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Natasha Jonas faces Ivana Habazin in a IBF and WBC welterweight unification conflict on Saturday in Liverpool, dwell on Sky Sports activities Photograph Credit score: BOXXER The Exhibition Centre in Liverpool hosts world championship boxing this Saturday, and two girls on a collision course are in differing headlining bouts. Natasha Jonas places her IBF welterweight title on the road in opposition to WBC queen Ivana Habazin in the primary occasion, with rival Lauren Value ready within the wings on the undercard.
Sky Sports activities televise Jonas vs Habazin the UK, whereas the bout will likely be present on Peacock within the USA.
Jonas (15-2-1, 9 KOs) has turned her profession round after a few setbacks, twice denied changing into world champion in a draw with WBC tremendous featherweight champion Terri Harper in 2020, after which a decent resolution loss to Katie Taylor in 2021.
The Liverpudlian then went on a world title spree, profitable the vacant WBO tremendous welterweight title with a second spherical stoppage of Chris Namus in February 2022, after which unifying in her subsequent two outings.
Jonas, 40, then dropped all the way down to welterweight to take the vacant IBF belt with an eighth spherical stoppage of Kandi Wyatt final July, and she or he retained in a decent break up resolution win in opposition to Mikaela Mayer in January, in a conflict that might have gone both method.
Jonas will face Value if she beats Habazin Photograph Credit score: Chris Dean/BOXXER
Habazin (23-5, 7 KOs) has had loads of ups and downs in her profession, profitable the identical IBF welterweight title method again in 2014, however defeated in lots of different world title bids.
The Croatian final misplaced in Might final 12 months, dropping a choice to Terri Harper for the WBA tremendous welterweight title, however she rebounded, and gained the vacant WBC welterweight strap in her homeland, taking a large factors win in opposition to Kinga Magyar.
Prediction: Jonas will probably have seen Value win nicely, and can wish to do the identical. I can’t see Jonas slipping up, and she or he ought to win extensively on the scorecards.
Value meets Mateus
The aforementioned Lauren Value additionally sees motion, and her WBA and IBO welterweight titles will likely be on the road for the primary time in opposition to Bexcy Mateus (7-0, 6 KOs).
Value (7-0, 1 KO) was very good in taking the belts in Might, outclassing Jessica McCaskill earlier than taking a technical resolution win, and the 2020 Olympic Gold medallist meets a customer with restricted expertise, with Mateus preventing for the primary time outdoors of her native Colombia.
Value grew to become world champion in Might Photograph Credit score: Lawrence Lustig/BOXXER
The 29-year-old was final out in September, forcing Paulina Cardona to retire after 5 rounds.
Prediction: Value will likely be first as much as make an announcement, and she will be able to diffuse Mateus to win handily on factors.
McKenna clashes with Cutler
Stephen McKenna (15-0, 14 KOs) is again in motion after an exhilarating three spherical shootout win in opposition to Joe Legal guidelines in August, and the Irishman ought to defend his WBC Worldwide Silver tremendous welterweight title with a stoppage win in opposition to English champion Lee Cutler (14-1, 7 KOs).
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Remaining Undercard
Mark Jeffers (18-0, 5 KOs) can mark his third outing of the 12 months, by securing a victory contained in the ten spherical distance in his tremendous middleweight assembly with Ghana’s Elvis Ahorgah (13-2, 12 KOs).
Viddal Riley (11-0, 6 KOs) would have hoped to have kicked on after taking a formidable factors win in opposition to Makael Lawal in March, however the English cruiserweight champion should accept a possible factors win in opposition to Steve Ntere (9-2, 3 KOs) in a conflict set for six rounds.
Mason Cartwright (20-4-1, 8 KOs) ought to have the ability to financial institution a factors win over six in opposition to Dzmitry Atrokhau (16-24, 7 KOs) at tremendous welterweight, and light-weight hope Frankie Stringer (8-0, 1 KO) can do the identical in opposition to Tatenda Mangombe (3-8-1).
At flyweight, Mikie Tallon (5-0) needs to be a factors winner in opposition to the sport Benn Norman (7-6).
