered Chris Billam-Smith.

While working night shifts as a truck driver after a disappointing first round exit at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Jamaican-born Clarke found his way back to the gym and recommitted himself to the sport.

It was a wise decision.

Clarke would go on to beat Billam-Smith in the final of the 2016 edition of the prestigious national ABA tournament and got the better of the Bournemouth man in the final of the English Title Series later that year. He also made it through a Team GB assessment and secured a spot on the Great Britain squad at Billam-Smith’s expense. Clarke would go on to represent his country at the 2020 Olympic Games.

The sequence may have derailed Billam-Smith's plans at the time but it didn’t hurt the former WBO cruiserweight champion too badly in the long run. Still, it is clear The Ring’s No. 3 ranked cruiserweight still remembers the sting of defeat. For Clarke, the rivalry was just a part of his journey.

A decade later, they will meet again. Clarke (12-2, 9 KOs) and Billam-Smith (22-2, 14 KOs) will fight at London’s Copper Box Arena in the main event of Zuffa 12 Saturday night. The fight will be televised by Sky Sports in the UK and Paramount+ in the US.

“Growing up, some people said to me, 'Don't let your emotions supersede your intelligence' so I'll leave that there,” Clarke, 35, told The Ring. “Listen, when I started boxing, when I fought Chris, people need to realize I was a lorry driver at the time. I used to drive nights. I used to come home, I used to run in the day and then if I was lucky, I’d get to train again and then I'd sleep for a little bit and then I'd go driving again at night. So, I never had the proper camps that he probably had.”

Clarke is happy for Billam-Smith to pour his time and energy into thinking about the past. He is solely focused on Saturday.

“Yeah, there will probably be a lot of disdain or whatever, but it is what it is, isn't it?” he said. “I've gone on to do what I've gone on to do and he's done the same. It was inevitable that we were going to meet at some point. So, me ... I ain't emotional, man.

"I suppose it might have been working for him up until now.”

That detached, business-like attitude has proven extremely useful over the past 12 months.

In May 2024, Clarke dismantled Ellis Zorro to become the British champion. Then things got progressively harder.

That August he dug deep to grind out a 10-round decision against the heavy-handed Efetobor Apochi and then lost his unbeaten record to the excellent Leonardo Mosquea in a close battle for the vacant European title.

In April 2025, Clarke wasn’t himself and drifted to a 12-round decision loss to Viddal Riley on the undercard of Chris Eubank Jr.-Conor Benn at Tottenham.

People who staunchly believed in Clarke suddenly began to doubt him and he had to rely on self-belief and desire to remain a factor in a busy division.

A promotional deal with Zuffa Boxing has given him a new lease of life and, on June 6, Clarke started the next part of his career by getting off the floor twice to stop Jack Massey in the seventh round of an edge-of-the seat thriller.

Clarke entered 2026 wondering exactly where his career would take him. Now, he is going into the biggest fight of his life on the back of his best win as a professional.

“The game is the game, isn't it?” he said.

“I always say to my friends that there ain't no friends in this business and over the last couple of years that's kind of been evident. You meet good people and I'm fortunate enough that when I came in this game, I knew a lot of good people and they're still by my side. That’s the reason why I probably don't mix and mingle too much.”

Clarke may not have much time for the boxing business outside of the ropes but he still loves fighting. Signing with Zuffa, as well as being matched with fighters like Massey and Billam-Smith, has lit a fire inside him and he becomes more and more animated in talking about the ins-and-outs of the actual fight.

Clarke could probably live without the long nights behind the wheel of a heavy goods vehicle but it definitely feels like he misses those old amateur days when opponents were drawn out of a hat and a difficult run of form didn’t result in a career rebuild.

Maybe, once the first bell rings this weekend and his rivalry with Billam-Smith starts all over again, the memories of those good old days will come flooding back.

“I think all the guys that have been on a similar journey to me in terms of boxing on the national team and traveling the world by the lottery funding, being able to do this and getting a wage, all miss it,” he said.

“The only thing that's better about pro boxing is that you get paid a little bit more money. That is it. Everything else is what it is.”