The 2026 boxing calendar has kicked off in style, as Shakur Stevenson thrust his name into pound-for-pound contention, whilst both Dalton Smith and Josh Kelly have registered upset title wins to become Great Britain’s latest world champions.
Now, the year is in full flow and we are set for another month of twists, turns and title changes as we hit February, where six male world title fights await us. Here, Boxing News takes a look at each of those contests, ahead of what is sure to be a thrilling continuation of the drama witnessed in January.
February 6: Christian Medina vs. Adrian Curiel – WBO bantamweight title (DAZN)
Junto Nakatani’s move up to super-bantamweight saw him vacate the WBC and WBO bantamweight marbles, with the WBC strap being picked up by Takuma Inoue and Christian Medina upsetting Yoshiki Takei to get his hands on the WBO title.
On Friday night, Medina seeks a first defence of the belt, as he collides with Adrian Curiel in an exciting all-Mexican showdown in his hometown of Guadalajara, hopeful of a sixth consecutive win inside of the distance.
With 30 fights to his name, at the age of just 25 years old, Medina looked much improved against Takei last time out and another dominant showing here could see him become viewed as the man to beat in a bantamweight division littered with Japanese talent.
Although, Curiel has pulled off shock wins in the past, most known for his stunning 2023 knockout of Sivenathi Nontshinga in Monte Carlo that saw him claim the IBF light-flyweight crown.
February 7: Nick Ball vs. Brandon Figueroa – WBA featherweight title (DAZN)
Nick Ball trumped Ray Ford to become WBA featherweight champion back in June 2024 and the Liverpudlian has defended the belt on three occasions since, appearing to be waiting for a showdown with pound-for-pound star Naoya Inoue rather than unifications.
This Saturday, Ball returns for his toughest title defence to date, as he returns to home soil against former unified super-bantamweight ruler Brandon Figueroa at the Echo Arena, looking to overcome a seven-inch height disadvantage and bounce back from a somewhat controversial victory over Sam Goodman.
As for Figueroa, he followed an eye-catching couple of years with a ropey 2025, losing in his rematch with Stephen Fulton and underwhelming against Joet Gonzalez. Still, if the Texan can rediscover the form that proceeded the Fulton rematch, there is every chance that he can pull off the away win.
February 21: Gary Antuanne Russell vs. Andy Hiraoka – WBA super-lightweight title (DAZN PPV)
On the Barrios-Garcia undercard, Gary Antuanne Russell and Andy Hiraoka will finally meet at the third time of asking, following fight cancellations on the Pacquiao-Barrios and Jake Paul-Gervonta Davis shows, after the fight was ordered last April.
Russell dethroned Jose Valenzuela to become champion the month prior to that order in a one-sided decision victory, but will have suffered almost a year of inactivity ahead of this battle with Hiraoka, who has not fought himself since September 2024.
The victor will likely be determined by who has dealt with that inactivity better, in an affair that will prove whether the Japanese-Ghanaian challenger is truly the boogeyman that some fight fans paint him out to be.
February 21: Richardson Hitchins vs. Oscar Duarte – IBF super-lightweight title (DAZN PPV)
Reigning IBF super-lightweight champion Richardson Hitchins believes that he is standout fighter in a competitive 140lb division and the undefeated Brooklynite returns to action in a difficult defence against Oscar Duarte in the co-main of the Barrios-Garcia card.
Hitchins scored a first knockout win in five fights when he halted George Kambosos Jr last time out in a first defence of his title, but the durable and in-form Duarte is sure provide a sterner challenge.
‘La Migrana’ (The Migraine) has proved to be a headache for his last four foes, stringing together a quartet of victories in well-matched contests to earn a maiden shot at world honours in what will be his 34th fight.
If Hitchins is the fighter that he believes himself to be, he should comfortably overcome Duarte, but any chinks in the armour are sure to be exploited by the game challenger, who will seek to march Hitchins down and make this chance at the throne count.
February 21: Mario Barrios vs. Ryan Garcia – WBC welterweight title (DAZN PPV)
In the main-event of February’s most hotly anticipated event, global superstar Ryan Garcia attempts to finally become a world champion, despite competing at the elite level for half a decade.
‘King Ry’ came up short in a world title bid against Rolando Romero last May, following a one-year ban from the sport, and it remains to be seen whether that showing was an off-night or whether Garcia has become a shadow of the fighter that he once was.
The Californian guns for Mario Barrios’ WBC crown, with ‘El Azteca’ hoping to win his first world title contest since 2020, after being upgraded to champion in June 2024 and twice defending the belt with draws against Abel Ramos and Manny Pacquiao.
Whilst Barrios is a worthy titleholder, another failure from Garcia will confirm his decline, in a fight that is sure to have a ripple effect across the sport, as Conor Benn awaits a shot at the victor.
February 28: Emanuel Navarrete vs. Eduardo Nunez – WBO and IBF super-featherweight titles (DAZN)
The month of February starts with an all-Mexican clash in Mexico and ends with one in the United States, as Emanuel Navarrete and Eduardo Nunez go toe-to-toe in a salivating scrap that is unlikely to require any judges.
‘Sugar’ Nunez won on the cards for the first time when he overcame Masanori Rikiishi for a 28th career success to win the IBF super-featherweight title in Japan last May, and replicated that unfamiliar feeling with another points win over Christopher Diaz to defend the belt three months later.
Navarrete, however, has won in just one of his last four outings but remains as WBO super-featherweight champion; drawing with Robson Conceicao to retain his belt, losing to Denys Berinchyk when bidding for the lightweight title, halting Oscar Valdez and then competing in a disputed no-contest against Charly Suarez.
Victory for Nunez could kickstart a new era for the 130lb scene, but Navarrete is capable of mixing it with the very best when he is fit and firing, making this one a potential fight of the year contender.
