EMX Sports wins purse bid for Chukhadzhian vs Paddy Donovan IBF eliminator

EMX Sports has won the purse bid to stage the IBF welterweight title eliminator between Karen Chukhadzhian and Paddy Donovan. The Latvia-based promoter submitted a winning bid of $311,000, outbidding Matchroom Boxing’s $200,000 offer. Donovan is due the favorable 65/35 split, and the winner will become the mandatory challenger for whoever comes out on top between Lewis Crocker and Liam Paro.

The fight had already been ordered earlier this month when the IBF scheduled a March 24 purse bid after both sides failed to reach terms. Chukhadzhian entered as the #5 contender and Donovan as #3. The winner moves into the mandatory slot in a division that has kept moving since Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis left the belt behind and Crocker picked it up.

There is extra intrigue here because Donovan’s path to a title shot goes through another tough test rather than a softer rebuild. He has been tied closely to Crocker in recent fights. Crocker beat him by disqualification in their first meeting, then won a split decision in the rematch last September. A win over Chukhadzhian would put Donovan right back near that same circle again, only now with a title much closer.

Chukhadzhian (26-3, 14 KOs) gave Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis problems in both of their fights, particularly in the November 2024 rematch in Philadelphia, where he repeatedly caught him clean with potshots. Ennis pulled away in the championship rounds as Chukhadzhian faded. Karen, 29, has fought twice since, beating little-known Cristian Javier Ayala and Joel Marcos Mafauad in 2025.

It is not an easy eliminator for Donovan. Chukhadzhian has already gone the distance with Ennis and forced him to work, and he now returns with momentum from two wins. This is a risky step for Donovan, who is trying to work his way back into a title position after the Crocker losses. Going up against Chukhadzhian is a difficult task for any fighter, particularly one hovering between world and British level in terms of talent.