BoxRec

O’Shaquie Foster will defend his WBC junior lightweight title vs. Raymond Ford on May 30 in Houston, sources tell @ringmagazine.

The bout will air live on DAZN. Should be an excellent fight. Ford No. 2 in The Ring’s ratings at 130 and coming off impressive win over Fulton. Ford was in The Ring’s 2024 Fight of the Year and is No. 6.



O’Shaquie Foster vs Raymond Ford in the works

Top Rank and Matchroom are looking to pit WBC super featherweight champ O’Shaquie Foster against Raymond Ford

WBC super featherweight champion O’Shaquie Foster’s next fight may not be the unification we crave, but it could be a quality scrap, as Eddie Hearn tells The Stomping Ground that he’s working on a showdown with former featherweight champ Raymond Ford.

Foster (24-3, 12 KO) fought just once in 2015, handily beating an overweight Stephen Fulton in December. He’d previously split a pair of narrow bouts with Robson Conceicao, the first of which snapped an eight-year winning streak.

Ford (18-1-1, 8 KO), best known for his dramatic come-from-behind finish of Otabek Kholmatov and subsequent tight loss to Nick Ball as part of Queensberry’s rout of Matchroom, stands at 3-0 since moving up from 126. He was supposed to face Anthony Cacace last year, but wound up beating perennial tough out Abraham Nova instead when “The Apache” suffered a back injury.

With Top Rank reportedly joining Matchroom under the DAZN umbrella, there’s a chance this could be one of many quality crossover fights in the near future.

Almost certainly going to a decision but it's an interesting fight

O’Shaquie Foster-Raymond Ford set for May 30 in Texas

O’Shaquie Foster will fight for the second straight time in his home state of Texas. And for the first time, he will be making a title defense in his hometown of Houston.

That defense will come against Raymond Ford on May 30, according to Mike Coppinger of The Ring.

The 32-year-old Foster, 24-3 (12 KOs), is in his second reign with the WBC junior lightweight belt. He won the vacant title in February 2023 with a wide decision over Rey Vargas. Foster then made two successful defenses against Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez – a sensational 12th-round stoppage while behind on the scorecards – and Abraham Nova.

But Foster dropped the belt to Robson Conceicao via split decision in July 2024. They met again about four months later, and this time Foster won the rematch with the better end of a split decision.

Foster was supposed to make his first defense in San Antonio in December against Stephen Fulton, but Fulton came in massively overweight. The WBC decided to make the fight for an interim lightweight belt instead. Foster clearly outpointed Fulton and then dropped the 135lbs trinket in favor of continuing his campaign at 130.

In Ford, Foster will be facing another opponent with world title credentials, adding to a list that also includes Vargas, Conceicao and Fulton.

Ford, 18-1-1 (8 KOs), is a 27-year-old from Camden, New Jersey, who previously owned the WBA belt at featherweight.

As with Foster vs. Hernandez, Ford was down on the cards going into the final round of his bout with Otabek Kholmatov for the vacant title in March 2024. Ford wound up stopping Kholmatov with just seven seconds remaining.

Three months later, Ford dropped the title to Nick Ball via split decision. Since then, Ford has competed at junior lightweight, notching three consecutive unanimous decision victories over the 23-2 Orlando Gonzalez, the 22-4-1 Thomas Mattice, and the aforementioned Nova.

'Shaquie Foster to defend WBC 130-pound title against Raymond Ford

O'Shaquie Foster will defend his WBC junior lightweight title vs. Raymond Ford on May 30, sources tell The Ring.
The fight is expected to take place in Houston, Foster’s hometown.

The matchup, a highly intriguing one, brings together two of the best 130-pounders in the world. It also finally cements a collision course that has been nearly a year in the making.

The fighters have traded words on social media and then did so again in person at February’s Emanuel Navarrete-Sugar Nunez fight in Arizona. That fight also featured Matchroom vs. Top Rank (Nunez and Ford are with Eddie Hearn).

Now, they’re set to square off in the ring as Ford attempts to become a two-division titleholder. Ford won a featherweight title in thrilling fashion with a last-second KO of Otabek Kholamtov in The Ring’s 2024 Fight of the Year.

The Camden, N.J., native lost the title in his first defense, a split decision to Nick Ball later that year in another slugfest.
Ford (18-1-1, 8 KOs) will be viewed as an underdog against Foster, who seems to be peaking at 32.

Foster (24-3, 12 KOs) is coming off perhaps his best performance, a wide points victory over Stephen Fulton in December.
Ford, 27, last competed in August, a decision win over Abraham Nova whom Foster also defeated.

Foster is The Ring’s No. 2 boxer at 130 pounds while Ford is sixth.

Ford's a good fighter & his fight with Ball could have gone either way but Foster is at the top of his game.

Like a prime Hopkins without the dirty tricks.

Well maybe some dirty tricks.

ANNOUNCED: O’Shaquie Foster will defend his WBC junior lightweight title vs Ray Ford on May 30th in Houston, live on DAZN.

O'Shaquie Foster vs. Raymond Ford officially confirmed for May 30 in Texas

O’Shaquie Foster will defend his WBC junior lightweight title against Raymond Ford at the Fertitta Center in Houston, Texas on May 30.

The bout, which was long-rumored and first reported on Monday, was today officially confirmed by Matchroom Boxing and Top Rank.

Houston, Texas’ Foster, 24-3 (12 KOs), will make the first defense of his second reign as WBC boss. He regained the title in November 2024, beating Robson Conceicao via split decision to avenge the same result in their first fight, four months earlier.

The 32-year-old, whose nickname is “Ice Water”, officially – albeit inadvertently – stepped up to lightweight in his most recent bout – a convincing 12-round decision victory over Stephen Fulton in December. Though Foster weighed 130lbs, the junior lightweight limit, Fulton came in two pounds over and, curiously, the bout was sanctioned by the WBC as an interim affair at lightweight.

“I’m happy and excited to fight at home for the first time as a world champion – it’s a dream come true,” said Foster. “We will be 1,000 per cent prepared, and we will dominate from round one.”

Camden, New Jersey’s Ford, 18-1-1 (8 KOs), is a former WBA ruler down at featherweight. The southpaw has won three since losing that belt to Nick Ball in June 2024. All of those subsequent wins, over Orlando Gonzalez, Thomas Mattice and Abraham Nova, came on points over 10 rounds.

“I’m just happy he finally signed the contract,” Ford, 27, said of Foster. “When it came down to it, I was the biggest fight out there for him and now it’s time to fight and I can’t wait for it. He’s a good name for my resume and I’m taking that belt on May 30 and becoming a two-weight world champion.”

O’Shaquie Foster vs Raymond Ford official for May 30th on DAZN

O’Shaquie Foster will make a hometown defense of his WBC title next month against Raymond Ford

As expected, WBC super featherweight champion O’Shaquie Foster’s next defense will pit him against Raymond Ford atop a May 30th DAZN show at Houston’s Fertitta Center.

Foster (24-3, 12 KO), last seen routing Stephen Fulton in December, has won 14 of his last 15. This will mark the second defense of his second title reign; he initially beat Rey Vargas for the vacant belt in 2023 before defending against Rocky Hernandez and Abraham Nova, only to split a pair of bouts with Robson Conceicao.

“I’m happy and excited to fight at home for the first time as a World champion - it’s a dream come true,” said Foster. “We will be 1,000 per cent prepared, and we will dominate from round one.”

Ford (18-1-1, 8 KO), who famously stopped Otabek Kholmatov for the WBA featherweight title before narrowly falling to Nick Ball in his first defense, has won all three of his bouts since moving up to 130.

”I’m just happy he finally signed the contract,” said Ford. “When it came down to it, I was the biggest fight out there for him and now it’s time to fight and I can’t wait for it. He’s a good name for my resume and I’m taking that belt on May 30 and becoming a two-weight World champion.”

This is one of the better fights the division has to offer and, hopefully, just the first of many intriguing crossover bouts now possible thanks to Top Rank and Matchroom sharing a broadcaster. We’ll let you know when the undercard comes together.

RAYMOND FORD: THERE'S NOTHING O'SHAQUIE FOSTER CAN DO, IT'S DESTINY

Raymond Ford evidently can peer into the future.

The 130-pound contender said that when he challenges WBC titleholder O'Shaquie Foster on May 30 at Houston's Fertitta Center on DAZN, it won't be a question of if, but when he wins.

“He can’t do anything with me,” Ford told The Ring. “I’ll hurt him and really take it to him. This is destiny, that WBC belt is mine, it's already written.”

Of course, Foster – as well as the oddsmakers, who have listed the champ as the favorite – see it differently.
The 32-year-old from Houston is coming off arguably the most impressive performance of his career, a one-sided decision over Stephen Fulton to win the WBC interim 135-pound title last December.

Foster (24-3, 12 KOs), who entered that fight as the junior lightweight champion, gave up the interim belt to continue his 130-pound reign.

The weight doesn't matter to Ford. The 27-year-old from Camden, New Jersey, just wants a chance to prove he's a better boxer than Foster. Since making his 130-pound debut in November 2024, Ford (18-1-1, 8 KOs) has gone a perfect 3-0 with a trio of 10-round decision victories and expects to add to that record in style back at world-level.

“He’s a good fighter don’t get me wrong, but he’s not on my level,” Ford said of Foster.

“I’m better than him in so many ways. I don’t wanna do too much talking. Y’all gonna see come fight night. He can’t mess with me. Don’t be surprised if this fight is crazy lopsided.”

Ford's loss to Ball was razor thin. Great bout.

And I thought that the bloke he won the title against was going to rule Featherweight. Otabek Kholmatov. He's only fought once since then.

I still don't see him beating Foster though, who reminds me of Hopkins in his ring intelligence.

In couple of weeks!

Fight Week!!

FORD WANTS CACACE UNIFICATION IF HE BEATS FOSTER

Raymond Ford already knows who he wants next if all goes according to plan against WBC 130-pound champion O'Shaquie Foster.

On the latest episode of Inside The Ring, which aired on Monday, Ford said he wants to revisit a potential fight against WBA 130-pound champion Anthony Cacace. Any hopes of that coming to fruition first depend on him beating Foster on Saturday at Fertitta Center in Houston, live and exclusively on DAZN.

“I want to fight Anthony Cacace,” Ford said. “I want to circle back on that. He’s got a belt now, so I feel like for me, it makes more sense to go collect his belt, become unified, then go for undisputed with [Emanuel] Navarrete.

“First, I got to take care of O’Shaquie Foster. That's my main focus. I can't even really think about those other fights when I got a guy like Foster in front of me.”

Navarrete (40-2-1, 33 KOs), The Ring's No. 1-ranked junior lightweight, is the IBF and WBO 130-pound titleholder.

Ford (18-1-1, 8 KOs) and Northern Ireland's Cacace (25-1, 9 KOs) were scheduled to fight last August, before a back injury forced the Belfast native to withdraw.

The former WBA featherweight champion remained on the card, scoring a 10-round unanimous decision against replacement Abraham Nova. Cacace, 37, returned to the ring with a 12-round points win over Jazza Dickens to claim the WBA strap on March 1.

Ford, ten years his junior at 27, is The Ring's No. 6-ranked junior lightweight contender, while Cacace sits at No. 3.

Victory over Foster (24-3, 12 KOs) would see the Camden, New Jersey native become a two-division champion after a last-gasp stoppage of Otabek Kholmatov to win the 126-pound belt in The Ring's 2024 Fight of the Year.

Foster, 32, represents Ford's toughest test since moving up to junior lightweight in late 2024. The Houston native, rated No. 2 by The Ring at 130 pounds, enters their encounter after an impressive performance, dominating former two-division champion Stephen Fulton on December 6.

Ford is 3-0 since moving up in weight, having banked a trio of unanimous decision victories in 10-round contests.

“I think it changes my life,” Ford said of what a win over Foster would mean. “It makes people look at me differently in the boxing world. I think bigger opportunities will come.”

Weigh in

O'Shaquie Foster vs Ray Ford official weigh-in results

O'Shaquie Foster - 130lbs
Ray Ford - 130lbs

All set for tomorrow's WBC junior lightweight title clash in Houston, live on DAZN

Fight night!!

Wow, nobody believe in Ford in this one? I am rooting for Foster, but was thinking he is underdog here

Cent0089 wrote: ↑30 May 2026, 14:10 Wow, nobody believe in Ford in this one? I am rooting for Foster, but was thinking he is underdog here

I genuinely do not know. Probably 55%/45% in favour of Foster.

Date: Saturday May 30, 2026
Location: Fertitta Center - Houston, TX
TV/Stream: DAZN

Start Times
YouTube: 6 pm ET | 3 pm PT | 11 pm BST (Preliminary Card)
DAZN: 8 pm ET | 5 pm PT | 1 am BST (Main Card)

Promoted by: Matchroom Boxing & Top Rank Inc.

Main Card

WBC SuperFeatherweight Championship
O’Shaquie Foster (24-3 12 KOs) vs. Raymond Ford (18-1-1 8 KOs)

Vacant NABO Lightweight Championship
Charlie Sheehy (12-0, 7 KOs) vs. Jaret Gonzalez (18-2, 13 KOs)

8 Round Super Welterweight Bout
Omari Jones (6-0, 4 KOs) vs. Diego Osuna Zuniga (9-0, 6 KOs)

10 Round Super Featherweight Bout
Miguel Flores (29-5-1, 13 KOs) vs. Javon Woodard Jr. (16-2, 14 KOs)

Preliminary Card

8 Round Lightweight Bout
Zaquin Moses (6-0, 3 KOs) vs. Travis Crawford (7-6, 2 KOs)

6 Round Lightweight Bout
Frank Espinoza (3-0, 3 KOs) vs. Bryce Blackwell (4-2, 1 KO)

6 Round Super Middleweight Bout
Jahyden Franklin Britton (8-0, 5 KOs) vs. Najee West (9-2, 4 KOs)

6 Round Super Featherweight Bout
Julian Montalvo (6-0, 4 KOs) vs. Maximus Moya (3-3, 2 KOs)
______
Prelims

Damn he got no points off for this?

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑30 May 2026, 23:19

Damn he got no points off for this?

Odd occurrence there. I've never seen anything quite like that. I've seen guys knocked out of the ring, but not slung out. I don't think he necessarily threw him from the ring on purpose, I think he was trying to sling him into the ropes, but it was definitely a bizarre moment.

Foster with the comeback.

Have him ahead now..

After 10 rounds this is one of those fights you could have anything from 7 rounds to 3 for either man or 5-5 even.

Almost every round has been close.

I’ve got Ford up 1, but I gave him the first.