GALAL Yafai steps out for the first time since his breakthrough win over Sunny Edwards at the tail end of 2024 when he meets Francisco Rodriguez Jr over 12 rounds. Yafai makes the first defence of the WBC Interim crown that he claimed that night and is hoping it will lead him to even bigger nights against the cream of the flyweight crop. Let’s see who joins him in the Resorts World Arena, Birmingham.
Conah Walker vs. Liam Taylor
Wolverhampton’s comeback king Walker needed a humungous punch to dispose of Harry Scarff and keep the big nights rolling in. Conah is fit, strong, tough and hard to push back. This is as close to a home fight as Walker is getting at the moment. ‘Dynamo’ Taylor hasn’t had a big fight since losing to David Avanesyan in 2021. Walker should be too active and fresh.
Peter McGrail vs. Ionut Baluta
Expected to face the on-form Shabaz Masoud, injury to Masoud has left the door open for Ionut Baluta to attempt to spoil the McGrail party. Baluta has good form in causing upsets and will look to make it a Liverpool double over McGrail after beating Brad Strand in March. McGrail has bounced back strongly since suffering a shock knockout loss to Ja’Rico O’Quinn.
Ibraheem Sulaimaan vs. Brian Phillips
Birmingham’s ‘Spider’ Sulaimaan can expect a boisterous homecoming bout as he meets Phillips over eight rounds. The visitor, from Liverpool, has lost his last two, albeit in good company over the distance. The Rhys Edwards loss was a long time ago. Sulaimaan will fancy he can grab a stoppage as the rounds go on.
Giorgio Visioli vs. Elias Federico Duguet
Heavy-handed Visioli has made it his business to forcibly remove the majority of his opponents since a 2023 debut in Dublin. That ended in a first-round KO, naturally. Argentina’s Duguet is 7-1-1, so on paper, should provide a test. His only loss came via knockout, which is not a positive portent for his prospects here.
Best of the Rest
Coventry’s Aaron Bowen meets Alvaro Godoy over eight rounds, while Walsall flyweight Hamza Uddin tackles Johsua Vallejo across the same distance. Pat Brown returns three months after his raucous pro debut in Altrincham. Brown takes on Croatia’s Ivan Duka at cruiserweight. 18-year-old Bristolian Tiah Mai Ayton makes her pro debut against the ever-dependable Bec Connolly over six rounds.
