A series of world-class bouts is featured on the boxing schedule for Q1 2025. The events held from January through March take place in the U.S., UK, Australia, and Japan.
The action kicks off on January 8 on the Gold Coast, Australia. Making his home country ring appearance, two-time IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia (26-0, 20 KOs) defends his title against late replacement opponent David Nyika (10-0, 9 KOs) of New Zealand. The latter stepped in for Huseyin Cinkara (22-0, 18 KOs), who withdrew due to a broken ankle.
On January 24, Japan’s two-division undisputed champion Naoya Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) takes on Australia’s Sam Goodman (19-0, 8 KOs) in Tokyo. Inoue makes the third defense of his 122 lbs belts, while Goodman fights for the division’s major title in his first fight outside his home country.
On February 1, former two-time super middleweight champion David Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) squares off against David Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) in Las Vegas. Benavidez of Phoenix, Arizona puts his interim WBC light heavyweight title on the line. Morrell of Cuba brings his WBA Regular 175-pound belt to the ring.
The day after, on February 2, two-weight undisputed champion Claressa Shields (15-0, 3 KOs) takes on Danielle Perkins (5-0, 2 KOs) in Flint, Michigan. The fight marks Shields’ first WBC heavyweight title defense, and Perkins’ first world title challenge.
Derek Chisora (35-13, 23 KOs) is set for his final ring appearance in the UK on February 8 in Manchester. The Zimbabwean-British former heavyweight title challenger is opposed by New York-based Otto Wallin (27-2, 15 KOs) of Sweden.
On February 15, also in Manchester, Jack Catterall (30-1, 13 KOs) of England meets Arnold Barboza Jr (31-0, 11 KOs) of Long Beach, California. The fighters go head-to-head in a final eliminator for the WBO title at super lightweight.
February 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is headlined by a rematch between Artur Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) and Dmitry Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs). Beterbiev won their first fight in October by majority decision and took the undisputed title at light heavyweight. Also on the card, Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) of Newark, New Jersey defends his WBC lightweight title against Floyd Schofield (18-0, 12 KOs) of Jersey City, New Jersey.
On February 24 in Tokyo, Junto Nakatani (29-0, 22 KOs) makes the third defense of his WBC bantamweight title against David Cuellar Contreras (28-0, 18 KOs) of Mexico. In the co-feature, Seiya Tsutsumi (12-0-2, 8 KOs) defends his WBA bantamweight title in an all-Japanese clash against Daigo Higa (21-3-1, 19 KOs).
Gervonta Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) goes up against Lamont Roach Jr (25-1-1, 10 KOs) on March 1 in Brooklyn, New York. Baltimore’s three-division world champion “Tank” Davis puts his WBA lightweight title on the line. Current WBA super featherweight champion Roach Jr of Washington, D.C. moves up a weight class.
March 7 in London sees a world championship unification between British Natasha Jonas (16-2-1, 9 KOs) and Lauren Price (8-0, 2 KOs) of Wales. Two-division champion Jonas brings to the ring her unified IBF and WBC belts. Price puts her WBA title on the line.
March 15 is expected to feature Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) of Brooklyn up against Subriel Matias (21-2, 21 KOs) of Puerto Rico. Two-division champion Lopez defends his WBO super lightweight title. Former world champion Matias looks to once again get on top of the division.
In other action
The current boxing schedule for 2025 also includes a series of other prominent matchups.
Among the bouts, LA’s Diego Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs) faces Steven Nelson (20-0, 16 KOs) of Omaha, NE on January 25 in Las Vegas. Eric Priest (14-0, 8 KOs) of Wichita Falls, Texas battles Crossville, Tennessee-based Tyler Howard (20-2, 11 KOs) on January 23 in Commerce, CA.
Laval, Quebec-based Erik Bazinyan (32-1-1, 23 KOs) of Armenia is back in the ring on March 14 in Montreal, Quebec, facing off against local former title challenger Steven Butler (35-5-1, 29 KOs).
Stay tuned with the full list of upcoming boxing events featured on FIGHTMAG schedule for 2025, including broadcast and ticket information.