BoxRec

Josh Padley To Face Jaouad Belmedhi For Vacant European Title

When 2025 began, Josh Padley was an ascending but little-known fighter who was thrust into the limelight when he filled in as a late replacement to face WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson on February 22.

Now, just under one year after he turned in a valiant effort in a ninth-round stoppage defeat to Stevenson, he’ll have a chance to fight for a belt. Padley will face Jaouad Belmehdi for the vacant European junior lightweight title on a Matchroom card in late January, per the European Boxing Union’s situation of titles page.

Since suffering the defeat to Stevenson, Padley (17-2, 5 KOs), 29, has rattled off two straight wins, a fifth-round stoppage of Marko Cvetanovic and a unanimous decision victory over Reece Bellotti in his most recent outing on October 11. Padley of Doncaster, Yorkshire, England, is ranked No. 5 by the WBA at junior lightweight and No. 15 by the IBF at lightweight.

Padley’s bout against Bellotti was at junior lightweight.

Belmehdi (23-2-3, 11 KOs) of Beziers, Hérault, France, is coming off a unanimous decision defeat to Xu Can on Aug. 15. Prior to the loss, Belmehdi, 27, had won seven in a row, including four by stoppage.

He can be a decent Euro level player.

Might be his ceiling.. but he can win this and make sone defences.

Has this been added to any card?

Josh Padley gets title shot against Jaouad Belmehdi on January 31

and’s Josh Padley could win his first major professional title when he takes on Frenchman Jaouad Belmehdi for the vacant European junior lightweight championship on January 31 at the Newcastle Arena. The contest was today confirmed by Matchroom Boxing on social media as an addition to the Bakhram Murtazaliev-Josh Kelly bill.

The 27-year-old Belmehdi, 23-2-3 (11 KOs), will be returning after an August 2025 12-round points defeat to Can Xu in China, though British fans might remember him for lasting just 35 seconds with Gary Scully inside Wembley Arena three years ago.

This fight represents 30-year-old Padley’s second tilt over the championship distance. The first, when a late substitute, saw him stopped in nine rounds by Shakur Stevenson last February. The courageous nature of his effort to upset the revered Stevenson saw him rewarded with a contract from Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom.

Since then, the 17-1 (5 KOs) Padley has stopped Marko Cventanovic in five rounds and outpointed Reece Bellotti over 10. He will be a healthy favourite to make it three wins in a row against Belmehdi.

Padley has really taken that late notice opportunity and kicked on from there, good on him, now a full time pro making a good living, great to see

There's no mention of him installing solar panels in that press release.

Taansend wrote: ↑06 Jan 2026, 00:34 There's no mention of him installing solar panels in that press release.

He’s seen the light

Josh Padley to fight on Murtazaliev-Kelly card Jan. 31 for European 130-pound title

The planned fight between Josh Padley and Jaouad Belmehdi now has a home.

Matchroom Boxing announced on Monday that Padley and Belmedhi will meet on January 31 for the European junior lightweight title. The bout will take place on the undercard of the fight between Bakhram Murtazaliev and Josh Kelly at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle on DAZN.

Padley (17-1, 5 KOs) and Belmehdi (23-2-3, 11 KOs) had been linked for a fight since November, and they can finally move forward with a firm date on the calendar.

Padley, a 30-year-old from Yorkshire, had a momentous 2025 campaign highlighted by filling in as a fight-week replacement against WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson in February.

Although Padley was dropped thrice and stopped inside nine rounds, he gained the respect of his peers for taking on the seemingly impossible assignment on short notice once original Stevenson opponent Floyd Schofield Jr. pulled out, citing illness. Padley came into the Stevenson pitting having given Mark Chamberlain his first career defeat, and he followed his own first loss with a knockout win against Marko Cvetanovic in April and a unanimous decision win against Reece Bellotti in October.

As the handsome purses piled up, mostly from the six-figure sum he earned from the Stevenson fight, Padley announced he was able to step back from his day job as a full-time electrician and focus on his fighting career instead.

Belmehdi is looking to spoil Padley's rags-to-riches story and spark his own career. The 27-year-old has primarily fought in his native France and is coming off a 12-round unanimous decision loss to Can Xu in August.

SeanBrennan wrote: ↑06 Jan 2026, 02:40

Taansend wrote: ↑06 Jan 2026, 00:34 There's no mention of him installing solar panels in that press release.

He’s seen the light